Bilbali lies in the north of the country, controlling an area between the sea and the southern forests. It is the second largest settlement in Estalia, and the main one in the north of the country. The surrounding coast is extremely inhospitable, with towering sliffs that afford no shelter for ships. At Bilbali, however, a steep-sided crag gives access to a shallow bay, where the city stands against a background of cave-tudded cliffs.

The most striking feature of the city is a tall tower, built upon an island within the bay. From atop its lofty height, a great bronze bell calls across the Great Western Ocean. In storms and times of trouble, pilots listen eagerly for the sound of the bell with its promise of a safe harbour and a mug of good Estalian wine. The surrounding area is somewhat poor, so that Bilbali's fortunes are wholly dependent upon the sea and, to protect their fragile maritime trade, the people of the city maintain a close watch on the seaways. Their fleets are wll armed and their sailors renowned fighters, bitter enemies of the many pirates who frequent the coasts of Estalia and southern Bretonnia.