DIGGORY'S DYKE, a deep cut between two hills in FAIRIE. The hills are leaden with chalk deposits, red soil and grass covering the top side, leaving the pathway between them exposed with the white chalk. Local legend dictates that the cut was created by Diggory using a spade that was formerly a sword-blade before being melted down. There is much debate over whose sword it once was. The path to WALL passes through the Dyke.

(Neil Gaiman and Charles Vess, Stardust, New York, 1998)

FAIRIE, a domain just beyond England where every land that has been forced off the map by explorers out to prove it didn't exist takes refuge. As a result, Fairie is constantly expanding and maps are unreliable. Well established locales within Fairie include the dominions of STORMHOLD, the cottage of the witch-queen Lilim, the Transluminary Citadel of His Vastness the Freemartin Muskish, and SCAITHE'S EBB. A mountain range running north to south in Fairie is believed to be a sleeping giant, and so the four largest peaks are called Mount Head, Mount Shoulder, Mount Belly and Mount Knees, with the foothills being called The Feet. Other notable geographic features include the Debatable Hills, the Catavarian Isles, and DIGGORY'S DYKE.

The fauna includes unusual creatures such as unicorns, dragons, gryphons, wyverns, hippogriffs and basilisks; as well as more ordinary animals like cats, dogs, wolves, foxes, eagles, lions and bears. Visitors are advised to avoid serewoods, where the leaves falling from trees are sharp as razors and will pick bones clean.

Travellers can enter Fairie through the village of WALL. Contact between Fairie and the non-magical world is limited to the Fairy Market held outside Wall every nine years, when those from outside are allowed to pass into Fairie to shop.

(Neil Gaiman and Charles Vess, Stardust, New York, 1997)

SCAITHE'S EBB, a small seaport town in FAIRIE. The town is home to numerous chandlers, carpenters and sailmakers. There are no whores, but instead women who consider themselves married to many men, sailors rarely in port for longer than a month at a time after a long period at sea. If two men come back to the same woman at once, there is usually a fight, but most sailors are content with the arrangement because it means at least one person will mourn their death should they perish at sea.

(Neil Gaiman and Charles Vess, Stardust, New York, 1997)

STORMHOLD, a citadel in FAIRIE, carved out of the peak of Mount Huron. Stormhold was built by the first Lord of Stormhold, who reigned from the end of the First Age into the beginning of the Second. Later lords expanded the citadel into the mountain, leaving it tall enough to rake the clouds. Stormhold is named for the immense storms which haunt the mountain. There have been eighty-two Lords of Stormhold, all now interred in the Hall of Ancestors deep inside the mountain. The majority of them gained the title by killing all their brothers, leaving themselves the only heir to the throne.

The Lord of Stormhold is the possessor of the Power of Stormhold, a giant topaz on a chain. It was this gem the eighty-first Lord tossed out into the land of Fairie before his passing, in order to determine which of his three surviving sons would become his successor. The topaz hit a star named Yvaine and caused her to fall from the sky, and she retained possession of the gem until meeting Tristan Thorn. Tristan later turned out to be the son of Lady Una of Stormhold, the youngest daughter of the deceased Lord. The three surviving sons died on the quest to find the topaz, leaving Tristan as the eighty-second Lord. Lady Una served as regent while Tristan and his new wife Yvaine travelled throughout Fairie, ruling in his stead for eight years. Upon his return, Tristan took the throne and ruled wisely until his death. He had no heirs, passing the throne on to Lady Yvaine, who does not age and so rules to this day.

(Neil Gaiman and Charles Vess, Stardust, New York, 1997)

WALL, a town in England that has stood for six hundred years in the forest on a large jut of granite. The houses are small with dark slate roofs and high chimneys. There is only one road to Wall, a winding track which eventually becomes a paved road ending in London after a night's drive. To the south of the town is a placid lake fed by several small streams originating in the nearby hills where sheep graze. To the east is more woodland and the wall from which the town earns its name. Through a six foot gap in the wall one may travel to FAIRIE. The entrance is guarded at all times, mostly to prevent children from wandering through. Visitors are only allowed passage into Fairie once every nine years on May Day, when the Fairy Market comes to the meadow just beyond the entrance. Travellers journey from all over the world to purchase magical fairy goods at the fair, usually staying at the Seventh Magpie Inn or in the residences of the townspeople.

(Neil Gaiman and Charles Vess, Stardust, New York, 1997)