Similar in size to Earth, Darkover has a lower gravity due to its relative lack of metals; it also has a higher percentage of oxygen in the atmosphere.

Darkover's nominally temperate continental zone, which borders the open water of the planet's ocean, is nevertheless subject to severe winter weather, and warm days in summer are rare.

[10] The Chieri feature prominently in The World Wreckers, The Planet Savers, Star of Danger, and in the long-lived, half-human/half-Chieri characters, Robert Kadarin and Thyra Scott, who appear in The Heritage of Hastur and Sharra's Exile.

[11] They usually feature in the Darkovan novels as the servants of laranzu'in working in the towers, with the explanation that theirs is the only touch humans in the hyper-sensitive state of the matrix worker can bear.

[13] Although the Kyrri can understand human speech, they do not speak themselves, and in Sharra's Exile Regis Hastur wonders how the message he gave one would be delivered.

The Trailmen feature prominently in the novels, The Planet Savers and Star of Danger, and in Diana L. Paxson's short story, The Place Between, from Snows of Darkover.

I only know that they are very terrible indeed, with plumes and talons and shrill yelping cries ..." This is a conscious decision; she thinks that monsters should not be described in too much detail, lest they lose their horror.

Walter Breen cites Christopher Gibson for the observation that comyn is derived from the Gaelic word, comhionnan, meaning equal, and appears to refer to the communal origins of Darkover.

Some of them are fairly wealthy, owning lands and raising crops or animals, or having successful businesses, such as tailoring and dressmaking, leatherworking and other crafts, milling and cheesemaking, or inn-keeping.

In The Bloody Sun, Chapter 9, a group of Darkovans calling themselves the Pan-Darkovan Syndicate meets with Danvan Hastur and the members of the Arilinn Tower, and raises objections to the decision of the Comyn to limit trade and imports from the Terran Empire.

The Guild of Oath-Bound Renunciates, called Free Amazons and com'hi letzii in earlier books, are women who have opted out of Darkover's traditional gender-based roles, including marriage, obligations to clan, and the expectation of male protection.

In The Spell Sword, Chapter 7, Damon Ridenow realizes that to supervise two untrained telepaths, Andrew Carr and Ellamir Lanart-Alton, he must function as a Keeper.

In Exile's Song Marguerida Alton destroys the representation of Comyn Tower in the Overworld that Ashara has maintained for hundreds of years to stay alive.

In The Forbidden Tower, Chapter 6, they are described as "-- fire-forms, and wind-creatures to tear down castles and whole walls, and creatures from other dimensions walking abroad in the land -- ".

In The Heritage of Hastur, Marjorie Scott and Lew Alton, drugged and under the influence of Kadarin and Beltran Aldaran, raise the Form of Fire and destroy the Terran spaceport of Caer Donn.

...Later: [T]he figure changed, grew, and was, again, the great chained Being, regal, burning, searing her beauty into his heart and brain.The ancient Keeper of Comyn Tower, Ashara, tries to explain Sharra to Lew Alton, who is, one might say, "possessed" by the Form of Fire after the events in The Heritage of Hastur.

Bradley was not as talented a linguist as Tolkien was, with the ability to invent entire languages and explain their imaginary origins, but the basic vocabulary is quite consistent throughout the books.

For much more information about the languages of Darkover, including a discussion of grammar, examples of translation and lists of words, there is the essay by Thorsten Renk.

In The Winds of Darkover, Chapter 3, Lerrys, the foster-son of Valdir, Lord Alton, realizes that Dan Barron has some sort of telepathic ability and that he will have "troubles" on their journey into the mountains, since he has visions of Sharra.

Outdoor wear is described in The Winds of Darkover, when Dan Barron travels on horseback with three Darkovan men: All three wore loose heavy breeches, falling in flaps over high, carefully-fitted boots, and laced tunic-like shirts in rich, dark colors.

Writing of Magdalene Lorne, Bradley says: She wore the ordinary dress of a woman of Thendara: a long, full skirt of heavy cloth, woven in a tartan pattern, a high-necked and long-sleeved tunic, embroidered at the neck, and ankle-high sandals of thin leather.

Also, repeatedly throughout the series, women's thoughts (seldom expressed aloud) are concerned with being "brood mares"; e. g. "I was of no value; the daughters I bore him at risk of my life were of no value; I was nothing but an instrument to give him sons" (Kindra, speaking in The Shattered Chain, Chapter 2).

I have always heard that the Free Amazons are eager to find pretty young girls whom they can convert to their unnatural way of life, turning them against marriage and motherhood, making them haters of men and lovers of women".This may be an example of Bradley's ironic social commentary.

In the same chapter, Marguerida and her teacher observe that the sound holes of stringed Darkovan instruments are star-shaped (later called a "many-pointed star"), and Master Everard is interested to learn that Terrans make them in another shape.

Master Everard's collection of instruments also includes "fiols" of different sizes, apparently similar to a violin or viola, on which Marguerida plays some Bach and Mozart.

Dezi believes himself to be Esteban's son, not without reason, and it is considered very bad luck, or a deadly insult, for a woman to sing that song in her brother's hearing.

Their use of kireseth is viewed as blasphemy by many (ironically, since this use is portrayed in religious art) and when Damon's daughter, Cleindori (Dorilys Aillard) attempts to use this knowledge as the Keeper of Arilinn, a legitimate tower, she and her followers are hunted and killed.

Dry weather and summer storms with lightning create a great danger of these forests catching on fire, which the Darkovans combat in various ways.

In The Forbidden Tower, Chapter 7, Damon Ridenow says that plants on Darkover have adapted by evolution to flower in winter, if there are a couple of warm days.

Rabbithorn (the plural and singular are the same) may be stuffed and roasted, placed on a platter and served with mushrooms, other vegetables and a savory or sweet sauce.