I checked the continent layout with Brand before I started. Ferros is supposed to border Valeria and the Northland, and this was the only way Valeria could border Valial and Ferros whilst still retaining enough coastline to have a major sea port. 

Ferros definitely had a Russian theme with the names; I lived in Russia for two years, and it's very appropriate for a cold and barren wasteland. Valeal is more Scandinavian, just because the one named city we had was Oslo and I wanted to be consistent. Kain is phonetic arabic; going from left to right it's 'Land's End', 'Blessings of God', 'River Crossing' and 'Gateway Passage'. 

Gorgon and Valeria are generic fantasy nonsense, because why not?