The area referred to as The Shank existed on the continent of Alanciar, which itself was located on the planet Kesh. The Alanciari and Keshiri inhabitants of this region believed their continent's shape was similar to the leg of a native animal called a muntok, specifically the lower portion of the leg. Positioned on the western side of the continent, the Shank was situated between the plateaus found in the east and the geographical feature known as the Six Claws in the west.