Tearflood
Sacred river of tears
The Tearflood is a large freshwater river that marks the borders between the nations of Romanorum and Magnos.
The Tearflood running from its source at Khazad-Vala, in Romanorum.
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Geography
The Tearflood is a broad freshwater waterway that runs eastward from its source at the mountains of Khazad-Vala that flow to its final destination in the Golden Sea. The river marks the southern border of Romanorum, and the northern border of continental Magnos. The lands around the Tearflood are mountainous cascades towards the west near Khazad-Vala, slowly settling into the warm and grassy lowlands as it cuts the border between the two nations. The Tearflood is Arda's third largest river, and the largest in the Eastern Continent. The first largest river is the Ganaj in Mujmal, and the second being the Anugeld rivers in Dunlain.History
The Tearflood is perhaps one of the most famous rivers in Arda for its mythical background. In a story that is often told, the Children of the Heavens and the Children of the Primordials were engaged in a terrible and destructive conflict known as the Last of the Primordial Wars. In this war, the Children of the Heavens had been pushed back to a small number of their strongholds throughout Romanorum. The most famous of these strongholds was the dwarven fortress of Khazad-Vala, the "Mountain of the Heavens". Surrounded by the forces of the Children of the Primordials and the Shadow, the peoples of Khazad-Vala were in dire straits. In hope and desperation, the elven maiden Isolde climbed to the top of Khazad-Vala to beg the Heavens for aid. Inspired by her act of courage, the Heavens came down and manifested in physical form on Arda. Acknowledging the severity of the battle, so too did the Four Primordial Lords join battle. The clash was catastrophic, and all of Arda shook while the divine creators of Arda battled for right and supremacy. In concern for the life of the peoples present, the deity Mendos split from the Heavens and shielded Khazad-Vala from the earth-shattering havoc of the fight using its own divine essence. In this battle, Mendos would succumb to its wounds suffered by protecting the people of Khazad-Vala. The last act of a dying deity, Mendos left the people of Khazad-Vala the last gift of the Heavens, two newborn human children. So moved by Mendos' sacrifice and the birth of new life, both the Children of the Heavens and the Children of the Primordials wept tears of joy so great in number that it created the Tearflood. The Primordial Lords and Heavens called for truce, and both would strive to create a new future for Arda. The Shadow, now denied of the war and violence it craved, fled south in search of new victims. Today, the river is still considered a sacred site of pilgrimage for Heavens and Primordial worshipers alike. The holy water that is present in every Heavens temple is said to have been drawn and brought from the Tearflood.See Also
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