The Serpent River
The long, winding Serpent River runs the entire breadth of Barsaive, from beyond the Scol mountains in the North to the Mist Swamps in the South. Countless tributaries feed the Serpent along its course, forming a network of watery highways that travelers and traders have used for thousands of years. The Serpent also provides fresh water to thousands of Barsaivians, and its banks contain some of the richest farmland in the province.
The source of the river lies in the uncharted mountain ranges to the northwest of Barsaive beyond the Grand Cataracts, a series of waterfalls that tower more than one hundred feet in the air. The
river becomes un-navigable beyond the Cataracts, and so the exact source of the Serpent remains unknown.
The North Reach
A few hundred miles south of the Grand Cataracts, the North Reach of the river runs south past Iopos, home of the Denairastas clan, then winds eastward in the shadow of the Scol Mountains, the domain of isolated troll moots. From there, the river continues east to Lake Vors, site of the Citadel of House Ishkarat, the fierce t’skrang aropagoi that dominates the Serpent’s North Reach. The harsh, untamed lands along the North Reach contain little more than isolated settlements of Namegivers.The Mid Reach
East of Lake Vors the Serpent is joined by the River Mothingale, which marks the beginning of the Serpent’s Mid Reach. The Mid Reach flows east through the foothills of the Scytha and Caucavic Mountains, then turns south before it reaches the Lalai Gorge, site of the Cliff City of House Syrtis. As the river flows south, the rugged foothills give way to lush vineyards and increasing numbers of farming settlements. The Mid Reach passes through the dwarf settlement of Tansiarda and the renowned boatyards of Denlikiyan before reaching the northern shores of Lake Ban. Lake Ban marks the confluence of the Serpent and the Coil River, which flows from the Throal Mountain Range down to Urupa, the powerful trading city on the shores of the Aras Sea. The lake is best known as the site of the Floating City of House V'strimon, a powerful t’skrang aropagoi.The South Reach
From Lake Ban, the South Reach of the river flows west to Lake Pyros, located along the edge of the Servos Jungle. Pyros is the smallest of the Serpent Lakes, but its fertile shores continue to attract numerous Namegivers in spite of the nearby jungle’s hazards. West of Lake Pyros, the Serpent is joined by the Byrose River, which runs south to the wealthy trading city of Travar. The Serpent then continues west and is joined by the Servos and Tylon rivers before it empties into the Mist Swamps.
Type
River
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