Dragon's Eye River
The Dragon's Eye River (Lynna Derk Akshi) is a large river flowing approximately down the middle of the country of Sudland. It originates and flows out of the large lake, Daskar Lok, down the middle of Sudland, past the port city of Southport (Sudminto) and drains into the Black Dragon Sea (Hei Derk Sei).
As the Dragon's Eye River is the primary north-south route through the heart of Sudland, with the capital Daskar on the north side of Daskar Lok at its northern end, and the port city of Southport at its mouth, it carries much of the commerce and trade of the entire country. Trade from far-off lands, Senyon, Chessa, Da Therasti Okku, and others, as well as grain and farm products from the center of Sudland, pass up and down the river. River boats pulled by ox and mule teams carry goods from Southport bound for Daskar and further realms, accompanied by traders and their retinues of guards, accountants, and hangers-on. Boats carrying goods and passengers from myriad villages, towns, and cities sail downriver to Southport, where they transfer their loads to ocean-going ships bound for points throughout the lands of Derkomai. Caravans labor up and down the Dragon River Road, which runs atop the river levee along the east bank of the river, heading toward Daskar from Southport and vice versa.
The river boats navigating up and down the Dragon's Eye River are operated and controlled by the Bridge Keepers and Ferrymen's Guild, who collect transport fees and taxes for the Royal Family of the Kingdom of Sudland. The guildsmen also collect and sell information for those willing to pay. Important traders, diplomats, and royalty travel along the river to and from the capital at Daskar, bringing, as always, sycophants, retainers, spies, and assassins with them. The Tollkeepers, the enforcers of the Guild, are known to occasionally shake down caravanners and boatmen that fail to show sufficient deference or have inadequate protection. However, King Einar Tachibana Larsson frowns on this, so such shakedowns are uncommon.
The Handali River flows into the Black Dragon River at the town of Handali. The Halfway Bridge spans the Handali River near the confluence of the rivers. Caravans and foot traffic are constricted by the bridge, making Handali a bustling commercial town, full of inns, taverns, brothels, markets, greengrocers, and so on. In addition, river boats and wagons come down the Handali river from towns and mines in the The East Range carrying crafted goods and metals for trade in Daskar, Southport, and beyond.
At Handali, ox and mule teams pulling river boats north from Southport are changed. The boats are conveyed past the mouth of the Handali River using a system of ropes and pulleys, and then taken up by new teams on the north side of the river. Just as with the Handali Bridge, this system causes delays in north-bound river boat traffic. Smaller and lighter boats pulled by oars can bypass all of this, but many dock at Handali for rest, refreshment, and perhaps, a night of entertainment.
Geography
The Dragon's Eye River is not a fast-moving river, but it is quite wide (approximately 20 miles, 32 km) at its mouth, and it carries a large volume of water, especially during the spring months when snowpack in the the The Great Southern Range and The East Range is melting, and there is significant rainfall in Sudland. The mouth of the river spreads out over a wide area of shallows, mudflats, and estuaries (thus the very wide mouth of the river), but the main channel (which is approximately 1 mile or 1.6 km wide) is navigable by ships with a deeper draft. Southport lies a bit north of the mouth of the river, where the river has a deep inlet that is out of the main current. The east bank of the river has a levee for much of its length. Many smaller rivers and streams empty into The Dragon's Eye River as it flows south. Bridges cross those smaller rivers that empty into the Dragon's Eye River on its eastern side. The west side does not have a levee, and most of the ground along the western bank is wet and marshy, especially at the mouth of the river and at its northern end where it flows out of Daskar Lok.
Localized Phenomena
At its northern end, where the Black Dragon River flows out of Daskar Lok, much of the surrounding lands are swamps, bogs, and marshes, subject to seasonal floods, with little inhabitable ground. Fogs and mists fill the air, even in summer. Constant drizzles and sudden rain storms plague the winter months, making visibility beyond a few feet impossible. The main channel of the river can easily be missed, and boats lost among the swamps and marshes are often never seen again. Rumors and stories of strange creatures appearing in the night and entire caravans lost are passed around in taverns and camps. Which have some truth behind them? Very few people know.
History
Before Sudland was united under a single ruler, the cities of the region were ruled by city lord-mayors. The Tachibana family ruled Southport for generations until the time that Prince Haakan Larssen arrived after being driven out of Nodyund. The ruler of Southport at the time, Lord-Mayor Tachibana Jang Hideo welcomed Haakan Larssen, who swore fealty to Lord-Mayor Tachibana in gratitude. Larssen was soon made commander of the Southport military, and Tachibana pledged his daughter, Hime Tori Tachibana to Larssen as his wife and adopted Larssen as his legal son, forming the house of Tachibana-Larssen. After the death of Tachibana, Larssen expanded the region under the control of Southport, driving north along the Dragon's Eye River, eventually reaching and conquering Daskar. Larssen named himself king of the country he called Sudland, becoming King Haakan Larssen and set the capital of the country at Daskar. His son, King Peer Tachibana Larssen finished his father's work, marching north, east, and west from Daskar, expanding the borders of Sudland to their present extent.
by Peter Nelson (Zero Sum Games)
The Dragon's Eye River in Sudland
Alternative Name(s)
Lynna Derk Akshi
Type
River
Included Locations
Owner/Ruler
Additional Rulers/Owners
Ruling/Owning Rank
Owning Organization
Black Dragon River at Daskar Lok by Public Domain
The Dragon's Eye River at Daskar Lok
King Hakan Larssen by Peter Nelson (Zero Sum Games)
King Haakan Larssen
Nice article! I love the level of detail here. My only question is why you have the last paragraph marked as Geography when multiple lines from the text above that would also fit under the same category? ---------------------------------------------------------------- Feel free to check out my Rivers/Waterways entry: Loch Mesner
Thanks! You are right. I could probably organize some of the sections better. I might revisit that. I'm not crazy about WA's categories. They're useful prompts, for sure, but for me anyway, I don't always know what information should go where.
Oh, also - I appreciate whatever feedback you might have on the rest of my world, Derkomai. This world was my D&D world back in my university days, so it has been in "existence" for over 40 years. When I learned about WA, I started converting all of my pen and paper maps and notes and putting them into WA, and then linking, fixing, re-working, and so on. The world was never "finished" and probably never will be, but I hope to make it a fun and interesting world for others to run campaigns in.