Coativan River
The Coativan River is a river in northern Leland that serves as the boundary between Porcanda and Irocra. It serves as an important part of the trade route between northwest and southern Leland.
Geography
The source of the Coativan is Lake Emernora, located in the northwestern part of the Ganuiles Mountains. The river flows south from the mountains until it converges with the Aici River to form the Eldown River in central Leland.
Of the two major rivers flowing from the Ganuiles, the Coativan is the gentler of the two due to its smoother course through the plains of Porcanda and Irocra, compared to the rougher terrain through which the Aici carved its path between Irocra and Vinato.
Ecosystem Cycles
South of the mountains, the river never freezes over completely, allowing for travel as far north as Harmonil during the winter, though there is potential for ice floes coming from the mountains. Ice thickness can be two feet or more farther up river near Lake Emernora.
Flooding at the southern end of the river is common in spring and fall due to snowmelt and seasonal rains, respectively.
History
The Coativan was an avenue for trade and travel long before the modern era, easily connecting northwest Leland to the Vobhangi Sea via the Eldown River. It also served as the natural western boundary of Irocai territory until The Great Invasion.
Northern tribes used the river as a way to flee the hoards during the invasion and it served as a defensive line for the united western Lelandic tribes in order to turn back the invasion. Following the invasion, Harmonil was established as the seat of power for the newly united Queendom of Leland along the river's northwestern banks. The site was chosen due to ease of bringing trade to the capital as well as the ease of deploying troops north in the event of another invasion. In the later years of the queendom, the river would instead become valuable for deploying troops to quash rebellion throughout Leland. Many ships traveling to and from Harmonil via the Coativan were targeted by rebels during the Silver Eagle Rebellion.
With the fall of the queendom and the creation of the Leland Confederacy, the capital was moved to the Deamei Peninsula, just south of the convergence of the Coativan and the Aici. The river was also established as the border between the newly-formed provinces of Porcanda and Irocra.
Your river's map is beautiful, and for one a river that actually looks interesting with a wide array of channels and twists and turns and "crosswaters" (whatever you call crossroads when it is a river) I really, really like the visuals of this article and the shape of the river!