The Turquoise Serpent
Overview
While the majority of Ithara’s geography bends to the whims of aether concentrations, the only exception is the Turquoise Serpent, a single massive river flowing from the northern Peaks of Azul to the southern coast. For reasons still not fully understood, no changes have been recorded to the river’s water or the area around its shores due to aether fluctuations. Due to the extremely valuable nature of the river, the Merchant Kings have therefore decreed that they are not permitted to interfere with the main river through developments or large settlements, a decree that the beastfolk with their more localized communities are generally exempt from. In the modern era, most establishments are therefore small fishing or shipping industries, and any significant tampering with the river is a crime punishable by imprisonment and years of hard labor.
Many communities have developed beliefs around the great river, ranging from its ability to cure curses or illness to it being an actual, ethereal serpent spirit. Several beastfolk cultures in particular hold the Turquoise Serpent as the foundation of their beliefs, including the adamdun and sobekites.
