Sellen River
Numeria
In Numeria, the Sellen River begins near the city of Chesed, which was constructed on the eastern side of where it flows in from the Lake of Mists and Veils. The river is joined by the Seven Tears River near the border of Numeria with the River Kingdoms, and the city of Hajoth Hakados is constructed at the border. Here in the north, the Sellen is subject to icing over in wintertime, while carrying bitterly cold and blinding winds.
River Kingdoms
In the River Kingdoms, the Sellen winds past the ruins of Heibarr, and past the towns of Outsea, Artume, Sevenarches. South of there it is joined first by the Goldenrun and then the Yhalt River before finally flowing into Kallas Lake. As the river moves south, it gradually becomes slower and wider as it no longer has to fight its way between walls of glacier-carved rock. Grasslands and rich forests along its banks become more common, as do the various outposts that cater to trade.
In Kyonin, Galt, & the Five Kings Mountains
The Sellen first forms the border between Kyonin and Galt, flowing past the Galtan cities of Dabril before becoming the border between Galt and the dwarven nation of the Five Kings Mountains. South of there it enters the Verduran Forest and the nation of Taldor near the Galtan city of Woodsedge.
In Taldor & Andoran
In the Verduran Forest, the Sellen becomes the border between Taldor and Andoran, where it is joined by a tributary called the Dragonfly River south of the Andoren town of Bellis. From there it turns southeast and meets one of its largest tributaries, the Verduran Fork River, at the druidic stronghold of the Isle of Arenway. After this it once again turns south and flows the small remainder of its 1,200-mile journey into the Inner Sea at the Taldan town of Cassomir.
Trade
Trade along the countless branches of the Sellen River provides the lifeblood of most of the nations of central and northeastern Avistan. Plying the waterways of what is known as the Sellen Passage, the river traders connect such inland nations as Ustalav and Brevoy with the warmer, more populous nations surrounding the Inner Sea. The Sellen has become an increasingly important trade route as the recent rise of Tar-Baphon has made travel across Lake Encarthan much more hazardous.
Because of the incredible importance of trade along the Sellen and its tributaries, governments that border these rivers tend to invest in well-regulated harbors and towns where a certain level of safety can be expected. Maintenance of these locations is supplemented by the taxes and tolls levied on traders and travelers alike. This does not mean that banditry is absent from the Sellen. Far from it, smugglers, pirates, and other brigands are common along its less populated stretches. These threats have created a secondary industry of river pilots and mercenaries to guide and protect travelers, although it is an open secret that these individuals often turn to piracy once business slows.
Sellen Passage
The Sellen Passage is the great river trade route that connects the inland nations of central and eastern Avistan with the larger, richer metropolises along the Inner Sea. Its northbound journey begins at the city of Absalom and heads straight for the Taldan port of Cassomir at the mouth of the mighty Sellen River. There it transfers to smaller, river boats and barges and heads north through the Verduran Forest and up both forks of the Sellen, eventually reaching the cities on not only Lake Encarthan, but all the way up north to the Lake of Mists and Veils. Along its many, winding routes, it thereby connects the nations of Brevoy, the Five Kings Mountains, Druma, Galt, Kyonin, Mendev, Molthune, Nirmathas, Numeria, the River Kingdoms, the Sarkoris Scar, and Ustalav.
Because of the incredible importance of trade along the Sellen and its tributaries, governments that border these rivers tend to invest in well-regulated harbors and towns where a certain level of safety can be expected. Maintenance of these locations is supplemented by the taxes and tolls levied on traders and travelers alike. This does not mean that banditry is absent from the Sellen. Far from it, smugglers, pirates, and other brigands are common along its less populated stretches. These threats have created a secondary industry of river pilots and mercenaries to guide and protect travelers, although it is an open secret that these individuals often turn to piracy once business slows.
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