Ruby River

Flowing down out of the southern end of the World’s End Mountains, the Ruby River carries red-tinted silt down from those eroding heights to meet the broad flat gleam of the Silver River beneath the heights of Craghold. The Ruby is a small river whose rapid pace and low banks often lead to overflow during the spring rains and snow melt. This flood fertilizes the fields along its length, though at some risk of carrying away livestock and homes.
By longstanding tradition, the Ruby River is not divided up into noble estates. Instead, it has the largest collection of freeholdings in the kingdom. These small farmsteads have grown over the generations and although not true noble estates, marriages and outright purchase of land has merged many of the small farms into larger bodies. These are not worked by bound peasants, the owners are not nobles after all, but landless freemen.
Trolls, giants, and other monsters occasionally wander into the Ruby River valley from the World’s End Mountains. Those living along the river have learned to be vigilant and to defend themselves as there are no knights ready to ride out, and the people tend toward hardy self-reliance. This sense of independence permeates all of the Ruby River freeholdings, and the people here never seem to be able to organize in any way that might put their common needs first.

Type

River