Kofli
The crystal-clear waters of the Mastif River bend through the little town of Kofli, located west of Krem’s Crescent Mountains. Kofli thrives on a carefully regulated economy of fishing the river, farming the surrounding land, and harvesting the thrasa trees in the bordering Clarengram Forest. The citizens of Kofli have an unusal connection to nature.
The most unusual sight you will see as a visitor to Kofli is the regular presence of river spirits. Some three dozen inhabit the bend of the Mastif River, and while this may not seem so many in a moderately sized town, their obvious stature makes them easy to spot. They are roughly humanoid in shape, though wider, seven feet tall on average, and of course, formed entirely of water. Normally, such creatures are elusive, but they have forged such a positive relationship with Kofli’s residents that you would be hard-pressed to find a day in which at least a handful do not wander the town. They are fond of children, and love to entertain with little tricks.
River spirits cannot wander far from the river that sustains them, but sometimes desire objects or tasks out of their reach. Though they do not speak, they are able to form approximations of objects out of water, and in this way they hire mortals for little jobs here and there. Since Kofli depends on happy river spirits, it is generally expected that such jobs are undertaken without expectation of pay. Sometimes, though, a gift is given in return – usually a shell or pebble of little intrinsic value. Such gifts are known to bring good luck.
There is one spirit who never leaves the river, known as Old Bend. He is the oldest and most powerful in the area.
Industry & Trade
Kofli exports a limited number of thrasa trees and some fish, but is otherwise a largely self-contained economy. You might say that its main import is fruit, but it takes in only a trifling amount of these; a few hundred pounds a year at most.
The fertile waters of the Mastiv River can be thanked for this. The small stream originating at the top of Blout Mountain picks up water, nutrients, and speed as it tumbles downhill, so that by the time it reaches the Flatlands, it is a powerful, churning river. The river widens and deepens about three miles east of Kofli, blessing the town with calmer waters and thick deposits of silt along its sides. Farmers use a clever system of mechanical aqueducts to tend their fields. But you will not see this impressive watering system: the aqueducts are located underground, so as not to spoil the view. You will, however, see farmers collecting silt and sediment from the sides of the river, even using mechanical contraptions to dredge it up from the bottom. All of these gatherers have a government permit: no resource in Kofli goes unregulated.
Mastif River
Clarengram Forest
