The Nuurun River

Written by FirethornDragon

The Nuurun River begins from Aurin's biggest inland sea that begins between the border of Roccodo -EN and Teano - EN . The river runs through the border between Roccodo -EN, Aqis - EN, Iroya - EN and last through Sogal - EN and out to The Cyies Ocean. The Nuurun River is one of Aurin's longest rivers and one of the oldest rivers written down by people in history books and told in tales. Especially in the Galera Culture.

— A member of The Eildroh Inn talking to the younger members of the guild about The Nuurun River

The culture around The Nuurun River in Iroya

Throughout history, many battles have happened by the river. When peace was finally made along the river, trading started. But The Nuurun River has also been used to smuggle things like spices, objects, and sometimes people who have fled their countries or the law. In the Galera Culture, The Nuurun River is also called Black Water. They are the only people who call The Nuurun River by that name. For them, throughout history, the Nuurun River was not a safe place to cross or travel. For them, The Nuurun River or Black Water only brought them bad omens, not because of the battles or wars occurring along the river between the countries that lived close to it.


The reason they call it Black Water is because of magic. Since elemental magic started to spread across Aurin, The Nuurun River has been acting in a way that makes the people from the Galera Culture take a lot of precautions when they get too close to the water. Because they hate magic, they are skeptical of it, wary of The Nuurun River as a curse from the Gods when magic poisoned the lands. For them, Black Water means poisoned water or water spiked with magic and something they should not trust or drink. They don't cross or travel through the river if they don't have to. Instead, if they need water, they go to another river or lake or trade for it or by buying The Sharia plant.


The younger generations have only heard tales and stories about why they should not cross or step too close to The Nuurun River the elders in Iroya. Some say that water horses come up from the water and drag you down under the surface. Others state that it is a giant snake. Some say that they have seen people walk out of the water who look like humans and want to trick you into selling your soul or taking you under the water. Others say that Melends are the people who try to trick you into believing that magic is a good thing and not a curse from the Gods. Every person from Iroya wears protection stones or runes when crossing the river or traveling through it. But even then, they don't stop praying until their feet are back on the ground again.

"By the Gods, are you sure we must cross Black Water? Haven't you heard the stories the elders tell us? What if one of the horse spirits shows up? This idea of yours is better and worth it. I am not dying by a horse spirit!"

— Some teens that are crossing the river from Iroya

They only trade with people traveling through the river if they can prove they don't possess magic and are not creatures from the river. But they do fish from The Nuurun River when it is early in the morning. They never step too close to the river at night or when the sun is about to go down because of the water spirits.


When someone in Iroya has done something unforgivable or breaks a law that ends in death, they are sent to The Nuurun River. People in Iroya know that if someone is sent to The Nuurun River, they are dead not only to the people but to the Gods in the Galera Culture as well.

The culture around The Nuurun River in Sogal

In Sogal - EN, The Nuurun River is why their civilization started. They built their capital Ebrus - EN close to the The Cyies Ocean and The Nuurun River. For them, The Nuurun River is the reason they survived the desert and could build their country. Because of The Nuurun River, they have also been able to trade with other countries than Seras - EN that they used to be in war with and Aqeron - EN. They fish from The Nuurun River and use the river to water their fields. Some had even used The Nuurun River when they wanted to leave Sogal for good. Some rumors say that the princess of Sogal left the country in the middle of the night by the river; others think she died and never existed.


The people in Sogal have a lot of festivals and traditions connected to The Nuurun River. For them, The Nuurun River is a gift from the Gods. Because of this, they survived and built one of Aurin's oldest civilizations. When a member of the royal family of Sogal dies, they send their body down the river on a boat decorated with flowers and water plants and light the whole river that is part of their country with lanterns. A part of The Nuurun River runs through the Sorreph Desert in Sogal.

The culture around The Nuurun River in Aqis

In Aqis, the river runs through the country's outer borders. People from Aqis use the river to fish, gather water, trade, travel, or baptize their newborns. They also have some festivals connected to the river, but most of their connection to The Nuurun River is through their faith in The Old Gods and gathering water and fish. When you travel through the Nuurun River early in the morning, you can see people from Aqis washing their clothes or priests standing by the river and praying.

Plants, Myths and Seasons around The Nuurun River

Along the river, some herbs and flowers grow, and you can see lotuses grow in some parts of the river. In the sand, you can find something called River Leaf. It is a leaf that absorbs water like a sponge. Healers use them to gather blood, fluids, or water if they don't have a sponge or anything else to absorb the liquid. Only some parts of the river dry occasionally. It affects mainly the people in Sogal; when that happens, the people have to use The Sharia plant when they need water. Other things that you can find in the river are fish, mussels, and sometimes an octopus that swam wrong from the The Cyies Ocean.


During the summer, the river is filled with tiny crabs that are a delicacy for the people in Sogal and Iroya. During the winter, only the upper half of the river freezes to ice, up by Roccodo, and sometimes freezes down to Iroya. But never down to the part where the river runs through Sogal. Smugglers use this route a lot when they are escaping the law. Even pirates use this route to avoid some extra weeks of traveling. Other sailors use the route to prevent The Mystical Sea during its storm season.

"Captain, I don't think Siren will get through the river, it looks too small."

"If the ship gets stuck, I will pay for the wine in Kheru; until then, keep the course. I don't want the Guardians to find us before we arrive."

— A conversation between Captain Ulrika Denholm and her crew, two weeks before she meets Lucill Sage.

The Nuurun River is mentioned in legends, myths, religious books, history books, fairytales, songs, and poems, and some paintings have been made of the river. All of them are from various parts of the river. Some books even have theories about how the river got its name. The people from Iroya are convinced that the river is named after the water spirits that possess it, and their books, myths, and stories have a lot of tales about the water spirits. They call the water spirits for Nuurun. If you read through the books, stories, and myths about the river from Aqis, they think the river is named after an old priest who built the holy temple near the river or some old God or prophet.

In Roccodos, they think the river is named after the fish that lives in it, which they call Nuru. In Sogal, the stories are different. Their books, scrolls, and stories think the river was named after the first people settling down in Sogal. They believe that the name Nuurun came from their clan or their leader when they traveled from what used to be the Long Xae Dynasty. But none of them knows the names of the origin of the river. Even pirates have some theories. They think the river is named after an old ship that sunk in the water.


But not only people come to the river to drink from its water or eat its fish. In the river, you can sometimes spot a Brareg drinking from the water or eating the fish or plants. The lizard comes out early in the morning or the evening. But most animals that do not live in the river do not like to be near it on the days when there are many people there who travel up and down the river. They want to come out when it is quieter or less crowded.

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"As you can see, there are a lot of stories about The Nuurun River. Every one of them is different from the people that live along the river. But we are the only ones who know every route through the river. But the reason we know them is that we respect the people and the culture that exists there. That is why you need to pay attention. Someday, you will pass down this information to our younger guild members. The most important thing you need to remember is that respect and kindness help you learn more about their trade and smuggling routes rather than being disrespectful to their culture. Someday, you will need them. People are more willing to help someone they know and trust than an arrogant stranger. Now, I don't want to hear any of you making fun of their culture ever again. Because if you do, they will no longer trade with us or let us travel along the river."

— A member of The Eildroh Inn talking to the younger ones from the guild.

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Alternativa namn

Black Water

Typ

River

Location under

The Cyies Ocean

Included Locations

• The Bato Mountain Range

Included Organizations

• Iroya - EN
• Nuurun Flodens Byteshandel

Related Tradition (Primary)

• Noya Edo

Inhabiting Species

• Regnbågslöv
• River Leaf

Related Myths

• Keregan

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Inland sea by Charlotte. S

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The Nuurun River_lroya by Charlotte.S

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The Nuurun River_Sogal by Charlotte.S

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