Sko

The Sko River: Northern Artery of Industrial Might

"The Sko doesn't just flow - it festers. Each drop carries the taint of a thousand goblin forges."

Kurgan Weinrich

The Sko River winds like a corrupted artery through Nolavor, marking the boundary between the Kanonos Region and the Kalnith Jungle. Originating from the mysterious depths of Archanoth Lake, the river flows south through increasingly contaminated territories before meeting its sister river, the Vo, in a toxic confluence half a league south of Grizburg.

"Two sisters, them rivers - the Vo and Sko. One born in ancient curses, t'other shaped by new corruption. When they meet south of the city? *mechanical eye whirs* That's where the real mysteries begin."

Slazgar Two-Eyes

Near Archanoth Lake, the Sko begins relatively clear, though already bearing traces of ancient corruption from the lake's depths. As it winds southward, smaller goblin settlements appear along its banks, each contributing its own blend of industrial waste and alchemical runoff to the river's growing toxicity.
The river's transformation becomes more pronounced as it flows south, with foundries, alchemical workshops, and processing plants lining its banks. Their waste pipes feed directly into the waters, gradually changing the river's color and consistency until it takes on the characteristic qualities that have made it infamous throughout Nolavor.

Where Sko meets Vo in poisoned dance,
Two streams of power intermingle,
One born of forge and furnace chance,
One touched by powers that make gods tremble

Riverfolk Chant

By the time the Sko reaches Grizburg, it has become a toxic soup of industrial waste and alchemical byproducts. The city's infamous Rustwater District exemplifies this transformation, where the river's waters serve as both resource and waste disposal system for countless criminal enterprises and industrial operations. Here, the water moves sluggishly, thick with pollutants and strange alchemical reactions.
Years of exposure to goblin alchemy and residual energies from the surrounding jungle have fundamentally altered the Sko's nature. The water exhibits strange properties - glowing with inner light, carrying whispers of alchemical secrets, and dissolving some materials while inexplicably strengthening others. Various mutated lifeforms have evolved to thrive in these contaminated waters.

"The river confluence tells tales to those who know how to listen. The Vo brings whispers of ancient powers, while the Sko carries secrets stolen from a thousand forges. Together, they birth something new - something neither the goblins nor their predecessors could have foreseen."

Yarza the Harborwitch

Post-confluence, the joined rivers flow south through treacherous channels toward the Bay of Bal-Malo, seventy leagues distant. These waters carry an unprecedented mixture of industrial pollution and primordial corruption, creating unique hazards for the brave captains who navigate their currents.
Through this aquatic network, Grizburg maintains its dominance over regional trade. Barges powered by steam and arcane engines brave both the northern route to Archanoth Lake and the southwestern path along the Vo toward The Jungle's Claw Tavern and the distant coasts of the Brianum Sea.

"The Sko remembers every failed experiment, every discarded prototype, every industrial secret we've poured into it. One day, it will teach us formulas we never intended to learn."

Anonymous Grizburg Alchemist

References: Locations/Grizburg Locations/Archanoth Lake Organizations/Reclaimers

Type

River

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