Snaketongue River
"A river of life, a river of loss, its waters nourish, but its path is unforgiving."
Born from the frozen peaks of The Cloudrend Mountains, Snaketongue River is a lifeline to northern and central Everwealth, its waters carving through mountain rock and feeding the land for countless miles. A vital artery of civilization and survival, it provides freshwater, trade, and a bounty of fish to those who dwell along its length, stretching from the distant Laughing Sea to the heart of the kingdom itself. The river earns its name from the infamous fork, where its waters split like that of a serpent's tongue, one branch twisting westward into the cursed Bog of Lies, the other winding far south, snaking through Axebreak, the Boulderrain Woods, and the Amber Hills before spilling into the vast Lough Lord in Opulence. It is a river of immense importance, sustaining both wildlife and settlements, but as with all things in Everwealth, the gifts it offers come with a price.Geography
The Snaketongue River begins high in the Cloudrend Mountains, churning through jagged cliffs and deep ravines before reaching the rolling lands of northern Everwealth. The river’s path is long and unpredictable, its waters bending and carving through dense forests, rocky valleys, and open plains. The most notable feature is its eponymous fork, where the river splits in two—one branch slipping westward into the Bog of Lies, vanishing into sinking swamps and mist-choked waters, while the larger fork continues southward, widening as it reaches Axebreak and flowing deep into the Amber Hills. The southern fork provides an essential trade and transport route for settlements along its banks, with Lough Lord in Opulence acting as its final resting place. The river is a barrier and a boon, cutting through Everwealth’s lands while keeping its people fed and connected.
Ecosystem
The Snaketongue is home to a vast and varied ecosystem, supporting predatory fish, amphibians, migratory birds, and countless species of plant life. Along its length, the river sustains thick forests, sprawling wetlands, and fertile farmlands, ensuring that wildlife thrives in abundance. Salmon, pike, river eels, and silver-scaled mirrorfish are common in its waters, while otters, herons, and marshland predators lurk along its banks. However, not all of its inhabitants are benign, razortooth eels, bog-bred water leeches, and lurking, scaled river serpents make fishing a dangerous profession in some parts. The river is as much a giver as it is a taker, feeding the land while harboring predators and unseen dangers beneath its shifting currents.
Ecosystem Cycles
The river follows the rhythms of Everwealth’s seasons, swelling in the spring as the Cloudrend Mountains’ ice melts, flooding the land and carving deeper into the soil. Summer brings clear waters, allowing travel and trade, while autumn rains feed the river, strengthening its flow before winter’s grip slows it once more. At the Snaketongue Fork, the westward branch into the Bog of Lies is known to flood erratically, drowning entire groves and shifting the bog’s shape from year to year. Meanwhile, the southern fork grows sluggish in the dry seasons, forcing settlements like Axebreak to ration water when the current runs thin. The river is both predictable and unpredictable, a force of nature and necessity.
Localized Phenomena
The Snaketongue River is a place of both natural and unnatural mysteries. Some sections run dark, reflecting no moonlight, while others seem unnaturally still, as if waiting for something to pass through.
- The Drowning Stones - A stretch of river near the Bog of Lies where boulders shift unpredictably beneath the water, pulling boats under without warning. Some believe these stones are haunted by the souls of the lost, moving to claim more victims.
- The Mirror’s Wake - A southern stretch where the river’s surface becomes unnaturally reflective, distorting faces that look into it. Many believe it shows one's fate, while others claim it reveals what lurks just beneath the surface.
- The Bleeding Runoff - During the spring melt, a strange red tint can be seen in parts of the river near Axebreak, washing down from the Cloudrend Mountains. Some say it's iron-rich soil, while others insist it is something worse, a sign that the land itself bleeds.
Climate
The Snaketongue River’s climate shifts as it travels, beginning in the icy cold of the Cloudrend, where snow and hailstorms rage, before gradually warming as it descends into northern Everwealth’s temperate woodlands. The Bog of Lies ensures a permanent mist hangs over its western fork, making the water appear murky and diseased, while the southern fork experiences brisk, rainy seasons as it passes through Axebreak and the Amber Hills. Fog is common, particularly at dawn, when the river’s heat clashes with the cold morning air, and during storm season, the river swells, sometimes breaching its banks and submerging surrounding lands.
Fauna & Flora
The Snaketongue River’s waters nourish life across Everwealth, yet its depths harbor dangers unseen. From the icy headwaters of the Cloudrend Mountains to the murky bends of the Bog of Lies, the river teems with both bounty and menace.
- Mire Lilies - Floating lilies that glow faintly in the moonlight, sought after by alchemists for their rumored mind-expanding properties.
- Black Bog Reeds - Thick, fibrous reeds that grow near the western fork, harvested for durable rope but often home to lurking eels.
- Razortooth Eels - Small, aggressive eels that ambush prey from the reeds, their bite capable of stripping flesh to the bone.
- Silver Mirrorfish - A shimmering fish found near Lough Lord, believed to grant visions when eaten under the full moon.
- Bog Serpents - Massive water-dwelling reptiles known to drag boats beneath the surface, particularly near the western fork.
Natural Resources
As one of Everwealth’s largest rivers, the Snaketongue provides an invaluable source of water, food, and trade routes.
- Freshwater Fish - A staple food for many settlements along its path, feeding both common folk and nobility alike.
- Bogwood & Driftwood - Dark, water-resistant wood found floating near the Bog of Lies, often used for shipbuilding.
- Silt & Clay Deposits - Rich, mineral-heavy sediment is dredged from calmer parts of the river, used in pottery and construction.
- Mire-Iron Ore - Occasionally washed downstream from the mountains, its strange properties make it highly prized by blacksmiths.
History
The Snaketongue River has been a defining landmark of Everwealth for centuries, shaping trade, settlement, and survival. In the days before The Great Schism, it was said to be a sacred path, a vein of the land itself, revered by those who lived along its banks. When war ravaged the land, the river became a battlefield, its waters running thick with the blood of fallen armies. After the war, it transformed again, a trade route, a provider, and an unshakable presence in the kingdom’s growth. Yet, it remains untamed, its course shifting over time, its dangers as present as its blessings.
Tourism
Unlike the eerie Bog of Lies, the Snaketongue is a river of necessity rather than fascination. Its northern routes see travelers, fishers, and traders moving along its length, while its southern stretches near Axebreak are often used for riverboat travel. However, no one lingers at the fork, where the Bog of Lies’ waters mix with the river, and many sailors refuse to row through it after dark. Tales persist of figures seen on the water at night, of whispers beneath the current, and of boats that never make it to their destination. Some say the river is alive, its two tongues ever speaking different truths, one that sustains, and one that devours.
Alternative Name(s)
'The Serpent’s Vein', 'The Forked Curse', 'The Bog Drinker'.
Owning Organization
Inhabiting Species
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