Womb of Dragons

The chain of mountains known as the Draconis Spires contain many glaciers, from which the melt waters form the Womb of Dragons river system. So called the Womb of Dragon due to one species of Draconis, the serpents using it to spawn their foul breed every ten years. Not unlike river fish which swim from the oceans to the streams from which they hatched.
The melt waters carry with it sediments from the mountains as well as the ash created by the other species of Draconis as they too breed in this mountains if they can. All four species are an abomination in the eyes of our most holy Gods. Thankfully our holy Gods have graciously granted the region a most fertile abundance of life, which thrives when the beasts are not present. All many of plants bearing fruits and nuts grow here. Plentiful animals, many producing fine furs can be found. Once every ten years this is ruined, but it always returns.
Rumors say that there are mineral deposits to be found and mined along the river during the nine years between spawns. Timber at least that which was not burned during the spawn or is fast growing can also be harvested. The animals reported are those which might be found in mountainous areas. 
The serpents of the river are the least of their kind. Less than one in ten if that many exist. This is most fortunate as the serpents while similar are also the most different. Of the similarities a serpent can be of any hue, tone or shade, even those of a metallic or crystalline sheen. As the dragons, drakes, and wyrms can be. A dragon is the most common beast with four limbs and two wings. A drake was born with it's forelimbs and wings melded into a single limb, most dexterous granting them a superior flying speed and being far more graceful in the air when compared to the dragons. Drakes are though weaker than dragons. Then are the wingless wyrms, great mighty beings dreamt from some godless hell spawn's vision. Wyrms by far are the strongest of the various draconic species. They are however, slower.
All the above three breath noxious fumes, spit acid and combine the two into hellish fire that melts all it touches.
The serpents have  no limbs. No one knows their true strength, only that it is less than that of a wyrm, and where a drake is fast in the air, so the serpents are on the ground. Serpents also as a gift from hell can burrow with great haste into loose soils, and seemingly hold their breath for hours, that is if they cannot breath as a fish does. No one knows for certain. Yet the greatest difference is that serpents do not breath fire, fumes or spit acid. Some speculate that it is because of the burrowing. Serpents exhale a vile caustic liquid that desiccates and brings about the mummification of those unlucky to be exposed to it.
Straddling the river are the twin fortresses known as the Citadels of Fools. Heroes or fools? What do you call men who would think to try to fish a serpent out of the river as they swim upstream to spawn? How many souls have been lost to the serpents and other beasts as men try to become a Dragon slayer. All in cheap theatric imitation of that fornicating self titled elven prince in far Westernesse. For no other reason that he is the only living being to slay one of the draconic species in single combat in both living and recent history. Other than vain attempts at slaying a beast, these brave or foolish men also attempt to exploit the lesser creatures for jaded purveyors of the exotic pet trade.
When one of the draconic females lays eggs, less than one in twenty will contain a true youngling. Most will contain creatures the size of a ferret, then fewer numbers where they are the size of a large house cat, followed by fewer of a great hound size, less then the size of some bovine, and perhaps somethings a size that can be ridden by some fool. It is a blessing that these lesser younglings lack the breath and special abilities of the true spawn. They are also quite tamable. It is said our illustrious and angelic Empress Julianna the Seventh, sovereign of the Julian Protectorate has some of those ferret sized things as pets. 
Some sages speculate that the reason for so many lesser draconic offspring is that it is a natural way to provide sustenance for the true hatching during lean times. Personally I would like to think that the mothers would love all their children, but then one cannot expect some beast never knowing the light of our gods or the divinity of Saint Julian the Protector to know better. As these true beings can speak, they have intelligence, what heretical demons might they worship?
There is the city of Drogoiashav, a mark of the Satrapy of Zhodan one of our client states which maintains a garrison to both destroy those wyrms and serpents that would make their way into our lands. To the east the strange Land of the Blue Wizards has a city Inzali Gawa which does the same. Both the uttermost respective outposts for trade in this part of the world.

Type

River