The King's Winding
Geography
Whilst many maps show only the larger section that can be traversed unimpeded by boats, the full length of The King's Winding practically bisects the kingdom. The beginning surfaces near the foot of the border mountains in the west where it's little more than ten feet wide. There is speculation that the river's source steams from a lake somewhere under the mountain. Yet no expedition, dwarven or otherwise, has been able to verify.
The river travels for several more miles through forestland, slowly widening as it goes, until roughly a quarter of the way through its journey to the eastern ocean, it dips back beneath the land and resurfaces a few days' journey from Whitemeadow where it cuts through the city and is bridged thrice.
From Whitemeadow, it remains relatively calm as it meanders along to the fishing town of Riverton where it's joined by a northern fork fed from Demarn's sole lake. A day or so travelling beyond Riverton is a section generously called a ford by the locals. In actual fact, this is merely a place in the river where piled-up rock and silt have left the river sides at a depth of around three feet, with the exception of a channel through the middle large enough to fit the average merchant vessel.
After this, the river starts to cut deep into the land, creating high sides until is naught but cliffs hemming it in before the river runs through Wintervale and empties into the ocean.
Fauna & Flora
The river teems with life, the most common kind being fish and freshwater eels.
Above the waters and along the banks, many waterfowl make their homes, with ducks, swamphens and herons making the majority. Closer to the ocean, more sea-going birds can also be found happily making the river, and its cliff banks, home.
Natural Resources
Because of its breadth and depth, the river has become the favoured way for inland folks to transport goods seaward and vice-versa, this has led to Whitemeadow becoming an inner merchant hub. The abundance of fish means that many make a living atop its waters, especially Aa certain times of the year, when a fry known as whitebait can be harvested.
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