Aici River (eye-ee-see)
The Aici River is a river in northeast Leland that forms the border between modern day Irocra and Vinato.
Geography
The origin of the Aici River lies somewhere north of the Ganuiles Mountains and Andsilg Highlands, though no one knows exactly where. Historical records from before The Great Invasion suggest that the Aici stretches far into and potentially past The Wasteland, but no one has ventured far enough into the Wasteland to confirm this theory and returned alive.
Though the Aici winds a navigable course through the mountains, once it reaches the peninsula its path becomes rough and rocky. Long stretches of rapids and the occasional waterfall make the river unusable for travel until it widens at the halfway point of its journey to the Eldown River and flows through the low lands of Irocra and Vinato.
Upon reaching the tip of Bellnear Island, the river branches off to form the Subsah Channel. The two waterways meet again just before the Coativan River. Over time, the flow of water exiting the Aici led to the formation of Sudlan Bay.
Ecosystem
The ecosystems upstream and downstream of Provajja Falls are quite different.
Upstream of the falls, life on the river is affected by toxins picked up by the river in the Wasteland. The flora and fauna of this stretch of the river have developed the ability to live with and filter these toxins out of the water.
Once downstream of the falls, enough of the toxins have been filtered out of the water naturally for it to be considered safe.
Fauna & Flora
Upstream of Provajja Falls, the flora and fauna has evolved ways of surviving in the toxin-rich waters. Some of these species are similar to those found in other waterways in Leland, merely differentiated by their ability to tolerate toxins, while others are found nowhere else. Species unique to the northern Aici include:
- Bonasa Lyscale
- Netshing Weed
- Purple Lipped Ice Frog
- Quidsen Murrel
- Tiege Cattail
History
Limited historical records from before the time of Great Invasion indicate that the Aici was used for transport between the Ganuiles region and places within and beyond what would become the Wasteland.
Legend has it that the Aici ran black for twenty years following the Great Invasion because of the destruction left in the wake of the retreating hordes. Though the waters are no longer black, the Aici carries with it toxins picked up on it's journey through the Wasteland. Those returning to their homeland following the retreat found the formerly life-giving waters now promised sickness like Green Aician Fever, requiring them to develop ways of purifying water to make it safe to use again.
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