Muddy Estuary

Trigger warning: Mention of gore and blood at the bottom of the article
The Muddy Estuary is the former capital of the Glowing Lands. It was superseded by Prince's Journey, which took over its administrative duties in 2000. However, due to its long history and location, it has remained a popular destination until now, attracting people from all over the country and beyond in search of its fabled rivers of gold.

Brief history

The Muddy Estuary was the name give to a couple of fishing villages that was established at the meeting point of two rivers - Drum and Mud. The name Muddy Estuary came about when the village that was closer to the source of Muddy River took over its neighbours. This coincided with the discovery of tin in the river, followed by the realisation that Muddy Estuary's location made it an ideal spot for the cross country trains and river ships to gather before they continued on to Drum Port, which was again, strategically located along the busy Gooseberry Straits.
The Proclamation of Glowing Lands was held in the Muddy Estuary, heralding a new era in development and infrastructure. Within a decade the old mud and wood houses had given way to tall concrete buildings, with pockets of greenery and old-school style wooden houses and villages dotting the landscape.
Muddy Estuary grew so popular it spawned a satellite town, Amentacea*, which then spawned a satellite town of its own a few years later when it grew too large. Amentacea was declared a city in late 1999, with its satellite city Sapodilla** gaining the same status some eight years later.
As of the latest census, it is estimated that at least 5 million living sentient beings make the city alone its home, with a larger population outside of Muddy Estuary's address and postcodes.

Built on a foundation of blood

Depending on who you talk to, Muddy Estuary's rapid development and transformation has come with a price. Rumours, gossip and myth abound that for every tall building built, offerings of human lives must be made and mixed in with the cement or buried in the foundation. There are even some who say that for every 10 floors, a human life must be sacrificed and the head mixed in with the cement for the pillars. For bridges, a single life must be sacrificed and the body interred at key intervals, though the stories differ on how far apart this needs to be.
The flyovers are looked upon with especial hate for some fair folk. It is said that to ensure that these tall buildings can stand tall for beyond three lifetimes, the builders went looking for the most optimistic, brightest and kindest people they could find, before breaking their spirit. When their resentment was at their highest, that was when they were killed and their bodies used in the construction. Some say that it is the resentment and indignation that keeps these buildings strong.

Type

Estuary / River delta