Ïorreg's River

This story is passed between Human, Dwarf, Dragon, and Kobold tribes, as well as any other race or group that do not regularly worship the gods. The Gods are young. This we know. Even Jörreg, the eldest, is as old as six elven generations. They told the Elves as such when they were created, and all other races learned from them. This is not a story about Filli's creation, or Jörreg's wisdom. This is not a tale of Dumgarth's generosity, or Ïllume's will. This is a story about Ïorreg, the goddess who received nothing from the world.

Jörreg, the Allfather, created the Sky. He owns the air we breathe, the clouds we see. Ïllume brings light to the land, and thus owns all the light touches. Dumgarth claimed the earth we stand upon, where the Arengold Forest grows, and the metals that dot the top. And we all know just how much we owe to Filli, who owns the Tree itself and all those beings that have sprouted from it.

And yet, the goddess Ïorreg seems to own nothing. She keeps the Tree and all those that live on it alive, and yet she doesn't own them. She aids the clouds to give us strength, and yet she does not ride them. What has she earned for her efforts? She was given the Clerics of this world out of pity.

We know what she has owned, however. Ïorreg has created something on Filli's Canvas. A river. It is a long, flowing body of water. It collects the rain from the tree, and moves it down towards the Southern Roots.

None have ever seen this river. Filli has hidden it beneath her Tree's Roots. She is jealous that any others may have touched her "Perfect World," even though Ïorreg fixed it for her. The two goddesses have an intense rivalry because of this river.

That is why Ïorreg sometimes allows us to die, gasping for water and breath, in the long droughts of the summer. Her river flows wide to steal her sustenence from us; a prideful, petty vengeance born from Filli's stubborn selfishness.

When someone finds the river, Ïorreg does not leave them alone. There is a reason none has ever found it; for, if we found it, we could escape the droughts and Ïorreg's only way to stab her fellow goddess in the back.

First, she congratulates the finder. The river is difficult to see in the first place and she understands hard work.

Then, she asks the finder if they would like to join her Clerics. If they do, they are given godly powers, but are prohibited from coming back to the river. If they do, their godly powers are stripped from them, and they are labeled as heretics, liars, and fools by their community.

If they refuse to join her, she simply drowns them in the river. Drowning is when someone is placed in water, and is unable to breathe in it. Their body then floats down the Southern Roots, where it disappears into the realm of the gods, where Ïorreg can keep her vengeance safe from the ears and eyes of Filli's Creations.

She hates doing this. Killing her children is not easy. So, she moves the river constantly, ensuring that no race loses too many souls due to their rampant curiosity, searching underneath the Roots. However, no matter what, it will always flow south. It will always take water from us. It will always be a reminder to Filli to share her canvas.

Is The River Real? Yes, and no. The River has been discovered by multiple nautical races, and is the place where many amphibious creatures live. Those who do not explore beneath the roots do not know that there are 25 different Rivers, all moving south. The Rivers can dry up at times of drought or if other rivers take larger hold, but there is always enough pockets of water to support water-borne races such as Sahaugin or Undine. It is likely that these water-borne races are the cause of the sudden drownings that are spoken of in legends. It is also likely that these races convince other land-dwellors to join Ïorreg's ranks, as they are fanatic worshippers of the Waterbearer.