Sellune River (Sel-lu-ne)

The most important single river in the Empire of Ellanthaes, the Sellune River forms the central 'roadway' from which ships can easily reach the Imperial Capital of Nilan Ancalen in the interior of Neramelhe Prefecture.

Geography

The Sellune River is one of the longer rivers in the Empire at 292 miles in length, though it is beaten by rivers such as the Thelsad (486 miles long) and the Rautheas River (551 miles long) in total length. Its main stem source lies roughly 1,321 feet above sea level in the hilly interior of Amar, near its border with Tiqua. The Sellune has two tributaries: the major river Ilvetihue (225 miles long) and the minor river Mallatilma (92 miles long).
The land throughout the greater Sellune basin is fertile and has for countless generations provided countless bounties to the Isilyen who lived in & around it. The river itself is located roughly in the heart of the Amar Region, and is regarded as the birthplace of the Isilyen people. While the Sellune and its tributaries haven been significantly urbanized at this point, many small farms and unsettled areas dot the banks of the combined rivers. These give people the opportunity to spend time away from the larger settlements simply by taking a boat up or down the river.

History

The river itself is, like all rivers of the world, believed to be initially made from the tears of the maiden goddess Ilvira when she wept over the gods who were slain at the end of the great war with the titans (though even this belief is only among the Isilyen, the other ethnic peoples of the Empire view this differently). The river has been settled at least partially for as long as records and memory can confirm. Since the river and the general region is regarded at the birthplace of the Isilyen, this is simply acknowledged as fact at this point. Over the course of the Pre-Imperial period towns flourished and were abandoned or destroyed, none ever truly grew into cities. Only when the territories of Amar (and afterwards Odone and Lurtheas) were unified under the Empire did major settlements of the Sellune River grow consistently. With the seat of Imperial government located on the river, the Sellune has seen waves of settlement over the course of Imperial history and the explosive growth of the cities of Nilan Ancalen and Enhalas (which lies at the Sellune's mouth).

Tourism

Most tourists to the Sellune River do not come to see the river itself but the sights of the Imperial City and the Emperor's Port (Nilan Ancalen and Enhalas respectively).

Alternative Name(s)

The Imperial River

Type

River