Saeriel River

The largest tributary of the river the elves call Ilian and the humans call Queensribbon, the Saeriel River runs mostly northeast in a narrow, tight meander, wriggling through the forest like the pretty creeping vine for which it was named in the local tongue. Between all the winding banks, several short waterfalls, and some jagged whitewater patches, the Saeriel River is rarely traversed by humanoids. It is, however, the spawning ground of the nalendrien, a rare breed of salmon that the local wild elves prize over all other fish.
It is lucky for the humans of Timbertown that the practice of log-driving does not hamper the annual runs of this culturally-important fish. Nalendrien swim upstream under the Timbertown logs and fight their way unerringly through the Saeriel-Ilian confluence, always turning up the Saeriel to spawn. Once they begin to leap up the rapids and waterfalls of the swiftly-winding river, the sight of their coppery orange bodies, glittering against the water in the sun, has inspired some of the most renowned of wild elf religious poetry in all the land.
Nalendrien is a corruption of a phrase meaning “flame in the water”, and several parts of this magical fish can be used as spell components or medicines. The flesh or oils, prepared correctly, can increase wisdom. The powdered scales are said to be of use in crafting lightning-producing magical items, incidentally also turning the lightning that is produced a fiery orange in color. Finally, the roe can increase or restore one’s hope in the face of despair, or one’s courage to fight when frightened. The local wild elves closely guard their methods for preparing the fish for magical crafting and are impeccably moderate and respectful in the harvesting of their bounty. Outside their modest, ritualized harvests, they guard the fish as fiercely as if they were fellow elves, and many celebrations and songs are offered up during the annual nalendrien run.

Type

River