Ither River

It was simply there one day, and gone the next. It was like day and night; the day of Gratica's water supply gave way to a dry night lit by no moon.

— A scrap of a Gratic chronicle found in the Nevercold Library

Praised as "the lifeblood of Gratica" and "the river that birthed an empire," the beloved Ither River is no more. A sudden dry spell twenty-five years ago led to the river evaporating entirely...but the following wet season did not lead to its return. Despite many attempts by the people of Gratica to search for its source or to investigate its disappearance, the source of the river's absence has never been found.

Once a great waterway...

History books and stories paint a much fuller picture of the former waterway. Fish once teemed in the pools and bends of the Ither, feeding the early cities of the region. Reeds and many trees hugged the banks, providing shade for the grassdeer and other endemic species that shared the land with the first opur nations.
As the Gratic Empire grew in power and influence, the Ither took on a more symbolic relationship. It was often called "the artery of the world," among many other poetic names. The yearly festivals of Alté would gather worshippers of the goddess of grief on its banks to bless the spirits of their ancestors who had passed to the worlds beyond. Farmers lovingly dug canals so the river's blessing would pass to their produce.

...now a muddy riverbed

Now the riverbed is exposed, filling with thick brown mud whenever it rains. Besides the occasional worm or remains of some decades-dead fish, nothing living seems to make the river home. Even the local people avoid it, even during the major festivals. A superstition even holds that anyone playing in the riverbed or born in the summer of its disappearance is doomed to an early death.
Every once in a while, some noble's son or some adventurer says they will search for the cause of the Ither's disappearance. The dawr communities have been largely unhelpful to such explorers despite their knowledge of the mountains. Most become discouraged and return home empty-handed. The rest never return at all.

Pronunciation

EET-hur (not ITH-er)

Type

River

Location under

Gratica

Aqueducts & Alternatives

With the lack of flowing water to irrigate the crops of the Gratic Plain, the peoples of the region have had to search for alternative water sources. Wells now dot the river banks, but some of the ones further away have begun to dry out. Disputes over the remaining supply have become common.
A large civic works project under the current Emperor has brought water from two other nearby rivers to help supply Gratic City's bathhouses and fountains. However, many common folk of the capital are clamouring for the aqueduct water to be diverted to the city's drought-stricken farms.

I wager it's some kinda demon. They're always really hot...no not like that, gods damn it!

— A Gratic farmer

All images in this article were created by me, EmperorCharlesII, unless otherwise indicated.