Graywater Lake
The Graywater Lake is a large freshwater lake located in the center of the northern half of the High Kingdom of Imesse. It is fed from many rivers and streams draining much of the vast northern territories of Imesse, but the largest inflowing river is the Morloth River that flows into the lake at its western end. The only outflowing river is the Calas River, which makes its way east and south to the Eastern Sea. The largest settlement on the lakeshore is the City of Northridge. The next largest settlements are on the lake's north shore at Morn and Nokar, respectively.
The Graywater is by far the largest lake on the eastern half of the entire continent. Local adherents of the Pantheon of Heaven faith have a legend of the lake's origin and unique makeup as resulting from the falling body of one of the massive cosmic dragons that Ayunis slew at the creation of the world. Other legends say it was dug by primordial giants attempting to reach the center of the earth and filled with water before it was completed.
Geography
The Graywater is a remarkably deep lake, with portions of the lake known to exceed 400' in depth. The average depth of the lake is estimated to be more than 100' and these depths begin very close to the shore, making large sailing vessels highly useful on the lake as they can reach shores and harbors with a greater draft than in smaller, shallower bodies of water.
Climate
The Graywater's depth and geographic location make it a cold lake. Even in the hottest of summers, the waters of the lake rarely get warm enough to swim comfortably. The depth of the water, however, means that only the most frigid winters will see the lake freeze over from shore to shore.
The lake's great size means that the potential for hazardous storms is always present. Waves can become very high and are dangerously close together, making any sort of surface ship caught in one at risk of being swamped without warning.
Fauna & Flora
The Graywater abounds with all types of freshwater fish. Pike, sturgeon, trout, salmon, grayling, whitefish, and carp can all be found within its depths. Smaller species such as smelt and burbots are harvested in large nets as they make their way into streams to spawn in the spring and are cleaned and packed into large barrels for storage and transportation.
The lake also provides abundant waterfowl, with huge flocks of geese and ducks using the waters on their annual treks north and south. Cranes, coots, hawks, eagles, and gulls fill the skies above the lake. Shorelines are home to otters, mink, martins, badgers, fox, several species of small cats, and a large (and growing) number of feral pigs. Predators include wolves, bears, and the increasingly rare Smilodon on the more desolate northern shores.
The Graywater Lake in the summer
A spring storm on the Graywater
A view of the opening of Northridge Bay, looking north at Stones Island
