The Rivers of Sinardia
Doing some worldbuilding.
This is a translation of yesterday’s post, in which I did some worldbuiding in Spanish.
So… let’s go:
From the Archives of the Monks of the Grand Monastery of Os:
The Great River of Sinardia crossed the entire territory of the Empire from east to west and north to south. It rose in the northwest, right on the border with the neighbouring kingdom of Smedriania and the frozen lands of the North, where it was said that Klandorg, the Great Necromancer Lord, still had his lair, as in the time of the Dragon-Helmeted Knight.
The water, clear, clean and very cold, gushed down from the peaks of the high mountains that formed that long range. Its strength and flow had made it the longest river on the large peninsula, which could be considered like a continent in other parts of our world.
It ran, from the Mountain Range of the Snowy Peaks to the Naras Falls, more than 232 leagues1. There, at the falls, the water fell incessantly and powerfully through three deep, black gorges, without the summer heat or the rays of the two suns decreasing its flow in the slightest.
There, and precisely because of the gorges, the river was divided in two. The less long one ran almost horizontally to the northern coast of the Empire. Because of a rare metal which, nevertheless, abounded in its riverbed, it had been called the Iridium River since ancient times. Its mouth was more than 700 leagues2 to the west, at the well-known port of Haloren. Because of its obvious maritime and geographical qualities, it had been chosen from time immemorial as the place for the rest and maintenance of the Imperial Fleet or, at least, of a very important part of it.
Foto de Julia Volk en Pexels.
The climate along the river was pleasant, except in the vicinity of the Sierra del Viento Nevado, where the freezing inhospitable wind made life almost impossible, except on the banks of the river. Even the imperial troops had to be very well equipped when passing through this place to avoid death from the cold temperatures.
The second branch of the River, which retained the same name and which split off after the falls of Naras, was rushing southwards. Not even 5 leagues had passed and already it met the elegant (and ancient) Ko-Or-Natu bridge. Its location, very close to the imperial capital Bonardia, situated in the valley east of the river, had made it one of the most important political and commercial locations in the whole Empire.
Foto de SlimMars 13.
On the west side of the River lay the infertile lands of the North Wind Steppe, a continuation of the Snowy Wind Range. No one had been able to find out how the icy, biting North Wind could reach that area, although there were opinions to suit all tastes. Some were inclined to think that the wind, rather than being from the North, was simply from the Sierra of the Snowy Wind, although that would eliminate the possibility of making up stories about it. Others, in hushed voices, said that it was the result of the witches or dark magicians that still inhabited those inhospitable plains, while others simply muttered a prayer, while trying to explain that the culprit was Klandorg, something that could not be dismissed either, given the power he must still have, even if no one had seen him for centuries.
The river, without giving any encouragement to all these rumours, continued, meandering southwards, leaving to the east the dense and leafy Forest of the Ranfredos (SP) and, a little to the southeast, the last foothills of the Snowy Peaks Range, where the Dragon's Cave was situated (SP, EN).
Meanwhile, to the west, the gentle breeze downriver brought the scents of Sinardia's greatest Forest: the deep, mysterious and majestic Western Forest, the place where the wise woman Danladia and the albino Balirakok people lived. In that part of the river, the sight of the houses of the fishermen of the River, the inns occupied by travellers and merchants, and great noble mansions, mingled with that of the boats up and down the river carrying all kinds of goods from Ko-Or-Natu to the Minadric Ocean. That part had few geographical features that posed a problem for ships to pass through.
As it searched for the ocean, the water rushed and increased in strength and flow. In the end, such a quantity of water was produced that a wide, deep and flowing delta was created, where the fresh water began to mix with the salt water of the sea, more than 15 leagues3 wide and more than 10 leagues deep, although there were certain places where it had not been possible to measure it because of the whirlpools it formed and the danger it posed to anyone diving into it.
In fact, only the most experienced sailors could get in and out of the Delta. That is why Prince Erevin needed Olter Roca de Pino, nicknamed Peg Leg, first of all to free the kidnapped fleet and its general, Baron de Nirándomir, who were believed to be in the Gulf of Esdáloren. But above all to get up the river and reach Bonardia as soon as possible. They needed to find His Imperial Highness Prince Everingen. None of them doubted that he had been kidnapped, even if none of them knew where he might be.
Meanwhile, Empress Abalina had ordered her transport to her private residence, Bokarlia, south of the capital. She would only stay at the Imperial Palace another three days, and even then, it was going to be dangerous because of the proximity of the event that had influenced her so much. Her boat, which was always ready, had been checked again. In three days, it would glide downriver so that the Empress could enjoy a few private days of rest.
Originally published in Wordpress.
Buy me a coffee. ☕️
1 League = 4190 metres. Therefore, 232 leagues is the equivalent of 972 km.
700 leagues are equivalente to 2,933 km.
15 leagues are almost 63 km.