Delmora

Delmora
Spirit	Naithis
Significance	A land of renewal and prosperity • where rivers carve the destiny of nations.

Delmora is a realm defined by its rivers, where flowing water carves through fertile plains, valley systems, and ancient landscapes. It is a land shaped by renewal, in which seasonal floods restore the soil, and the rhythms of water dictate patterns of trade, agriculture, and settlement.

Prosperity in Delmora is closely tied to adaptability. Its inhabitants—whether river-dwelling or lake-bound—have long embraced the flow of change, understanding that to endure is to follow the current, not resist it. The river is not only a source of life, but a guide, a memory, and a power in its own right.

Flora and Fauna

Delmora’s biodiversity is concentrated along its waterways, floodplains, and lakeshores.

Flora

• Rivergrass – A dual-use crop grown during floods, valued for sustenance and woven textiles.
• Blooming Lotus – A rare flower associated with Naithis, said to open only under moonlight.
• Verdant Willow – Deep-rooted trees that anchor the riverbanks and serve as habitats for birds and amphibians.

Fauna

• Silverback Sturgeon – Large, long-lived fish revered by many Delmorans.
• Mist Herons – Migratory birds considered omens; often depicted in spiritual iconography.
• Fen Serpents – Rare aquatic predators found in the lake's depths, central to several lakeborn myths.

Inhabitants

Delmora is home to:

• Ruvin – River-folk known for their agricultural and spiritual practices tied to seasonal cycles.
• Ulshari – Waterbound artisans and scholars who navigate both river and lake cultures.

Notable Settlements

Most of Delmora’s settlements lie along rivers or the lake coast:

• [Capital City] – Located at the confluence of the Twin Rivers, serving as Delmora’s cultural and economic capital.
• River-Towns – A network of settlements along the Twin Rivers, thriving on trade, fishing, and seasonal farming.
• Lake-Cities – Independent-minded communities along the eastern lake, influenced by maritime traditions and lake lore.

Cultural Significance

Water is central to Delmoran identity, economy, and belief. It is treated not only as a resource, but as a force with memory, intent, and spiritual agency.

• “The River Remembers” – A saying that reflects the belief that all who pass through the waters are remembered.
• Flood Priests and Water Seers – Spiritual leaders who interpret changes in water level and current as signs from Naithis.
• Maritime Distinction – The lakeborn identify as a distinct cultural group, with different customs, ships, and interpretations of Naithis’s will.
• Trade and Navigation – Boats and barges are more common than horses, with river routes shaping economic patterns.

Mythology and Legends

Delmora’s myths revolve around the agency of water, its memory, and its capacity for transformation.

• The Eternal Currents – A belief that the rivers of Delmora do not end, but loop endlessly, carrying voices of the dead.
• The Drowned Oracle – A prophetic figure said to have vanished beneath the river, yet continues to whisper to those who listen.
• The Sunken Cities – Legends tell of an ancient civilization submerged beneath the Great Lake, a warning to those who would defy the river’s will.

History

The history of Delmora is inseparable from its rivers. Early civilizations emerged along their banks, where fertile floodplains enabled agriculture and sustained the first permanent settlements. Over time, rivers became trade routes and spiritual conduits, linking communities across the realm and facilitating the exchange of goods, knowledge, and traditions.

The Ruvin were among the earliest engineers of Delmora, transforming the waterways into structured networks of canals, levees, and irrigation systems. In contrast, the Ulshari developed a more reserved and enduring culture along the Great Lake, building stone cities that withstood both flood and time.

Archaeological evidence and submerged ruins suggest the existence of older, possibly pre-Ruvin cultures now lost beneath the lake and river deltas. Whether these civilizations were destroyed by floods or gradually absorbed into later societies remains the subject of both scholarship and myth.

Geography

Delmora is a land defined by water, where rivers and lakes shape not only the terrain but the lives of its inhabitants. The region’s most prominent geographic feature is its twin river systems, which converge near the realm’s center before flowing eastward into the Great Lake. These waterways form the foundation of Delmora’s economy, ecology, and settlement patterns.

Major Geographic Features

• The Twin Rivers – Two major rivers, one descending from the Anvil Range in the west and the other from the Northern Highlands, intersect near the heart of Delmora. Their confluence is a hub of agriculture, trade, and governance, and is home to the Ruvin capital of Kelmarin.

• The Great Lake – A vast inland freshwater body, bordered by Ulshari settlements. Its fog-covered surface conceals submerged cities and spiritual monuments. The lake serves as a cultural and spiritual counterbalance to the rivers, emphasizing stillness and depth over motion.

• The Anvil Range – Towering mountains along the western border, providing glacial meltwater to feed the western river. Mineral-rich and sparsely inhabited, it forms a natural barrier with the highlands beyond.

• The Northern Highlands – A forested, rugged region that gives rise to the northern river. Less developed than the lowlands, the highlands are home to smaller Ruvin enclaves and untamed tributaries.

• The Southern Spur – A series of low mountains and hills that separate Delmora from the harsher regions to the south. It functions as a buffer, protecting the heartlands from external threats and climatic extremes.

Climate

Delmora experiences a temperate and river-driven climate, shaped less by temperature fluctuations and more by seasonal changes in water flow. Its weather patterns are closely tied to the rhythms of the rivers and the influence of the Great Lake, resulting in a cycle of flood, drought, and mist that defines life across the realm.

• Spring Floods – As snowmelt from the Anvil Range and Northern Highlands pours into the river systems, Delmora experiences widespread flooding. These floods are both destructive and regenerative, enriching the soil and realigning the landscape. Settlements near the rivers are built to withstand and adapt to this seasonal overflow.
• The Dry Season (Late Summer to Autumn) – Water levels recede, revealing fertile riverbanks and previously submerged ruins. This period is ideal for construction, travel, and harvest, and marks the peak of trade activity throughout the realm.
• Lake Mists (Winter) – Thick mists roll across the Great Lake and its surrounding wetlands, reducing visibility and transforming the landscape into a realm of echoes and shadow. These conditions are viewed as spiritually potent by the Ulshari, and many rituals are performed during the mist season.

Delmora’s relatively mild temperatures and ample freshwater support a wide range of flora and fauna, but its people remain highly attuned to the unpredictability of water—a force that can nurture or erase with equal ease.

Flora and fauna

Delmora’s fertile plains, floodplains, and inland lake support a diverse and adaptive ecosystem. Life here is shaped by the movement of water—plants must endure submersion or drought, and animals follow migratory paths guided by seasonal flow.

Flora

• Rivergrass – A versatile crop cultivated along floodplains, used for food, fabric, and building material. It regenerates quickly after floods and is central to Delmoran agriculture.
• Blooming Lotus – A symbolic aquatic flower, often associated with Naithis, the Spirit of Renewal. Its petals are harvested for ritual teas and medicinal salves.
• Verdant Willow – Towering, root-deep trees lining riverbanks, known for preventing erosion and providing shade for river settlements. Their bark is used in crafting and water filtration.

Fauna

• Silverback Sturgeon – Massive, long-lived fish that inhabit the deeper channels of the rivers and lake. Revered by both Ruvin and Ulshari as a symbol of endurance.
• Mist Heron – A long-legged bird that migrates along the waterways, often appearing in myths and folklore. They are believed to carry omens in their flight patterns.
• Fen Serpent – Elusive aquatic reptiles said to dwell in the lakebed trenches. Though rarely seen, stories of their size and intelligence have persisted for centuries.

Native Sophants

Delmora is inhabited primarily by two distinct sophant species, each shaped by their environment and relationship with water.

• The Ruvin – Semi-aquatic engineers and riverfolk, the Ruvin are known for their guild-based societies and mastery of hydraulic construction. They build their cities along the rivers, managing flood cycles through canals, levees, and artificial islands. Practical and adaptable, Ruvin culture centers on craftsmanship, cooperation, and reverence for the river’s memory.
• The Ulshari – Tall, lake-dwelling sophants who thrive in the still waters of the Great Lake. Ulshari civilization is rooted in patience and preservation, with submerged cities and stone temples designed to endure through ages. Their society values memory, silence, and the unbroken passage of time, storing history not in books but in underwater monuments known as the Sunken Archives.

While both peoples share spiritual reverence for water and its cycles, the Ruvin tend to shape and guide the flow of the rivers, whereas the Ulshari endure within it, allowing time to carve its own legacy.

Native Spirits

The spirits of Delmora are closely tied to the flow of water and the cycles of flood, growth, erosion, and memory. Many are believed to dwell in rivers, springs, rainstorms, or the hidden depths of the Great Lake. They are invoked by both Ruvin and Ulshari communities for guidance, protection, and renewal.

Nascent Spirits

• Driftlings – Minor river spirits found in streams and tributaries. Often seen as playful or mischievous, they are said to guide children and lost travelers along safe paths.
• Mistwhirls – Faint spirits of morning fog, particularly near the lake. They are believed to echo lost thoughts or warnings, and are treated with quiet respect by Ulshari shamans.

Mature Spirits

• The Rivermind – A collective spirit formed from the convergence of many streams into one river. It is invoked during rites of irrigation, healing, or remembrance.
• Taarith the Leveler – A spirit of erosion and balance, revered by the Ruvin as both a bringer of floods and a corrector of excess. Offerings are made to Taarith before major construction or during river redirection.

Ancestral Spirits

• Naithis – The ancestral Spirit of Renewal, regarded by both Ruvin and Ulshari as the soul of Delmora. Naithis is not worshipped as a distant deity but engaged with through ceremony, craft, and observation of the water’s will.
• The Drowned Oracle – A legendary spirit said to dwell in the trenches beneath the Great Lake. Believed to have once been a prophet who chose to sink into silence, the Oracle is consulted by Ulshari Depthkeepers for visions during times of crisis.

Factions

Delmoran society is organized not through centralized kingdoms but through interlinked guilds, councils, and spiritual orders. These factions manage trade, infrastructure, law, and the spiritual balance of the land.

The Ruvin Guildhouses

he Ruvin govern through a meritocratic system of guilds, each focused on a different discipline. While they often cooperate, competition for prestige and contracts is common.

• The Leveeguard Guild – Engineers responsible for flood defense, canal maintenance, and the expansion of river infrastructure. Their influence is strongest in Kelmarin and the River-Towns.
• The Stoneflow Compact – A trade consortium of artisans, timberwrights, and masons who manage the economic backbone of Delmoran cities.
• The Circle of Flood-Seers – A spiritual-technological guild that interprets river patterns and advises major construction projects. They are seen as mediators between Naithis’s will and mortal ambition.

The Ulshari Orders

The Ulshari operate under a more decentralized, tradition-bound structure, with authority rooted in age, memory, and spiritual proximity to the lake.

• The Depthkeepers – Custodians of the Sunken Archives and oral history. They guide political and spiritual decisions and are consulted during moments of social transition.
• The Stoneguard – Ulshari defenders trained in passive resistance and terrain manipulation. While few in number, they serve as the lake’s last defense.
• The Keepers of Stillness – A reclusive sect that maintains submerged temples and rituals of silence. They are known for long retreats and meditation within the lake’s depths.

While the Ruvin and Ulshari maintain distinct societal models, they frequently collaborate on trade, flood management, and spiritual ceremonies during seasonal transitions.

Notable settlements

Delmora’s cities and towns follow the rivers and lakes, forming a network of waterborne civilization. Most are constructed with flood-resilient architecture, and many settlements blend into the terrain to avoid disrupting the river’s course. River settlements emphasize trade and engineering, while lake settlements reflect spiritual depth and endurance.

River Settlements (Primarily Ruvin)

• Kelmarin – The capital city, located at the confluence of the Twin Rivers. It serves as the administrative and economic center of the Ruvin, renowned for its grand levees, tiered causeways, and guildhalls carved into stone embankments.
• Braskir’s Hold – A fortified dam-city controlling river flow into the Great Lake. It balances defense and hydraulic management, often compared to a fortress and a floodgate in one.
• Zelmari Wharf – A mid-river trade town famous for shipbuilding and flood-resistant architecture. Known for its floating markets and river-carved sculpture halls.
• Toravin’s Mouth – A twin-settlement built on either side of a major river fork, with rotating bridges and ferries connecting the two districts.
• Meveth’s Rise – A hilltown near the river’s northern origins, known for its observation towers and cold-resistant agriculture.
• Halveret Cross – A key crossing where several trade routes converge over a wide floodplain, protected by Ruvin aqueducts and watchtowers.

Lake Settlements (Primarily Ulshari)

• Varul’Kai – The Ulshari capital, a semi-submerged city where only the stone domes of temples and watchtowers rise above the lake. Its foundations descend into a labyrinth of sacred halls and hidden archives.
• Kel’Ruun – A nomadic Ulshari raft-city that drifts seasonally along the northern edge of the lake. Its reed architecture shifts with the waters.
• The Archive Depths – A spiritual site rather than a conventional settlement, it houses the submerged stone obelisks of the Sunken Library.
• Ulmari’s Lantern – A lighthouse temple near the lake’s southern reaches, guiding spiritual pilgrims and weathering the mists of winter.
• Rasthir Hollow – A smaller, crescent-shaped settlement near the lake’s western bank, known for water gardens and bioluminescent algae farming.

With thousands of miles of river and the vastness of the Great Lake, numerous smaller fishing villages, ferry outposts, spiritual retreats, and agricultural enclaves dot the waterways, forming the connective tissue of Delmoran society.