Delmora
| Delmora | |
|---|---|
| Spirit | Naithis |
| Native Sophants | Ruvin • Ulshari |
| Significance | A land of renewal and prosperity • where rivers carve the destiny of nations. |
Delmora is a realm where mighty rivers shape the land, carving their paths through fertile plains and ancient valleys. Unlike more stagnant lands, Delmora is a place of constant renewal, where the rivers dictate the rhythm of life. Floods nourish the soil, trade follows the currents, and civilizations rise and fall along the ever-changing banks.
To live in Delmora is to embrace the river’s will, to adapt, to move, and to understand that prosperity belongs to those who flow with the current, not against it.
History
Delmora’s past is inseparable from its rivers. The first settlements emerged along their banks, where seasonal floods enriched the land and made early agriculture thrive. As trade expanded, rivers became the roads of civilization, connecting distant towns and fostering cultural exchange.
Some ancient ruins suggest that before the current age, a forgotten people lived within the Great Lake, their cities now swallowed beneath the waves. Whether they were wiped out by a catastrophe or simply abandoned their flooded lands remains a mystery.
Geography
Delmora is a land where rivers dominate the landscape, creating a vast network of waterways, fertile floodplains, and interconnected settlements. The heart of the realm is defined by two great river systems, fed by mountain ranges to the west and north. These rivers do not simply shape the land; they dictate the movement of people, trade, and culture.
Major Geographic Features
- The Twin Rivers – Two massive rivers, one flowing from the Anvil Range (west) and the other from the Northern Highlands, meet at the heart of Delmora, forming the lifeblood of its civilization.
- The Anvil Range (Western Border) – Towering peaks that channel meltwater into Delmora’s great rivers, ensuring year-round fertility.
- The Northern Highlands – A rugged, forested region where the second great river begins, less tamed than the lands below.
- The Southern Spur – A mountainous borderland that isolates Delmora from the harsher lands beyond, making the region more self-sustaining.
- The Great Lake of the East – A vast inland body of water with a distinct maritime culture, acting as both a trade hub and a cultural divide between Delmora’s river-folk and lake-dwellers.
Climate
Delmora’s climate is gentle yet dynamic, shaped by the rise and fall of its rivers.
Seasons are marked not by temperature shifts alone, but by the flow of water, determining planting cycles, trade routes, and even conflicts.
- Spring Floods – The rivers swell with meltwater from the mountains, enriching the soil but also reshaping farmland and settlements.
- The Dry Season (Late Summer–Autumn) – Water levels drop, exposing new lands for farming and opening long-forgotten ruins.
- Mists of the Great Lake (Winter) – Dense fogs roll across the eastern lake, leading to strange tales and vanishings.
Flora and fauna
Delmora’s rivers and fertile plains are home to an abundance of life.
Flora
- Rivergrass – A hardy crop that thrives in seasonal floods, used for both food and textiles.
- Blooming Lotus – A mystical flower said to bloom only under the light of Naithis, the Spirit of Renewal.
- Verdant Willow – These towering trees line the riverbanks, their roots preventing erosion while providing shelter to local wildlife.
Fauna
- Silverback Sturgeon – Massive river fish, some growing over three meters in length, revered as symbols of endurance.
- Mist Herons – Elegant birds known to migrate with the river’s flow, considered sacred by the lake-dwellers.
- Fen Serpents – Elusive creatures that lurk in the deep waters, rumored to be the remnants of an ancient, cursed species.
Native Sophants
The people of Delmora are river folk, traders, and farmers, thriving in a society that values adaptability, prosperity, and the wisdom of water.
- The Ulshari
Notable settlements
Most of Delmora’s cities and towns are built along the rivers, thriving on farming, trade, and spiritual reverence for the water.
- Name of Capital City – The largest city, positioned at the confluence of the Twin Rivers, acting as the cultural and economic heart of Delmora. *The River-Towns – A series of interconnected settlements, each reliant on seasonal floods to sustain their crops. *The Lake-Cities – Independent-minded cities built along the eastern lake, blending river and maritime traditions.
Cultural significance
The people of Delmora believe that water carries the memory of all who pass through it. Rivers are not merely sources of sustenance but living entities that shape destiny.
- “The River Remembers” – A common Delmoran saying, reflecting their belief that water carries the memory of all who pass through it. Some even claim that spirits whisper in the currents.
- Trade & Navigation – Cities are built along riverbanks, trade routes flow along the water, and boats are more common than horses.
- Flood Priests & Water Seers – Religious figures and mystics interpret the rise and fall of the waters, believed to be the will of Naithis, the Spirit of Renewal.
- Lakeborn of the East – The people of the Great Lake see themselves as separate from the river-dwellers, forming a semi-independent culture with maritime traditions.
Mythology and legends
The people of Delmora do not simply use the river—they listen to it, fear it, and revere it. Many myths center on the power of water to carry memory, souls, and prophecy.
- The Eternal Currents – Some say the rivers of Delmora do not truly flow into the sea but instead loop endlessly through the land, carrying the voices of past generations.
- The Drowned Oracle – A legend tells of a prophet who vanished beneath the river but still speaks through the waters to those who listen.
- The Sunken Cities – It is said that beneath the Great Lake lie the ruins of an ancient civilization, swallowed by the waters as punishment for defying the river’s will.