Mehr River

Lifeblood

Originating in the mountains of the Shoran Empire, the Mehr river winds its way through several other countries before opening into the Abyssal Sea on Acleian coast. It's the lifeblood of cities and ecosystems, providing trade, travel, food, and water to all along its path, and its annual cycles dictate the way the earth responds. Few places know this better than the city of Su-mehr Qiamp.  

Dry Season

The river's water level slowly drops through the dry season. The receding waters leave behind fertile land, making it the best time for planting and growing crops. Qiampians use a series of dams and levees to irrigate their fields throughout the year, even at times storing water for later use.   The lower water levels also expose more land to traverse or build upon, allowing easier access to foraging areas previously inaccessble. However, as the grasses grow and dry out, the area becomes more prone to fires. Watch towers are used as lookouts for warning of grass fires, giving people precious minutes to attempt to outrun the flames.  

Flood Season

When the gods' glittering moon appears in the sky, the flood season begins. Over months, the river swells and cascades to offshoots, turning streams into rivers and grasslands into swamps. This flooding is a necessary revitalization, but in Su-mehr Qiamp, it coincides with their local rainy season. The two sources of excess water lead to more destructive and less predictable floods.   The worst of the rains last about a month, and by the end, the landscape of tall yellow grasses becomes a waterscape of mud and driftwood. This is when Qiampians host their annual Festival of Halinn, a celebration of the end of the rains and start of the growing season. They have perhaps a week before the water levels begin to recede, and the dry season begins again.