River of Floods: History and Rumors

The lands on each side of this waterway form a natural slope toward the broad river. Along its length there are areas where large piles of debris from previous floods have built up. These heaps of debris sometimes alter the course of the river itself. In other cases, they provide the perfect habitat for whole communities of creatures. It is also quite common to find isolated pools alongside the main river in hollows carved out when the flood waters rise, overflow the steep banks on either side of the channel, and sweep across the grasslands.

Once a year, the early spring rains make the river waters swell and overflow, sweeping across the grasslands. Most years the river raises to approximately three to four times its natural depth, driving everything in its path downriver and leaving behind rich deposits of nutrients that will leave the lands that border the river fertile and full of life. In the past, there have been instances where the river rose so high that it caused devastation to the southern edges of the Reptile Woods. Stories tell of how the wild waters swept huge willow trees, reptilian denizens of the area and even entire villages of najashanian into the thunderous charge downriver. The centaur and liontaur clans know that those are the years they need to be wary, for it is often then that the najashanian venture from their woods, seeking alternate food sources. These are also the times when large crocodiles and other reptiles can be found far from home, trying to work their way back to the safety and warmth of the Reptile Woods.