Thousand Tide Valley
The Peaceful Riverlands
Battlemaps set in this location
Exile’s Door
North of the Thousand Tide Valley lies a crack in the world, a vast pit with a stairway descending into the dark Sunless Sea, the most accessible passage of its kind. Exile’s Door earns its name from its use as a form of punishment in Dawnfire. Criminals and vagrants convicted of capital offenses are given three choices: join the crusade and fight in the war against Palavier; duel for their lives in the Agrakata arena; or face banishment through Exile's Door, never to return to the surface again. Many choose the descent, risking the unknown for a chance at survival, as the other two options almost always lead to a swift and violent end.
Red River
Home to the plant humanoid firbolg, the Firebeets, the Red River earns its name from the deep rusty hue of its waters. The riverbed is thick with underwater plants slowing the the currents leading deeper into the delta and making much of the region a muddy wetlands, its color a constant rust-red shimmer under the sun. Lining the banks and nestled among the river rocks are small mud-and-thatch huts, held together with delicate red and white roots. The Firebeet firbolg spend much of their time gathering mud and clay from the river, crafting intricate ceramics and pottery, which they sell to the rare travelers who pass through their community.
Cat Tail Crossing
Navigating Thousand Tide can be a challenge for those without access to riverboats, or for those unwilling to swim through its slow currents. However, there are a few paths that allow travelers on foot to wade through shallow waters or leap between river stones.
The most well-known of these is Cat Tail Crossing, named for the thick marsh plants that grow in abundance across the northern shallows of Thousand Tide. Few boats pass through this stretch, as the dense vegetation and muddy bottoms make it treacherous for navigation. Over the years, the crossing has gained a reputation as a smuggling route between the neighboring nations of Dawnfire and Ravenfall during their years of conflict.
Grassport
Along the riverbank at the border of Ravenfall’s northern pasture lies the tiny town of Grassport. It is made up of no more than ten old stone buildings clustered near the edge of the Thousand Tide River. A small clan of tortles spends their quiet days fishing and gathering river moss. It is a peaceful place left untouched by worldly strife for generations. Due to a stroke of extraordinary luck or a mysterious blessing, some unseen force seems to watch over Grassport, preserving its gentle way of life.
Long River
The Long River forms the central artery of the Thousand Tide Valley, running directly from one end of the valley to the other. Though it offers the most straightforward route, its steep rock walls and violent whitewater rapids make it one of the most dangerous rivers to travel. The worst portion, known as Tarmign’s Scythe, is a treacherous stretch of jagged stone where the river’s undercurrent becomes a roaring jet stream. The passage narrows to only six feet across, plunging into depths over 200 feet with broken, submerged caverns hidden in the darkness below. Considered impossible to swim or sail through, Tarmign’s Scythe marks the deadliest waterway in all of Crudilex.
Wide River
The Wide River is a large, shallow expanse fed by a broad waterfall that spills just inches deep over a smooth, curved rock face. It is best known for its exceptionally active algae, threadlike strands that flow through the water like fur, with a slimy layer coating the surface. Below the falls, the water slows significantly, creating a calm habitat for a thriving community of kero.
Halfway down the river lies a second, larger sloped waterfall. At the top of this rise stands a massive tree that has been hollowed out and converted into several buildings. Around this ancient tree, the kero settlement of farmers raises giant insects and grubs. Its heart rooted in the water and shaded by the canopy above.
Down Current
A river-lake framed by tree canopies that flows with extremely slow-moving water. Down Current is so shallow and clear that it appears as though boats on its surface are floating among gravity-defying leaves and twigs, mere inches above the rocky ground. Fed by upstream waters, the lake widens to nearly a mile across, yet continues to meander forward at a lazy pace to the outlet river.
The cool, fresh water and abundant hiding places make Down Current a favored place for wildlife. Many species of beast migrate here during mating season, drawn by its calm and safety. Few people venture into the area, only the occasional hunter or boatman, dragging their riverboat ashore to portage it back upstream. For most, Down Current is considered the southernmost edge of Thousand Tide, as the river flows into the delta and onward to the more dangerous territory beyond.
Powrburgh Castle
The ancestral home of the kero, short frog-like creatures known for their honorable knights and heroism. Powrburgh Castle is a small, ivy-choked fortress bursting with flowers and houses the kero’s fledglings, elders, and the kero royal family themselves. All adult kero have left on important personal quests but remember the castle fondly and dream of returning to it someday. Kero cultural customs allow them to return only once they have completed the quest that would define their life, called a “kero’s vow”.
Though the castle is defensible, with high walls and a deep mote of fast flowing water, the kero's cultural tradition of venturing out to better the world leaves few behind to care for the daily needs of those who remain within Powrburgh. Among the royal family, the eldest male is titled prince, not king. Their ancient ancestor, Powrie, King of the Kero, is immortal and therefore no leader can be truly called king. But Powrie was a cruel leader who was eventually driven mad by his own lust for control. He vanished into Wilder long ago and has never been seen again. His sons have since refused to crown a new king, believing the throne to be cursed. To them their legacy is one of tyranny and darkness, everything the knights of Powrburgh now stand against.
Underbridge
Underbridge is a hanging village built into the massive stone arches of the Sanroko II cross-national train bridge. Its buildings are crafted from fallen or removed bricks, hollowed into room-sized cavities within the structure itself, fronted with wooden facades and connected by a maze of ladders and hanging walkways. It is a poor community of expats from all over Crudilex, many of whom were once stowaways aboard the train above. Ejected unceremoniously upon discovery, they banded together and built a community. Though densely packed and generally unsafe, life in Underbridge has broken down social barriers and forged a deep communal bond among its residents.
From time to time, individuals who display rare talent or promise are uplifted by the community. Artists, engineers, and musicians have, in the past, received communal support to seek education or scholarships they could not have pursued alone. One such individual, the musician Arabella Shaun, invented an instrument known as the currentsinger.
Little Atlantis
Little Atlantis is an atlantean village with a high water well that descends deep into the ruins of Undrum Kal and the Sunless Sea. The village is home to the descendants of the Thryummian atlanteans, one of Crudilex's oldest and most storied cultures. Their history is rich, and their lore is vast. Despite its ancient roots, Little Atlantis is a peaceful and relaxed place. The people, basking in the safety and serenity of the Thousand Tide Valley, spend most of their days fishing or floating down the river. They offer tours to visitors and serve as river guides, helping travelers navigate the many routes winding up and down the valley.
The town itself is built from pure white limestone along the banks and cliffs of the coastal ridges bordering Dawnfire. Many water features and structures are powered by the river's flow, and because its people are amphibious, the buildings are uniquely designed with both above and below-current features. Plumbing, refrigeration, and even farming are integrated into the flow of water. Tributaries and gutters wind through the town, giving it the feeling of being one giant, ornate fountain.
Shallow Harbor
Shallow Harbor is the closest thing to a city in all of Thousand Tide. It is a vast lagoon with waters less than a foot or two deep, crisscrossed by walkways and bridges. Canoes and flat bottomed boats navigate the waters like a free-floating, living market that grows and shrinks throughout the day.
The harbor is the most diverse place in all of Crudilex. It serves as a transient hub for travelers and adventurers, a common stop for wholesalers and merchants, and an excellent place to stock up and prepare for long journeys. Few people actually live in the harbor itself; even the most reliable vendors come to trade rather than set up permanent shops. The population is highly seasonal, and during the long, rainy or humid months, Shallow Harbor becomes a ghost town.
Claybank Bog
The source of all the greatest rivers flowing into Thousand Tide Valley, Claybank Bog is a vast, muddy expanse carved by water and time digging deep trenches into the red cliffs that surround it. The river here breaks apart across massive square slabs of clay, tangled with wild overgrown weeds. The sunbaked soil above is riddled with deep fissures that fill unpredictably with water and mud, triggering frequent and dangerous mudslides along the riverbanks. The natural volatility has made the area notoriously difficult to traverse. The dangers have served the nearby cliffside kingdom of Abermore above as an highly effective defense against sieges.
Riverlords Lurk
Home to the Riverlords of Thousand Tide, this is the territory of a cruel forgon clan of gator-like humanoids who are often trouble. The Riverlords, mostly young hooligans, rarely engage in anything more severe than brawls or petty theft. However, they frequently cause disruptions, especially when they spot tourist boats on the river. The Riverlords demand payment or bribes, tip boats over, lead travelers astray down wrong rivers, or break into cargo holds to steal food.
While the locals do not approve of the Riverlords' actions, they are rarely the targets of the harassment themselves. When a Riverlord does have a problem with someone from the local community, it is usually personal, rather than something involving the entire clan. Still, the Riverlords' love for trouble makes their antics a common occurrence through the valley.
Court of the Moss King
The Riverflower firbolg, known as the Moss King, rules over much of the southern portions of the riverlands. More cult leader than true fey nobility. He has gathered the surviving members of the fallen Court of Summer, ghosts who perished when their archdryad, the personification of summer, was murdered. The lands of the Moss King are completely overgrown, more than anywhere else in Crudilex. Every inch of surface is covered by plants, endlessly competing for what dappled light of the twin suns peeks through the canopy. Underfoot, the ground is knee-deep in mud with enormous broken stone statues, once humanoid figures, now completely blanketed in moss. Only their silhouettes hint at their original forms. The river leading into the Moss King’s realm slows as it spills into the
muddy bog, appearing to come to a halt. No waters of Thousand Tide can leave the Moss King’s domain without his express permission.
Those brave few who have reason to cross the court are sure to do so as silently as they can. And especially without any music or singing. The Moss King believes that music belongs exclusively to the fey, and that mortals stole the gift of song from them. Those who sing within his realm summon him to them. If he disapproves of their singing, he sends the ghosts of summer to eat them. If he enjoys their song however, he lures them to his lair and transforms them into fey.
Rattlerock
A massive boulder, trapped for hundreds, perhaps thousands, of years in a divot in a rocky riverbed. The boulder weighs an astounding 100 tons, yet a thin current, barely an inch deep, flows beneath it, causing the stone to slowly roll and rotate in place. Over time, the constant motion has worn the rock into a smooth polished sphere, grinding out a perfect bowl-shaped depression beneath it. Though there is nothing inherently magical about this location, many of the non-arcane peoples of Crudilex hear tales of Rattlerock and refuse to believe it is not the work of some ancient druid circle.
The Moongate
Across Crudilex lies a scattered network of ancient, mysterious circular gateways, dormant portals created long before recorded history and largely forgotten. These strange structures, known as Moongates, are often found in remote places, however a few stand near modern settlements, inspiring local legends and superstitions about their power and purpose.
One such Moongate lies at the southernmost edge of the known world, positioned in the no-man’s-land between the territories of two fiercely religious factions: the Silent Chantry and the marauding minotaur water barons of the Coalfrock Delta. Both groups have woven this enigmatic ruin into their mythology, claiming divine significance for the structure. Neither is willing to relinquish control, resulting in near-constant skirmishes over what is, at its core, a weathered circle of stone that hasn’t shown a flicker of power in millennia.