Arawen River

The Arawen River is a wide river that flows from the foothills of the Iron Mountains through the Elfenwald until it empties into Lake Hurroc. It flows in a southwestern path; although it meanders more when it reaches the Elfenwald. The river is wide and deep enough for flat-bottomed rafts, but the rapids and rocks as it nears the foothills make river passage treacherous.

The Arawen River can be divided into three distinct areas: The Sluices from the headwaters until it widens out and joins with the Cainel River; the Elvwalk as it passes through the Elfenwald; and Hurroc where it empties into Lake Hurroc.

The river was once small and only swelled its banks during the spring melt, but centuries of mining by the dwarves of Stoneheart Hold and settlements in the foothills has diverted water into the river. The section of the river called the sluices is where most of the water is dumped into the river.

This section is mostly rocky rapids and typically filled with junk, rotting furniture, and choked with tree limbs.

As the river enters the flat sections of the Elvenwald it meanders through the forest. A several points in the forest the river behaves unnaturally by diverting around sections where it should have flowed through. Notably these occur at the Redtrees and The Mound.

This grove is trees is out of place inside the forest. Surrounded by the river on three sides this grove has a distinctly dangerous feeling to it. Not even the elves who once lived on this land are welcome into this grove - nor are the animals that now live close to the Redtrees.

A large mound of freshly turned soil is the home of thousands of small black beetles. The beetles have constructed a flow for the river around their home to keep the area dry. The beetles can be deadly in defense of their home as the bones in the area attest.

The Hurroc is where the Arawen River flows into lake Hurroc. The river widens into the final section as it nears the river and becomes slow enough to walk upstream with little effort. The riverbed becomes more stones that dirt in this section.

Most of the Sluices is easy to cross at shallow fords and makeshift bridges.

The largest crossing over the river that the toll bridge at The Last Shield Inn along the Bornheim Trade Route. Caravans can either pay for their traffic or can pay a single fee for an entire trading season. Most caravans pay for a single trading season, which encourages them to stop at the inn along the way instead of going south and passing by Lake Hurroc.

The Silver-eyed eel, a venomous eel that can be found in the river. It is an ambush hunter that lies in wait along the river bottom for fish or frogs. It will bite if threatened, but will prefers to flee. The venom can be dangerous for people if not treated quick enough.