Zun River

The Zun River is the second longest river in the Western Realms. Flowing entirely through the Kingdom of Dakar. Its headwaters are located in the Iron Mountains and meanders slowly southwards until it empties itself in the Zun River Delta at the Caragan Sea. Its large system of tributaries the Zun's watershed drains all of the water for one of the richest agricultural land in the realms.

On foggy days it is impossible to see the opposite shore. While this makes crossing the river difficult, it is perfect for barge traffic. Even the narrowest areas can easily fit several of the largest barges side-by-side with none in danger of collision. Only when the winter’s snows melt does the river become dangerous to travelers. Since most of the rivers and underground springs empty into the Zun River, during a year with heavy snowfall the Zun River can rise several feet. This makes the river dangerous to any boats, as the strong undercurrents have been known to pull oarsmen off the boat and into its silty depths.

The Zun River can be divided into three distinct areas: The Upper Zun is from the headwaters to the confluence with the Lech River; the Lower Zun is downriver of the Lech to the delta; and the River Delta which is where it flows into the Caragan Sea.

The Upper Zun runs from its headwaters to its confluence with the Lech River. It is divided into three sections.

• The headwaters from its source until it exists the Iron Mountains;
• The original spring waters where the river gains most of its water; and
• The navigable channel that was at one time a series of lakes

The headwaters of the Upper Zun is the snow melt that comes off the Iron Mountains during the spring. A large network of streams and small rivers flow through the valleys eventually forming Lake Stolps. This lake contributes only a small percentage of water to the river except during the spring melt. The red-brown clay soil of the foothills forces the influx of snow melt to flow rapidly south rather than saturating the banks of the lake.

The original source of the Zun River is Lake Urr See, the fourth largest freshwater lake in the Western Realms. This lake is not only feed by underground springs, but several smaller streams. Boats and small barges can navigate to the lake when the river is high, but the silty bottom and underwater hazards make travel too difficult. Many merchants have tried over the years to reach the lake, but barge masters charge extra because the waters are so difficult to navigate.

The head of navigation on the Zun River is where Yoluthis built a series of wing dams and flood barriers to control the flow of the river. This slowed down the river enough that larger boats could reach it safely, even during flooding season. The Dakarian city of Passau is considered the last stop north where the largest barges can safely navigate.

The Pojuntus River is considered the only major distributary along the Upper Zun River. Nearly 20% of the water flows to the Caragan Sea via this route on the border with Ellendar. although not as large its runs deeper and quicker than the Zun River. When the Bornheim Trade Route become too dangerous merchants cargo along this river.

The Zun River known as the Lower Zun starts at the confluence with the Lech River at city of Hattingen and flows south until it empties into the River Delta. This section of the river is free flowing and has the widest width along its path. The additional water of the Lech River and its wider girth is considered one the best rivers in the Western Realms for ships to navigate. The widest point in the Lower Zun exceeds 2 km (1.25 miles)in width in several places.

Aside from the Lech River, the major tributaries of the Lower Zun River are the Big White River, Sterling River, and the Olr Manse River.

See Zun River Delta.

The Upper Zun has bridges at several towns along the river and several of the villages are built near fordable sections of the river. The lords that control the bridges across the river jealously guard their rights; accidents or bandits have been known to destroy new bridges.

There are no bridges or permanent crossings along the length of the Lower Zun as the river is too wide to support such structures. Most towns, cities, and a few villages along the banks provide ferries as the slower flow allows for crossings.

The Brown Shark, a aggressive shark normally found in the Caragan Sea, has been known to swim several miles up the Zun River and attack small boats and waders. While there are only occasional sightings the numbers of sharks increase during their mating season. While most of the mating is done in the sea, unmated females will follow the other females up the river, followed along by the most aggressive males.

Many dangerous snakes live along the Zun River, but the most dangerous is the Iron Viper. Normally found in the valleys of the Iron Moutains, the Iron Viper travels south along the river following spring melt. Its venom is a powerful toxin causes necrosis and a single bite often results in death within minutes. The snakes mate in the river then return then as the flow of the river returns to normal return to the Iron Mountains.