The Sarriah River

The Sarriah River runs the length of The Sarriahn Dynasty, which derives its name from the waterway, beginning in the Thundersummits north of Dragonspear, pooling in The Poisoned Well, and then streaming south into The Snagmire, dissipating in various tributaries into The Sea of Stars.

History
Prior to 682, the Sarriah River was a major trading waterway, with trading galleys from The Orlas Empire, The Empire of Keelor, and elsewhere regularly trading up and down the river and even into southern Gildebrag. However, year 682 began what was called The Short War, in which The Principality of Gildebrag dumped the bodies of Skybranch Elves, Gildebraggian Dwarves, and their Sarriahn allies into the head of the river. This was not only a powerful act which inspired terror in their enemies, but also literally poisoned the river for years, destroyed the trade along the waterway, and spread disease throughout the border towns and settlements along the river's edge, including Dragonspear.

Since that time, the lake beside Dragonspear, previously called Allura's Pool, has been called The Poisoned Well. It is said that bodies covered the surface of the large lake and dammed up the spot where the South Sarriah began. The lake literally overflowed its boundaries, spilling into Dragonspear and surrounding towns. The Sarriahn Dynasty suffered from repeated disease outbreaks for years after this, with Gildebrag harrying the elves of Skybranch Forest and the Dwarven clans in the mountains for almost a decade.

Current Day
Today, The Sarriah is referred to wistfully by nobles and learned men, but most people no longer use this term. North of the Poisoned Well, it is called The Wellspring. South of the lake, it is called The Streamspring.

The Poisoned Well has long since recovered from this incident, but is still considered a cursed body of water. While before The Short War the lake was over-fished with dozens of towns along its edges, today there are only a few families that dare to make their homes along the water's edge or fish the haunted waters.