Mossy River

The Mossy River is a major river in the Culldrome Isles. Located in central mainland Culldrome, in the Mossroam Forest, the river played an important role during the early history of Culldrome, as a navigation aid and a water source. The river also cuts through Culldrome City and runs near Bluetower Castle. There are also many small settlements are located near the Mossy River.

Background
The origins of the Mossy River are unknown. It is thought to have been formed thousands of years before its settlement. The river was thought to have originally run from the Collwall Mountain range in Culldrome's south, with the water being melted water from the snow. Today, however, the river flows from a large lake, named Lake Culldrome, located south of Mt. Charlamander. The river flows through most of the Mossroam Forest and Culldrome City, before going out into the ocean, west of Culldrome.

When Culldrome Island was settled upon in 1854, the original settlers landed near what is now Seacast. However, the location had no fresh water or food. Several scouts looked for a better place for a settlement and later founded Culldrome City. The city was founded where it was due to its location atop the Mossy River, providing plenty of food and water.

Along the years, penguins, puffles and various other creatures began to settle on the banks of the river. Over the years, isolated from larger and more modern settlements, the settlements grew large. By 1950, there were an estimated 30,000 inhabitants near the Mossy River, divided into dozens of groups. Today, especially in the Upper Mossy portion, heavy industry of Culldrome City rely on the river for water usage and sewerage needs. This development has caused outcry, with the polluted river water flowing down the populated areas of the Mossroam Forest.

Locations


There are many small settlements, villages and tribes scattered around the Mossy River. In fact there are so many that they cannot be named or not have any names at all. The largest settlements in the area are Stoneroom, home to terns, and Fort Trunk, home to many sea-faring penguins.

The river itself, however, is made up of five major parts; Lower Mossy, Central Mossy, Upper Mossy, Higher Mossy and Lake Culldrome. The water flows in from the mountains in Culldrome south and from Lake Culldrome. The river heads northwest, though Culldrome City and into the ocean. Higher Mossy, although not part of the Mossy River itself, feeds melt-water from the mountains down south into Lake Culldrome. Higher Mossy is made up of many small creeks and rivers, with many different individual names. The river system as a whole is known as Higher Mossy.

Lake Culldrome is a lake north of the Collwall Mountains. It is quite large and was thought to have been an inland sea during the early history of Culldrome. There is an island in the middle of the lake, called Lake Island, which has a large forest which remains isolated with the rest of Culldrome. Lake Culldrome gets most of its water from the rain and other runoff, with only a small portion accounted for by Higher Mossy. On the northern banks of the lake are many water treatment plants, which clean the lake water and pipe it off to be used by the citizens.

North of Lake Culldrome is Upper Mossy, the first portion of the Mossy River. Upper Mossy is the part of the river in between Lake Culldrome and Culldrome City. Towards the north, the river becomes narrow and faster moving. The small river then passes through the heart of Culldrome City, going east to west. The river then transitions over to Central Mossy. Here the river straightens out and becomes wider. This is the largest part of the river; there are thousands of creatures living on the banks of the river.

The river becomes wider, faster flowing and has more bends. This part is called Lower Mossy. The river passes north of Bluetower Castle, bending through the forests of Culldrome. After a while, the Mossy River widens up even more, before finally flowing out into the ocean.

Culture
Most of the settlements located around the Mossy River have existed since the 1800s. The settlements have also remained mostly isolated from the outside world. As such, the settlements are constructed with traditional Culldrome architecture in mind, using wooden frames and grass roofs. Modern technology is also not in common use, with many using old technologies.

Due to the large area and population covered by the Mossy River area, it has a wide and varied culture. English is the most spoken language, with Japanese, Alemanian and Frankterran minorities scattered around.

Future
With the growing amount of industry and the increasing population, the Mossy River is at a high environmental risk. Its future is often a subject of debate. Environmentalists call for an end to industrial activity relying on the river and to enact a protected-environment zone around the river. On the other hand, business owners and large companies are calling for the expansion and damming of the river, with proposed plans already being drafted. This involves the large-scale widening of the Upper Mossy River around the capital, from an average width of 10 metres to 30 metres to allow barges and small water craft to travel within the city. The plans also involve the construction of 6 small dams and two large dams in the Lower Mossy and Lake Culldrome areas, providing plenty of water and electricity needs for Culldrome's future.

Trivia

 * It is the longest river in the Culldrome Isles.