Heliantas River Delta

Place

Place Name:

Heliantas River Delta

Biome:

River Delta

Size:

1800 square miles

Continent:

Unknown

Subcontinent

Unknown

Geography

The Heliantas River Delta is a geographical region of the Red Coast, consisting of a system of sedimentary wetlands located at the mouth of the Heliantas River. Flowing from West to East, the river – which hydrographical basin encompasses most of the Ivadara Plains – constantly carries small amounts of sand, silt and clay, which stagnate at the river outlet due to the exhaustion of the stream force, and the opposing pressure applied by the seawater landward tide. Through the ages, the perennial adding up of sediments has led to the formation of a large sedimentary landmass, roughly triangular in shape, stretching out into the Twyrsen Sea.

At the same time, the increasing obstruction of the sand and clay masses has caused the riverbed to part into several minor watercourses flowing sideways. Therefore, nowadays the wetlands appear as a system of plates, or “islands”, separated by a web of waterways.

The delta is traditionally divided into six main land plates. From South to North, we encounter the following plates:

• Densow and Lassow are in the South. They are the largest plates. Butrzalla City is mainly located on Densow.

• Rethikon, Hellas-Tweak, and Mykon are in the centre (from West to East). Being the most internal region, Rethikon is not in contact with the sea, as the perennial laying of sediments progressively moved the coastline westwards. Hellas-Tweak is a twinned or double plate: when the tide is high, the water level rises, and two islands can be distinguished; but when the tide is low, a gap appears in the waterways encircling them, and Hellas-Tweak appears as a single plate. Mykon represents the outmost point of the delta triangle and it's mainly occupied by a shallow marsh.

• Adwipon is in the North. It is the third plate by size, after Densow and Lassow. Its fertile, salty soil allows several wild plants and crops to grow luxuriant. The majority of modern zu'aan villages and farms are located on Adwipon. There are also three small ports, which play an important role in the economy of the delta region, because they support the activity of fishing boats, and sustain a small commerce too.

In addition to the main land plates, there are a number of small sand islands scattered all around the delta. There are some river islands too, located in the low course of Heliantas River. One of them, named Whydris, is sacred to the people of the delta, since it is fabled to be inhabited by a divine water spirit. That's why it is also called “the Sacred Island”, and a stone sanctuary has been built there. Many of the ancient machinery shreds fount in the wetlands are brought to the sanctuary as a sign of devotion. Before the foundation of Butrzalla, the riverbanks and the majority of the sedimentary plates were covered in a thick mantle of reeds. The extremely wet climate also fostered the formation of swamps running close to the riverbanks and occupying the most depressed areas of the wetlands.

The region is home to lots of animals and plants, and some of them can't be found anywhere else outside the delta.

Plants

• Syntima. A kind of swamp reed. Its long, stiff stalk is grey or dark green. It has two very sharp edges, to the point that it can cut the skin even if touched lightly with the fingers. Grasping it tight can result in serious injury – something the young zu'aan of the delta soon learn to avoid. Some believe that the plant has developed its sharp edges to protect itself from herbivorous swamp animals like the granwllai. As for the possible causes of its exceptional stiffness and durability, there are different theories. According to some herbalists, this plant absorbs minerals from the ancient metal shreds buried underneath the swamp soil. Others believe that syntima is a primeval plant, an isolated remainder of an ancient age, when plants where much stronger than they are today.

• Elesmus. Being a microscopic fungus, the elesmus is not technically a plant; however, it plays an important role within the flora of the delta region. It only becomes visible when it aggregates in huge colonies, spreading on the trunk and branches of wood plants, like medhiew trees. It also grows on wet rocks, and even on the shell of some large crustaceans. Elesmus colonies look like a thin silk veil, ranging from light pink to deep purple. Even though it is essentially a parasitical organism, host plants also receive some benefits from its infection. In fact, being toxic to most birds and insects, elesmus layers protect the trees from woodpeckers, worms and bugs.

• Medhiew. Easily the tallest plant in the region, the medhiew towers over the swamps. It grows all along the low course of the Heliantas. In the last centuries, medhiew spores have been carried by the wind onto the main land plates of the delta, like Densow, Lassow, and Rethikon, where dense thickets have sprung. An adult medhiew (i.e. three years old) can already produce reproductive spores, but the plant keeps growing forever, although its seasonal growth diminishes after the first century. The average adult medhiew is fifty-six feet tall, while the tallest ones reach eighty-two feet. The young tree has a yellowish colour, which becomes increasingly green. The adult tree develops a dark green colour and, being an evergreen plant, it doesn't lose any leaves in the cold season.

• Awentiz. This wheat-like cereal plant is of fundamental importance to the zu'aan villages. The first Prwotjo'galyyk settlers primarily ate fish and crustaceans, but as the camps grew into larger urban and rural centres, the demand of food supplies increased too, and fishing was not a sufficient source of provisions any more. Awentiz farming was introduced around 3E 70. It is a light-coloured, three-feet-tall seasonal cereal plant. Its seeds must be planted at the end of Summer, and the harvest is at the beginning of the next Summer. Currently, more than half, in terms of weight, of the food produced every year in the delta region is awentiz flour. It is obtained by grinding the grains in the mills, most of which are located on Adwipon, but also on Densow, not far from the walls of Butrzalla.

Animals

• Buwllai. In the language of the Prwotjo'galyyk, bas-uwl'lai means 'wild beast'. They are a kind of wild large bovine creatures, which roam the Ivadara Plains in packs. Many of them have been spotted in the countryside of Densow, Lassow and Adwipon, attracted by the rich pastures in the inner part of the river delta. They have a pair of broad, undulated horns, and the colour of their fur ranges from hazel to black, passing through every shade of brown. Despite their name, they are quiet, diffident animals, and can even be friendly if approached slowly. However, they are very protective towards their lambs and very irritable when eating: that's why they run away at the slightest sign of hazard, and can even charge if they feel trapped.

• Spwinoth. The typical swamp fish, the spwinoth has a serpent-like shape, with small fins and thick scales, ranging from silvery white to dark brown. It uses its antennae to explore the shallow waters and the sandy riverbeds where it lives, looking for a safe place where to lay eggs. It can survive both in fresh and salt water, but it is seldom found more than five miles away from the coast. That's because its body structure, which allows it to snake through narrow bogs and among the reeds, is less competitive in higher seawater, where more fast-swimming sea animals easily outmatch it in finding prey. The spwinoth has always been important to the economy of the delta region, because it represents one of the most abundant sources of food.

• Granwllai. Also called 'waterdeer'. It is a quadrupedal deer-like mammal with ramified horns. Evolution gave it a spotted grey and brown fur pattern, which allows it to hide in the marshy vegetation and in the boggy waters of swamp regions. Unlike its kins which live in the mountains, the granwllai is an excellent swimmer, even though it is primarily a terrestrial animal. Large herds can be found along the Heliantas course in Summer, but they usually move to the delta land plates to spend the coldest months of the year. Unfortunately for it, granwllai meat is considered softer and tastier than that of buwllai, making it the most cherished prey. Hunters from Butrzalla have a long waterdeer hunt tradition, due to their ancestry, and in Winter they spend most of their time chasing herds of granwllai.

• Lucwyd. A large crow-like bird which lives in colonies all around the delta region. Their feathers are dark, usually black, and so polished that they seem to possess a metallic glimmering. Lucwyd usually set their nests on the trees along the low Heliantas valley, some miles away from the coast, but they often reach the seaside looking for fish. They can be seen flying over the delta in every season, especially at twilight and dawn.

• Kornal. There are only a few spots in the continent where this rare tortoise can still be found, and the Heliantas River Delta is one of them. Kornal live in small colonies along the river and in the shallow waters of the delta. Their oval, chitinous shells can be seen emerging from the water as they swim in search of prey. Kornal spend most of their life in their underwater shelters and only come to the coast to lay eggs. They are shy, timorous animals, and they are likely to retreat in their shell or run away when menaced. They seldom let zu'aan approach them, and this rare occurrence is fabled to bring good luck.

Historical Timeline of Ages

Age Name	Dates	Controller
Stone Age	Before 1E 0	Unknown
Copper Age	1E 1–1E 2200	Unknown
Bronze Age	1E 2200–1E 4400	Unknown
Iron Age	2E 0–2E 700	Unknown
Ancient Age	2E 700–2E 2200	Unknown
Middle Age	3E 0–3E 2050	Unknown
Early Modern Age	3E 2050–3E 2600	Unknown
Industrial Age	3E 2600–3E 2700	Unknown
Machine Age	3E 2700–3E 2800	Unknown
Atomic Age	3E 2800–3E 2850	Unknown
Space Age	3E 2850–3E 2875	Unknown
Information Age	3E 2875–3E 2900	Unknown
Genetic Age	3E 2950–3E 3000	Unknown
Awakening Age	3E 3000–3E 3415	Unknown
Twilight Age	4E 0–4E 500	Butrzalla City Zu'Aan

Place

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Heliantas River Delta

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This article is written by Laurensalv. Copyright 2026 Laurensalv. All rights reserved.