River of Echoes location
The River of Echoes is a stream that connects the village of Kreutzhofen in the south of the Empire with Campogrotta in the north Tilea through the Vaults.[1a]
Considered the great wonder of the Vaults, is the source of both the River Sol and the Cristallo River in Tilea. Over three hundred miles long and with an underground town in the middle, the River of Echoes is a direct trade route between northern Tilea and Wissenland.[2b]
In the harsh depths of winter, almost all the passes to and from Wissenland are cut off because of snow. This makes the underground river starting near Kreutzhofen and emerging near Miragliano in Tilea an invaluable source for year-round trade. Such is the value placed on keeping this “River of Echoes” open that the current Elector Countess’s ancestors agreed that the Tileans should keep control of the 150-mile-long tunnel. The revenue they gain from goods passing through their lands more than compensates for relinquishing control of the tunnel.[2c]
History[]
The Discovery[]
The brutal winters of Wissenland can easily kill the weak or careless.[2c]
Tilean merchants, having heard of the new human tribes from the east, were eager to widen their nets by establishing trade routes into new markets. But such ventures required a dangerous voyage, sailing through Pirates Current near Sartosa, up the Black Gulf, and then traveling far over land, to eventually enter the Empire through Black Fire Pass. Or worse, they could sail along the coast to the north, through the uncharted waters of the Great Ocean and into the Sea of Claws. Both ventures were dangerous and expensive—in terms of life and gold. However, the logistical problems were solved when an enterprising Tilean merchant from Miragliano discovered the River of Echoes, a ribbon of dark water that passed beneath the Vaults and into the heartland. Seeing this as his opportunity to establish himself as a major mercantile force back home, he gathered a large band of mercenaries and braved the shadowy subterranean route.[1a]
In the end, he lost nearly half his expedition to the terrors haunting the caverns, but they emerged, more or less intact, exhausted, and nearly defeated. They wandered north, searching for settlements to establish themselves. With greater frequency, the expedition faced off against the hostile creatures of these untamed lands until they finally settled in the ruins of an old High Elf outpost and stronghold situated against a broad river. They named the site Nuln and set about to rebuild it, hoping to use this place as a trading hub for their new enterprise.[1a]
Anyway, time and deceptions have allowed the underground path to be forgotten for many centuries.[3a]
The Rediscovery[]
In 2235 IC the Tilean explorer Guido Pasolini mounted an expedition to the source of the Cristallo River, only to discover that the ancient legend of the River of Echoes was true.[3a]
Contact between the Empire and Tilean city-states is largely confined to trade via the middlemen of Marienburg, though some Tilean Merchant Houses, especially from Miragliano and Remas, have taken advantage of the recent discovery of the River of Echoes from northern Tilea to Wissenland to set up trading offices in Nuln, Pfeildorf, and other southern towns. They hope to use this as a reliable route to bypass Marienburg and cut costs since the mountain passes are frequently blocked by snow.[2a]
Notable Stops[]
- Campogrotta - An average village. Tilean end of the Alimento Tunnel; a small community of Dwarfs lives here.[1a]
- Kreutzhofen - For further information about the story about the River of Echoes and the Alimento Tunnel.[1a]