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The Stojanow river began high in the Dragonspine Mountains and flowed south into the Moonsea. The city of Phlan covered both banks of the river as it entered the Moonsea.

The Stojanow River is the main reason for Phlan’s existence. The river has its headwaters in the Dragonspine Mountains in the Valley of Thorns, which is sometimes called Dragonden Pass, and flows south to empty into the Moonsea at the Bay of Phlan. The river was originally called the Stojanow, a dwarvish word meaning ‘Trade Route’ for it was down this passage the ore-laden barges floated from the Dragonspines, bound for the south, but is now referred to as the Barren River by most people of the Moonsea.

Just north of Phlan, in the midst of the Quivering Forest, the Barren River widens to form Lake Kuto, in the center of which sits Sorcerer’s Island. The island takes its name from the long string of wizards who have made it their home, starting with the Arch-lich Zanaksr, the great wizard Rimon, and later an evil sorcerer named Yarash. It is not known if the island is currently inhabited and no one has traveled there in a generation.

The waters of the river north of Lake Kuto run clean and wholesome down from the Dragonspines, and the lands bordering the northern half of the river are exceptionally rich, though they are largely covered by the Quivering Forest in present days. The Valley of Thorns at the headwaters of the Stojanow is home to the small village of Varawa, is famed for its rich harvests, harsh winters, and heavy seasonal floods.

The waters of the river south of Lake Kuto are a foul-smelling, gray sludge. Even with its swift flow, the dark murk of the Barren River never breaks. Strange creatures are often seen coming from the river, ranging from giant amphibians, to three-eyed fish, to many-armed, vaguely humanoids, reptilian monstrosities. Only the bravest and most iron-stomached oarsmen dare to ferry goods or people up and down the river these days.

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