The Yatadafaque River
The Yatadafaque River is the longest river in The United Villages of Southia, and runs for approximately 6,136 km across most of the width of the UVS. The river's source is the Nyoka Ocean, but gets flowed into by Lake Hannashan as well. The river is extremely important to the economy of the UVS, allowing ships from cities inland to go out to the ocean to trade with allies such as The Republic of Trigadia. There is only one river branch that is included in the river, the Souiver River Branch.
The river was first used by locals from 994 B.C. for religious ceremonies important to the religion of Hatvism, and was fished in and used before that, as early as 3089 B.C. The river started being used both by locals and East Asperian explorers for trade and transportation around 1200 A.D., transporting goods to the lower parts of the protectorate of The Allian Empire that it was located in, The Villages of Southia, as well as the Nyoka, to places in the empire like New Sketherlands and The Trilands. The name of the river, Yatadafaque, comes from the words, "Holy water," in Southian, yatadass and faquerris. The locals named it that, and southern Asperians quickly picked up on the name, and put it on existing maps of the empire.
History
The earliest known users of the Yatadafaque River were back in 3089 B.C., by locals around the river for both fishing and the getting of water for drinking and washing. The river began being used for religious ceremonies and cleansing around 994 B.C., a few years after the start of Hatvism in the same area. Since then, the river has been a symbol of the religion, along with Mount Hatvi and Lake Hannashan in that same area.
In the era of The Allian Empire and the protectorate in that empire, The Villages of Southia, the river began to be used increasingly more for trade and transportation than traditional fishing industries as well as farming along the shore. This is because of the ability for residents of the area to have these goods imported from around the empire, usually via the river. This trade and transportation brought wealth as well as new, luxury resources to the area, benefiting the citizens as well as the officials there.
After the dissolution of the empire and a brief period of disorder, a new nation, The United Lands of Southia emerged. During this new regime, the river reverted back to its uses before the empire, however not completely. While the river was used far more for fishing, shipping inside the nation, and farming on the edges of it, it also remained as an important foreign trade asset. The river was important for transportation of missionaries especially during this time, with The Belief Clash taking place, and a fight for religious superiority became a large importance for the nation. Although ultimately the forces and armies of Hatvism were defeated at the hands of Christianity and Skethianity, the missionaries transported by the river spread Hatvism into countries such as The Republic of Trigadia, to stay.
