A tributary of the Cydoris, draining the northern Widebarrow slopes.
The Marshal River flows north from the Widebarrow Mountains, joining the Cydoris River in the Hills of Dolor. It is smaller than the Cydoris but more reliable—fed by snowmelt from the higher peaks, it maintains flow even during the driest months when other water sources fail.
Course
The Marshal begins high in the Widebarrows, where winter snows accumulate on the northern slopes. Meltwater gathers in steep ravines, cascading down through increasingly gentle terrain until it reaches the hills proper.
The river's upper reaches are impassable—narrow gorges, waterfalls, and unstable slopes that have killed prospectors and explorers for generations. The lower stretches are calmer, the river widening as gradient decreases, becoming navigable (barely) for small craft in its final miles before joining the Cydoris.
Significance
The Marshal's reliable flow makes it valuable. When the Cydoris dries to pools and the Hills of Dolor become truly deadly, the Marshal still runs. Keshwindi knows this; the city maintains knowledge of the Marshal's course and its water sources as insurance against the worst droughts.
Some believe the Marshal's name commemorates an ancient military figure—perhaps a commander who used the river valley for troop movements, or a general who died here. If so, the story has been lost. The name remains without context.