On May 16, we're launching the Atlas of Legendary Places, a PDF collection of 13 original settings created by professional authors and artists using the alpha Deck of Worlds. These locations and lore will become available for the first time since 2022, when they were released to the backers of the Deck of Worlds Kickstarter as the Microsetting Lorebook.
This excerpt features The River That Walks, with lore, story, and illustration by Grace P. Fong. The lore section is abridged. The story "The River That Walks" appears in its entirety. Pick up the Atlas of Legendary Places to learn more about the history, ecology, and culture of The River That Walks, and to read the story of The Great Salamander.
Art by Grace P. Fong
The Lore
The River That Walks is too small and sparsely populated to merit being drawn on most maps. Its tributaries come from a small mountain range 20 miles to the east, where the runoff from the summer rains results in annual autumn floods in the wetlands below.
Daily life centers around the lowland village, but the population ventures into the mountains on foot for important life events. The traditional funeral dictates the deceased’s immediate family make a procession and bury the body in the mountainside, making sure the final resting place lies above the water table.
The use of metal is frowned upon, even for everyday items like cooking utensils. There is a particular disdain for any form of gold, even though prospectors who have panned the area have uncovered abnormally large amounts. Despite the region’s obvious value, no mining company has successfully established a long-term operation. Local myth attributes this to divine protection. The gold nuggets that naturally occur in the River are moved and buried outside of city limits.
Scientific analysis suggests a catastrophic event occurred in the region roughly one hundred years ago. The inhabitants have tried to reverse the damage by replanting and re-irrigating, but an account is still preserved in their oral history. No one can say whether this tale is wholly true, but an alarming number of human bones have been excavated on the route that leads out of the river valley.
The River That Walks
by Grace P. Fong
The story of the River’s name recounts the arrival of a pale stranger who rode atop an ox. He came from a land far to the north in search of gold. The wetland people thought it strange he wanted such soft, sparse metal for his tools, but they let him stay. He gave the people whatever he found that was not gold and taught them how to forge it. For a time, all were content.
But more pale men came, and so did more desire. They brought iron beasts that drank water from the River and spat it in torrents at the mountains. The rock broke, revealing even more gold. The gold whispered to the wetland people: gold is immortal. Why do you pray to a creature that dies?
At the sight of the bounty, their greed grew unstoppable. In their folly, they built a dam and caged the River. The enraged River thrashed against its bonds and flooded the land. Camps, houses, and lives were swallowed by water. Disease and famine grew rampant. With mines now occupying the mountainside, the people could not take the dead up for proper rest, so they buried the lost in the soft earth of the valley.
Only one priestess had not lost faith. She threw herself into the River, and her final scream held so much anguish, it woke the great salamander who slept under the water. The salamander broke the dam with a swing of her mighty tail, and the River began to flow again. As the water rose, so did the dead. Chased by hundreds of walking corpses, the pale strangers left the land for good, and the people of the River never looked toward false gods or gold again.
Deck of Worlds: Atlas of Legendary Places goes on sale May 16!
About the Author
Grace P. Fong (“Fictograph”) (she/her) is a Hugo-nominated and Ignyte-winning illustrator and narrative designer. She makes covers for speculative fiction publications and promotional material for authors. Recent magazine clients include Glitter+Ashes, Silk and Steel, and Strange Horizons. You can view more of her work at artstation.com/fictograph.