Roderick Robertson
Life on the Oslir River
The Oslir is generally divided into two areas the Upper (Southern,
upstream) and Lower (Northern, downstream) Oslir. The dividing
line is generally considered to be the town of Jillaro, in the Satrapy
of Sylila.
The Oslir floods every year in the spring, when the snows of the upper Oslir melt and fill the river with a jumping, roiling mass of water, foam, dirt and debris.
Season
Winter
(Dark, Storm Seasons) The river is at its lowest. Some areas of the river are impassible due to exposed rocks and cataracts.Spring
(Sea Season) The river rises with the annual floodwaters. Navigation is unimpeded in the Lower Oslir, but the Upper Oslir has areas that must be portaged due to the wild whitewater. North-westerly winds allow riverboats to sail up the river the normal time for barbarians to return back to their steads.Summer
(Fire, Earth seasons) the river is no longer flooding, but remains full of water. Navigation is unimpeded all along the river, except in a few portage areas. Breezes are light in the upper Oslir, so most travel is downstream. Upstream travel is by the means of oars, poles or towing from the bank. Grain barges bring the harvest to the cities of the river valley.Autumn
(Earth, Early Darkness) the river starts dropping, exposing more and more rocks.The Lower Oslir
The Lower Oslir is characterized by deep channels, shifting sandbanks, and a rolling current that travels deceptively fast. Up-stream sailing is possible closer to the shore, with the center of the river a fast downstream ride. The banks are low, often lined with reeds or water willows. Hazards are most likely to take to form of sandbanks. There is usually a light up-river breeze, enough to propel boats slowly up-stream.Zaruq 
Zaruqs are small boats with a single mast which carries a lateen-rigged
sail. They often have oars as a back-up for the sails. The have a crew
of two to four, and carry up to 10 passengers or equivalent cargo. Zaruqs
are primarily people, as opposed to cargo, movers.
Grain Barges
In Summer the Lower Oslir swarms with grain barges huge hulks carrying tens of tons of grain and other cargo up and down the Oslir. These massive barges are pulled by gangs of slaves along the bank of the river. Other boats must make way when one of these behemoths passes by.
River Galleys
The lower river is patrolled by galleys crewed by 30-75 men. The rowers
and crew are all capable of fighting pirates or nomad incursions. Galleys
often mount a scorpion a light artillery piece like a large crossbow
on the bow. Raised fore and stern decks allow bow and javelin-equipped
marines to pour missiles down on opposing craft or enemies ashore.
Upper Oslir
The upper Oslir is characterized by rapid currents and rocky banks. Boats
of the Upper Oslir need to be more robust than those of the Lower Oslir.
The weather pattern of the upper Oslir allows the use of sails going upstream
in winter.
Sairdite Riverboat
A Riverboat is normally 14-17 feet wide and 50-70 feet long with a 4 draft, though some can be as large as 25 feet wide and 100 feet long, drawing 5 feet of water (the so-called Riga or King boats). A typical Riverboat can carry 70 tons of cargo, in a space approximately 75% of the length of the craft.Riverboats are capable of traversing the rough waters of the Upper Oslir, though a number of portages must be made around particular rapids and cataracts. These portages are also sites for the propitiation of various river hazards that occur between portages. Portaging such a large vessel is a long and laborious process, and most ship owners "hire" Earth elementals from the locals to carry the boat and its load.
Rafts and Flatboats
Rafts made of huge logs are floated down the Erinflarth, Crystal and Zalador Rivers from the forests of the Autumn Mountains; or the Black Eel from the forests of Balazar. It is a one-way trip for the rafts they are broken up when they reach their destination the busy cities of the Pelorian plain require wood for construction, and the shipyards of the Thunder Delta and Karasal appreciate the strength of the timbers for their icebreakers on the White Sea.
The barbarian crews of the rafts ferry ride their rafts only down to the Oslir, there they sell their rafts to Rivermen, who take them the rest of the way down the Oslir to their destinations. The rafts and their cargoes hides, worked wood, exotic woods and metals are sold as a unit at the riverside towns of Bostok, Tranthos, Penkranthos, Verdar and Mirins Cross.
Rafts can be any size. The only difference between a raft and a Flatboat is that a flatboat has a rudimentary cabin for the comfort and convenience of the crew.