taotltava

Taotltava is a fictional river featured in world-building materials for the imagined continent of Eldara. In various depictions, it flows from the Moraine Highlands in the north toward the eastern coastline, draining into a delta near Keli Bay. Because it is a fictional construct, its exact length, source, and course are not fixed and differ by author or context.

Etymology: The name taotltava is drawn from the Taotl language group within Eldaran lore. Scholars reconstruct taotl meaning water and tava as river, with alternate spellings such as taotltawa or taotlava reflecting regional transcription.

Geography and hydrology: Taotltava originates in glaciated uplands and is characterized by a braided lower channel and a steep, basalt-rich canyon in its upper reach. The river is primarily fed by seasonal snowmelt and rainfall, producing variable flow with spring floods and drier summers in some renderings.

Ecology: The river supports a range of freshwater habitats, hosting fish such as taotl chub and mist perch in lore, along with otters and a mosaic of aquatic plants. Human observers in the stories note that the river's ecology responds to seasonal and political changes.

Cultural significance: Taotltava functions as a symbolic and logistical element in Eldaran fiction. It appears in myths of origin, serves as a trade route in some narratives, and hosts annual river festivals that mark the transition between seasons.