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The Empire contains countless rivers and streams, beginning as stunning waterfalls in the mountains, and widening out to some of the greatest waterways in the Old World. Travel by boat is faster and more practical than by road, and the waterways play a major part in the commerce of the Empire. The main rivers flow from east to west and grow as they converge.
The river Sol is the the south of the Empire. It rises in the Vaults, and in the summertime becomes a raging torrent when the melt waters from the mountains increase the volume of water. The waters are freezing and the people living in the area are used to the extreme climate of the mountains.
The Upper Reik is taken as the beginnings of the great river Reik, formed where mountain streams converge south of Black Fire Pass. Containing clear, fast waters, the Upper Reik is joined by other rivers towards Nuln and Altdorf, where it becomes the Reik.
The river Aver begins
as mountain streams flowing from the Dwarf fortress of Karak
Varn. Plunging over waterfalls, they become two, the Aver Reach
and Blue Reach, which converge as one in the Moot. The Aver flows
through the city of Averheim and meets the Reik at Nuln.
The Stir is formed after mountain streams near the Dwarf strongholds converge, and flows through the Great Forest. The Stir is wide and there are few crossing points, providing a defensive barrier and natural border.
The Talabec flows from the north of the Worlds Edge Mountains. The Upper and Lower Talabec meet in a forest with an evil reputation for the monstrous creatures living in it. At Talabheim, there is a major ferry point across the broad river. Beyond here it is joined by many smaller streams from the Middle Mountains. The river is named after the god Taal, Lord of the Beasts and master of wild places, and the surrounding area of Talabecland is the main location of the god's worship.
The Reik is the most important river in the
Empire, and 
the surrounding province, the
Reikland, is the most prosperous and powerful. The waterway
carries traffic between Marienburg and Nuln, more than 500 miles
inland, being the main trade route in the Empire. North of Nuln,
the Reik is too wide and deep to bridge, the last bridge being in
Nuln. It is one of the marvels of the Old World, the center
section of the wooden bridge, able to be raised and lowered for
defensive purposes.
The city of Altdorf is built on the mud flats resulting from the merger of the Reik and Talabec. Past Altdorf, the river becomes broad and deep, running over a rocky bed that occassionally breaks out of the water to form steep islands, which are used as fortresses and settlements. The Reik reaches the sea at Marienburg, the wealthiest trading port, and most populous city in the Old World.
