Dry Stone

Between the time of the Kindling and the Theophany, the majority of yinrih lived along the southern bank of the River, but the population extended as far south as the border between the jungle and southern grasslands. One of the earliest trading systems to emerge was the exchange of large flat rocks from southern shires with fruits from riparian trees that did not grow so far south.

One of the first lessons learned by early hearthkeepers as they mastered control of fire was that it's dangerous to heat river rocks over a flame. These rocks often contain water, which when vaporized causes the rock to explode. The sort of large, flat rocks that served as ideal cooking surfaces were hard to find away from the River, but certain geological vagaries made patches of such rocks accessible near the southern grasslands, far from the River and thus devoid of water. These dry rocks were valued by riverside shires for their ability to cook food without exploding, and the southern shires lacked the staggering variety of fruits enjoyed by their northern neighbors, so a trade network sprung up to meet both groups' needs.