"The River Talabec is the main artery that brings life to the heart of Talabecland, the Great Forest. For centuries, the woodsmen of Talabec have used the river to transport timber, charcoal, pelts and other goods out of the depths of the Great Woods. If you want to choke the Talabeclanders, you need only to stop the flow of goods from the river."
- —Alf Riegert, Chaos Cultist[2]
The course of the River Talabec as it passes the Imperial city-state of Talabheim.
The River Talabec originates in the rapid streams of the northern reaches of the Worlds Edge Mountains, which spill across the western foothills, forming a deep, slow-moving and incredibly clear river known as the "Upper Talabec."[1a]
Along the stretch above its confluence with the River Urskoy, the river's banks are bordered by heavy pine forests with an evil reputation amongst the native peasants. Beyond this point, the river is too wide to bridge and it steadily widens throughout its course to Talabheim. Here, there is a major ferry point, providing the last reliable crossing before the river flows, heavily laden with dark soil from the Middle Mountains, into the River Reik at Altdorf.[1a]
A broad, slow river for most of its length, the River Talabec is a major highway through the dark forests of the northern Empire, and is the preferred route for communicating with distant Kislev. Its waters are rich with life, and many small villages line its path, subsisting on the fish it provides. The only major city allong its course is Talabheim, whose port of Taalgrad has a reputation for danger -- and as a good spot for dumping anyone who cannot pay their fare.[3a]
The Talabec also serves as a border between Talabecland and its neighbours to the north: Middenland, Hochland, and Ostland. It is a contentious border, with raids in both directions during those times when Imperial authority is weak. Too wide to ford, ferry landings are frequent points of dispute along the river, not least for their profitable toll-houses.[3a]