Siquera Marshlands

In Griagorda, the south west province of Valissa, lies the Siquera Marshlands. A vast expanse of land shaded by the thick trunks of skulwood trees and littered with mud-sodden paths. The Siquera, and much of the sparse grasslands surrounding it, are abandoned by all except the most resilient of plant life. Though recently the Si’Venerra daelin court has tried their hand at making a home in the Siquera.

The Siquera is one of the most dangerous areas in all of Ma’rune and is by far the most dangerous marshland. An abundance of arcane essence is built up in the Siquera; it is so strong and condensed that the essence becomes toxic to those who spend more than an hour in the marshlands.

You stifle a yawn as you comb over the open book once more. Words start to blur together and you rub at your eyes, a desperate attempt to ward off the ever growing need for sleep. “What’s the ‘Siquera’?” you ask, pointing at the word in question. The book has repeated the word multiple times so you feel as though it might be important.

Reyna glances up at you, lips pursed - a thoroughly questioning glance. “Siquera.”

“That’s what I said…”

A heavy sigh follows, melting into a soft chuckle, and you watch as Reyna sets her own book aside so that she can take a closer look at yours. “The Siquera is a marshland in Griagorda. Barren, save for the withering bones of the dead. You’ll find nothing there - nothing that would interest you, anyway - the arcane essence is too thick for anyone to survive a trip into it and you have better things to be doing than chasing ghosts.”

The Overwhelming Sensation of the Siquera’s Arcane Essence

In a natural sense, the Siquera is no more dangerous than any other marshland would be. What makes it so dangerous is the arcane essence, or more accurately, the rift essence. Because the rift essence is in such a high concentration, it is capable of warping reality on a scale only seen by rift arcanists - an extremely rare occurrence.

Scholars and arcanists alike are unsure as to how the rift essence becomes toxic to an individual and no one has been able to close enough to properly study the effects. All they know from a handful of journal records or spoken tales is that it feels like a heavy, draining weight twisting the body. Spending more than an hour in the Siquera is almost certainly a death sentence because of this.

The Siquera’s Ecosystem

The waterlogged fields of Siquera - said to once have bloomed a beautiful array of flowers - have long since turned into a dull, dreary marsh. Thick with mud, the few ponds darted about the area are constantly overflowing. Frequent and heavy rainfall only serves to thicken the muddied paths.

There are two species of note that make their home in the Siquera.

The first are the skulwood trees. Common among most marshes, they seem to be the only tree capable of surviving the weight of the Siquera’s rift essence. Even so, skulwood trees that grow in the Siquera appear more twisted and their bark takes on a dark grey appearance, rather than the ashen, bone-like hues this type of tree normally boasts of.

The second species are the Querisca Blooms - a type of plant that somehow seems to thrive in the hostile environment.

Alternative Name(s)

The Death Marsh

Type

Forest

Location under

Valissa

Inhabiting Species

• Querisca Blooms

The Siquera is a fascinating yet terrifying marshland. Even coming as close to it as I did the other day - at least a mile between myself and the first skulwood tree - felt horrible. I could feel the rift essence pulling at me. Not an urge to move forward, more like an invisible force tugging at my very soul.

It took a great deal of effort to walk away. I don’t think I’ll be going back any time soon, regardless of what my peers would like me to research.

Ervan Gosk,
Scholar of the Moonglow Archivists

You cannot have it. These lands belong to me.

False ruler, full of nought but lies - continuing to gamble with the lives of your people for land you do not hold claim over. I will show you what it means to be powerful. More than words. More than armies.

I dare you, oh self declared emperor. Send your soldiers forth. Send them marching onto blackened paths and know that you send them to a fate worse than their deaths. These lands will claim life in all its glory - and when these lands are done, there will be nothing left for the Ghost Prince to take, save the twisted masses of those once living.

A journal entry titled ‘so the rift must whisper once more’