The Autumn of Deadly Fog
Background - The Boundary of Roshk
Like the other three Regions of Adhonaglamar, Rohsk has a natural boundary of hostile terrain. To it's west the foresty natural vegetation of Rohsk slowly gives way to a marshy landscape that becomes harder and harder to pass the further west one goes. This marshy landscape consists of mixtures of mushy soil and large pools of murky water. It is rare to find a dry patch of land in the area. Large trees with branches drooping like willows grow there, their roots sticking out of the water. Often they intertwine and form a maze for any being trying to pass through them. Fungi with dark, intense colours grow all around the area and feed of all other vegetation. Rotting dead trees float around in the water or lay on the land, covered in fungi and lichen. Few animals live in the area, although mosquitos are abundant. The air in the deepest parts of the area is foul, reeking of rot and decay. From the pools and fisures in the earth gassy vapours can arise, causing asphyxiation and chemical burns to the skin and airways of any who pass through such clouds. Normally the foul airs of the Boundary remain in the area; only those venturing deep into the swamps far past the borders of Rohsk risk exposure and certain death. Since the Old Days, few had done so and none of them had returned. The inhabitants of Adhonaglamar avoided the Boundaries in general, based on the few dark stories about them that were passed on from generation to generation.The Autumn of Deadly Fog
In the autumn of 612, disaster struck in Roshk. It had already been a strange year, as the spring of 612 was extremely windy, the summer had been hotter than ever and its winter would turn out to be the wettest and coldest in Adhonaglamar's history. While the more severe effects of those seasons were felt in the other Regions, Rohsk was hit the hardest by the natural disaster brought upon by autumn. At the time, Rohsk was inhabited by several clans, each having settled in a different part of the Region. The oldest of them, the Barohdai, lived near the Boundary in several settlements spread along the most westward parts of Rohsk. One morning in early november of 612, a strong wind blew from the west. The Barohdai used scouts hidden high up in the trees to guard the settlements and warn the inhabitants of any danger. It was they who first noticed a dense green fog rolling over the forests. Soon it reached the first settlements, where many were still asleep. Aroused by the warning calls of the scouts, the villagers got out of their huts and tents to find themselves surrounded by the strange fog. As the first of them started to feel a burning sensation on their skin and some would start gasping for air, panic ensued. Soon many of the villagers would be writhing on the forest floor, dying in agony. Some of them managed to escape the fog, running for their lives. Several reached other nearby settlements, where they tried to warn the villagers of the imminent danger. For some these warnings would come too late, as the fog kept rolling further into Rohsk. Many died that first day; others ran east as fast as they could, abandoning their villages and possessions. On foot, on horseback and in carts they tried to get themselves and their families to safety. Many of the elderly and sick couldn't go fast enough and were caught by the fog upon the road. They too suffered a horrible death. By the third day, nearly half of Rohsk had been covered by the fog. The wind died down that day and the vapours seemed to spread no further. Yet it did linger, rendering half of Rohsk uninhabitable. Although many settlements of other clans had been hit as well, it were the Barohdai who suffered the most; nearly 1/3 of them had been lost to the fog. The fog lingered for 3 weeks, after which intense rain slowly made it dissipate. After the fourth week, the villagers slowly dared to return to their settlements. What they found was a desolate, eerily quiet landscape. Not only the human inhabitants had suffered; so did the animals and vegetation. Trees had lost a great part of their leaves, affected by the acidity of the vapours. Animals that had been caught above ground or had no shelter had suffocated, their bodies mutilated by chemical burns. Many huts and tents had been severely damaged.Aftermath
Nature in that part of Rohsk took years to recover. The Barohdai and a few other clans that lived close to them mostly resettled to the eastern parts of Rohsk. Only decades later would new settlements be built again near the Boundary. What exactly caused the disaster remains unknown to this day; the same is true for the other strange natural events of 612. Historians to this day offer multiple theories, yet none has been proven so far. What is certain, is that Rohsk never again since that fateful autumn suffered a similar disaster. For that, its inhabitants still thank the Four Dwellers in their prayers.Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
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Author's Notes
This article was created during Summer Camp 2020 - as such it is a beginning rather than an end; the article will most likely be edited/changed in the future when the world of Adhonaglamar grows. This may explain any lack of visuals or a proper lay-out.
Cover image: from Pixabay. Edited by Errandir, Summer Camp 2020 logo by World Anvil.