Barrir Swamp (bär rēr swämp)

Sitting at the confluence of the Rozux and Shwester rivers and forming the border between Sternenhellwolf and Hirschtal the Barrir swamp is one of the northernmost wetlands in the Frontier Lands. Despite sitting on the border of two Kingdoms, neither is anxious to claim the territory as it is home to some fierce denizens. However, both kingdoms routinely patrol the river route through the swamp as it is a vital trade artery.

Geography

Once a shallow lake, the area that would become the Barrir swamp was filled in with the remains of water plants and silt from the Rozux and Shwester rivers. As the lake filled in more and more plants began growing, including trees. The area is a maze of ponds, streams, islands and bogs with water depths as deep as ten feet.

Ecosystem

Despite its somewhat short summers and lengthy winters, the subarctic, Barrir swamp has a vibrant ecosystem with a wide variety of plants and animals. During the cold winters the terrain appears barren and dead with the skeletal remains of many plants rustling in the wind. When spring comes however the swamp is awash with color and life. Throughout the summer and into the fall, plants and animals abound in the wetland.

Localized Phenomena

The Barrir swamp is known for the appearance of strange lights at night. Some of these are known to be will-o’-wisps, but others are too large to be explained away that way.

Fauna & Flora

The shallow waters and multitude of islands are home to numerous plants such as cattails, primroses, wood anemones, cranberries, marsh tea, sedges, water lilies, rushes, water chestnuts, and various types of reeds. In addition, numerous trees such as larches, spruces, beeches, hollies, poplars, and particularly willows grow throughout the swamp.

Innumerable insects and other arthropods make their homes amongst the vegetation. Creatures such as ants, camel crickets, centipedes, cockroaches, common furniture beetle, crab spiders, dragonflies, earthworms, fireflies, fleas, fruit flies, gnats, horseflies, houseflies, leeches, mayflies, mealybugs, millipedes, mosquitos, no see ums, pond skaters, slugs, snails, spider wasps, termites, and wolf spiders dwell in the swamp, many preyed on by the various amphibians and reptiles that eke out an existence in the chilly region. Animals such as common frogs, common toads, edible frogs, fire-bellied toads, marsh frogs, natterjacks, newts, pool frogs, river turtles, salamanders, skinks, and spadefoot toads, hunt the numerous insects and similar creatures. Both in turn are prey for the many avians of the swamp including avocets, barn swallows, common loons, common ravens, cranes, ducks, eagles, geese, herons, ibises, kingfishers, long-tailed tits, moorhens, peregrin falcons, pheasants, sea eagles, storks, and swans. In the water can be found numerous fish and crustaceans such as catfish, eels, gars, pike fish, shrimp, sturgeons, and zebra mussels. Furry creatures such as bats, beavers, lemmings, mooses, muskrats, otters, raccoons, raccoon dogs, sable ferrets, shrews, stoats, water buffaloes, and water voles,also make their home in the swamp. Of particular note are several packs of wolves that have adapted to the swampy terrain.

Monstrous denizens also call the swamp home, creatures such as belostomatids, giant dragonfly nymphs, giant eels hippocampii, kelpies, nereids, catoblepas, faceless stalkers, gray oozes, tentamorts, and will-o’-wisps abound. In addition, a large tarn linnorm lairs somewhere in the swam claiming the entire area as its territory.

Natural Resources

Despite the many dangers of the swamp its borders are often braved by settlers from Sternenhellwolf and Hirschtal who seek the peat that is found throughout the swamp, both for use as fuel and as fertilizer. In addition, many hunters and fishers venture into the wetlands in search of fish and game. Of particular are the famed giant eels whose meat is smoked and shipped to the coast and beyond by hardy souls who venture into the swamp just to hunt them.

Type

Wetland / Swamp

Location under

Frontier Lands