The Hungering Marsh
"Where the Bog of Lies deceives, the Hungering Marsh devours."
There are many swamps in Everwealth, pockets of damp misery where fog rolls thick and trees loom like ancient sentinels over brackish waters. But only two marshes have names that have endured across generations, carved into the minds of all who hear them. Where The Bog of Liesis a den of illusions and whispers, the Hungering Marsh is a place of teeth, claws, and insatiable hunger. It does not lead men astray with trickery, nor does it tempt them with false promises. Here, death is not subtle. It comes in the form of monstrous amphibians, venomous horrors, and serpents large enough to constrict a horse with ease. It lurks in the water, in the air thick with toxic spores, in the tangled roots that tighten around ankles like grasping fingers. The marsh does not lie, it simply waits, patient as the creatures that prowl its depths. And yet, fortune follows the foolish, for those who dare the Hungering Marsh return, if they return at all, with riches beyond measure. Its waters are home to rare, potent poisons, its land a breeding ground for herbs and fungi used in the most powerful alchemical concoctions. Pelts of beasts never seen beyond these waters fetch prices higher than gold, and serpent glands extracted from the Marsh’s infamous titanic snakes can extend life itself, if one survives the extraction. Yet for all the promise of wealth, one law remains unchallenged: You do not belong here. The Marsh does not welcome outsiders. It simply tolerates them until the time comes to feed.Geography
The Hungering Marsh lies in Everwealth’s southeastern frontier, where the land shifts from rolling hills and deep rivers to an endless, sprawling swamp. It is a land of stagnant, murky waters, towering mangroves, and dense thickets of tangled vines. Great lily pads, some large enough to hold a man’s weight, float on the sluggish currents, their green surfaces teeming with insects and waiting predators. Blackened, skeletal trees rise from the depths, their limbs draped in pale, hanging moss that sways eerily in the wind. Water dominates the land, but there are pockets of solid earth, raised mounds where deep-rooted trees and ancient ruins remain untouched by the flood. The Marsh extends for miles, bordering rivers and creeping towards Lough Icewind, yet it is never fully mapped, its boundaries shifting with each storm and flood.
Ecosystem
The Hungering Marsh thrives on a brutal cycle of predation. Nearly everything that calls this place home is either a killer or prey, and often, it is both. Frogs the size of cattle lurk in the shallows, their eyes glowing faintly in the dark, waiting to strike with tongues that snap like a whip. Leeches thicker than a man’s wrist coil in the reeds, feeding on anything foolish enough to linger. Serpents, some as wide as tree trunks, coil around the twisted roots, dropping silently from the branches above. Even the insects are a terror unto themselves, biting flies that numb flesh, mosquitoes that drain enough blood to leave a man dizzy, and spiders whose venom melts bone. And yet, the Marsh is not barren of rewards. Alchemists and healers pay small fortunes for the glands of the Marrowtoad, whose poison can either kill a man in minutes or numb him against all pain. The shelled-back titans, enormous snapping turtles with bodies overgrown with moss and fungi, are walking ecosystems unto themselves, their shells housing entire colonies of insects, plants, and smaller creatures. Some say the Marsh itself is alive, its waters pulsing with an unseen will, but such tales are dismissed as madness, at least by those who have never been there.
Ecosystem Cycles
The Marsh does not sleep. Unlike the shifting cycles of the seasons, it remains constant, its waters forever dark and its dangers never waning. In the wet season, the rivers flood, spilling deeper into the swamp and expanding its reach, swallowing land that once seemed safe. Creatures grow bolder, their hunting grounds increasing, and even the roads that skirt the Marsh’s edges vanish beneath the rising tides. The dry season offers no reprieve, for as the waters recede, hidden predators emerge, giant burrowing centipedes, and long-dormant eggs hatch, releasing swarms of newly spawned horrors into the world. The Marsh is a beast that does not rest, only shifts, only hungers.
Localized Phenomena
- The Rotmist - A heavy, sickly fog that lingers over the deeper parts of the Marsh, carrying airborne spores that can cause hallucinations, fever, and in some cases, an incurable wasting sickness. It is said the Rotmist is not natural, but the byproduct of something festering beneath the water.
- The Whisperstream - A waterway that seems normal at first glance, but drains sound, making the area eerily silent. Those who step too close sometimes vanish without a trace, as if the strange channel has consumed them.
- The Echoing Screams - Some nights, the Marsh howls with inhuman cries, echoing from no clear source. Some claim it is the death throes of dying creatures, others insist it is something far worse, waiting just beyond the trees.
Climate
The Hungering Marsh is permanently damp, its waters warm and murky, fed by the constant rainfall of Everwealth’s southern climate. Humidity clings to the air, thick enough to choke those unused to it. Thunderstorms are common, with lightning flashing against the treetops, revealing unseen shapes shifting through the mist. The nights are oppressive, the heat never truly fading, the darkness alive with movement.
Fauna & Flora
- Gargantuan Marsh Vipers - Serpents of enormous size, capable of swallowing prey whole. Some claim to have seen them coil around entire trees, snapping them in half.
- Marrowtoads - Massive, bloated amphibians whose bones leak a toxic secretion, making them highly sought-after for poisoncraft.
- Rotbloom - A large, foul-smelling fungus that grows in damp pockets of the swamp. Highly toxic, but when properly distilled, creates one of the most potent medicines in the world.
- Leech Lords - Gigantic bloodsucking parasites, some the length of a man’s arm, feared for their ability to numb flesh as they feed.
- Ship-Snap Turtles - Massive, jagged-shelled snapping turtles known for their territorial aggression, powerful tree-snapping jaws, and devastating death-roll defense. Deceptively fast despite their size, they pose a seasonal danger during nesting migrations and are both feared and hunted for their durability and resource value.
Natural Resources
The Hungering Marsh is a land of danger, but also wealth. The Marrowtoad's poison, the Rotbloom’s medicinal potential, and the serpent glands used in longevity elixirs make it one of the most profitable, and lethal, hunting grounds in Everwealth. Those desperate or daring enough to risk the Marsh often return richer than kings, or they never return at all.
History
No one knows when the Hungering Marsh first gained its name, only that stories of its horrors have existed for generations. Some say it was once an inland sea, its waters having receded, leaving only death and rot behind. Others claim it was a battlefield of the Schism, the ground tainted by countless corpses, their spirits lingering in the trees. Whatever the truth, the Marsh has always been here, and it has always been hungry.
Tourism
The Hungering Marsh has no tourists, only fools and fortune seekers. It calls to the desperate, to those who need coin more than they need safety. Alchemists seek the rare Marrowtoads and Rotbloom, hunters come in search of pelts and venom, and thieves and exiles flee into its depths, hoping the Marsh will swallow their pasts along with their footprints. But the Marsh does not care for their hopes, their greed, or their fear. It only cares that they have come, and it will not let them leave so easily.
Alternative Name(s)
'The Rooted Maw', 'The Rotting Fang', 'The Marsh That Eats'.
Inhabiting Species
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