Knots of Saire

Choke down your complaining. They see the shape of your lips.
— hissed whisper

The Knotwood, known locally as the Knots of Saire, is a bog nestled deep within the borders of Myrkalla. It features heavily in the nation's mythology moreso than most bogs due to the Sairebrec trees that wind their way through the watery mire. Because of this eerie reputation, it has never maintained much of a consistent population, instead standing as home to the monstrous and - briefly - to the especially brave.

not-home in the Knotwood by Hanhula (via Midjourney)

Visitors will find their attempts to enter the bog stymied by the gnarled roots and branches of the Sairebrec first, and second by the sickly mists that drown the bog's writhing pathways in darkness and a most foul stench. Should they succeed at navigating both, the bog has countless more surprises waiting for its next visitors. Very few are kind to those that would discover them. Regardless of its mythos and misery, the Knotwood is home to a vast assortment of flora and fauna. Many unique bog flora have strong beneficial uses in herbalism, if one can get their hands on the correct plants in the oppressive darkness. Myrkalla, as the bog's owning nation, considers the bog to be a natural reserve and forbids the majority of teams seeking this flora from attempting to exploit the bog, both out of a vague concern for their lives and out of a desire to preserve the natural balance for future generations.

Geography

Look, if you want an accurate survey, you can try and ask the trees yourself.
— horrified cartographer

The Knotwood is surrounded by rocky cliffs and thick pine forest, isolating it from the rest of Myrkalla and concealing it from those who intentionally seek it. Once, long ago, there was a lake where the bog now stands. Due to poor drainage in the area, the lake, over time, filled itself with decaying plant matter and formed into the Knots it is known as today. The soil is heavily acidic like all bogs, but unlike most, it is also saturated with ancient druidic magic. The presence of magic that old suggests the Knots of Saire were once the location of a battle or ritual, but there is no current record supporting any particular hypothesis in this regard.

Like no small amount of the planet's geography, obtaining accurate geographical studies of the Knotwood's depths is more challenging. Fortunately, Myrkalla is a nation with close ties to nature, and regularly discusses the state of the bog with its less usual inhabitants. The most recent update of Myrkallan records took place in 5612, when the bog dryad Vilgisni gave a six hour long accounting of the impacts recent battles have had on the bog's ecosystem, the state of some of its known unique flora, and the way many unwanted intruders have been disposed of. The full records can be found in Myrkalla's main story hall, but in summary, the bog has become notably more hostile in the past few decades due to increased military activity in its surrounds. Though Myrkalla itself avoids wars, its two neighbours, Gildómar and Naarim, are fond of conflict and often seek to stealthily traverse the area nearby while on their way to cause trouble in each other's territory, despite countless tales and cautions from their leading officers.

a Sairebrec, watching by Hanhula (via Midjourney)

Adventurers, foreign militia, and particularly enterprising individuals often hope that they might sneak into the bog and successfully steal some of the better-known flora, like the blausaknis root used in a famed remedy for foot and ankle injuries. To do so would guarantee them either a solution to a problem, or a large sum of money from those praying for remedy. As a direct response to this, areas of the bog frequently breached have shifted. The peat has risen up in these areas to create hilly areas that are threaded with Sairebrec and home to the nastier monsters within its depths. Bodies of fallen attemptors are strung up on the gnarled branches with vines and allowed to rot as warning; those familiar with how bogs function will doubtless know that countless more bodies lie in the peat, hidden from view. The Sairebrec do not extend any further than the bog, and viciously resist attempts to take cuttings to establish their presence elsewhere.

Localized Phenomena

Heed the warnings. Seek their permission should ye enter.
— sign near the Knots of Saire

While most areas of Myrkalla are unremarkable, with magic only apparent when actively being cast, the Knots of Saire are so steeped in mythology and magic that they have attracted a powerful defensive ecosystem that is wholly in tune with the bog itself. The pervasive mist that haunts the area is the first part of this system, and the most immediately obvious to outsiders.

the peat preserves its gifts by Hanhula (via Midjourney)

The second part is, of course, the bog's namesake trees: the Sairebrec themselves. Sairebrec are gnarled trees with brown jagged leaves that have a fruity, fermented scent with an undertone of rot. Their branches and trunks are home to bulbous reddish-pink eyeballs that serve as the literal seeing eyes to the interconnected network that is the Sairebrec in truth. These eyes reflect light, meaning travellers raising torches must be aware that the eyes will glow as they approach - this has, naturally, scared many. Anything seen by the eyeballs is communicated through the Sairebrec to every individual tree, and from there, to the dryads and similar beings allied with the Sairebrec. There is little to no privacy in the Knots. As the Sairebrec are also intelligent, that must also be considered. They are perfectly capable of capturing travellers with their roots, dragging the poor souls down into the peat to become part of the bog forevermore.

Indeed, this form of burial - whether hurried on by the Sairebrec or simply as part of the many other tragic ways someone may die in the Knots - is a core part of Sairebrec lifecycles, and also a major component part in one of the Knots' other strange phenomena. Those that are buried in the Knots do not quite seem to be able to pass on correctly. Though their souls rarely remain with their bodies and do successfully move onto the afterlife, their bodies nonetheless retain some memory of their former lives.

When exposed to the open air, these bog bodies rise up as zombie-like creatures that amble the Knots mindlessly in search of living creatures to attack. The Knots' inhabitants keep the majority of the bog bodies submerged, only raising them when the bog is under threat of invasion. Occasionally, particularly powerful mages that die within the bog retain their intelligence and rise as different forms of undead. Warped by their deaths, these individuals typically become some of the most predatory dwellers of the Knots. The most famous currently is Rohad the Ravenous, a former human alchemist who intentionally died within the Knots to continue his experiments in death. Though his victims live longer than those of the Sairebrec, they exist as food and test subjects, and quickly become reliant on the highly addictive toxins he uses upon them.

Rohad, wandering by Hanhula (via Midjourney)

History

Moments in time, perfectly lost.
— dryad

The Knots of Saire have a long and mostly tragic history. They are the end to many a tale, from lovers escaping their families to entire armies disappearing in the night. The Knots are not the villain of the stories they are part of - they are considered an inevitability or an ending, usually.

Myrkallan Myths by Hanhula (via Midjourney)

Myrkallan folklore typically treats the Knotwood as a cautionary tale or as an allegory for inevitability and loss, but some tales do expand on the lore of the witches, fey, and Sairebrec that dwell within the bog itself. One of the more notable incidents in the Knots was the death of a Gildón prince in the early 4300s. In an effort to gain military experience, the young prince Norik Kolrûnduir, third in line to the throne at the time, ventured out on an expedition towards Naarim to participate in a training exercise. Unfortunately, a storm hit during their travel, and the group were driven off-course into the forests of Myrkalla. In darkness, they had little warning of the cliffs that loomed ahead of them, and the prince was one of twenty Gildóns who fell into the Knots before their steeds could be stopped. The Knots did not feel kind that night: all twenty were dead by morning. This incident was particularly notable as it serves as one of few examples of a body being retrieved from the Knots.

To strengthen diplomatic ties in the wake of tragedy, Myrkallan druids sought out the dryads of the Knots and organised a deal for the return of the dwarven bodies. They were retrieved and returned in sealed coffins, and the state of the prince's body is said to have distressed the then-King so greatly that he forbade all of Gildómar's forces from approaching a large radius of Myrkalla's borders. That order would not last past his rule, but did ensure Myrkalla's safety for some time.

the Knots of Saire by Hanhula (via Midjourney)

Alternative Name(s)

the Knotwood

Owning Organization

Myrkalla

Type

Bog

Ulla and Koran

One famous bog-myth, that of Ulla Jhovasdottir and Koran Dhivikel, tells of a brave Halsgardian warrior who travelled to the outskirts of the Knots to seek aid for an ill child, and a sneaky dwarven adventurer who attempted to follow her. The tales vary on whether the child was her daughter, her sister's child, or a child from her home town, but Ulla's story always involves a child. Ulla spoke with an old druid from Myrkalla after learning of the child's plight, and received good advice in seeking aid from the Knots, as the druid knew of a remedy that needed a special water-berry growing only in the Knots. Koran eavesdropped on the conversation and asked a wizard friend about the berries, soon learning that they were very valuable. Ulla carefully made her way to the Knots, collecting items to give to the dryads within - usually gifts of herbs, honey, wine, and blood, but varying depending on the telling - and Koran followed. Koran copied her gifts, but didn't have every detail, and often grabbed lower-quality versions with little care to their harvesting. When they finally reached the Knots, Ulla stayed at the edge of the Knotwood and called to the Sairebrec with the gifts laid out before her, and waited patiently for seven days and nights before the gleaming eyes turned to her and a figure emerged to finally listen to her request. Koran waited impatiently, drinking the wine and almost missing the visitor. He grumbled to himself about the creepy swamp, and instead of watching the mists, spent his time reading or playing games. Ulla was permitted to enter the Knots in time, her gifts accepted. Ignorant to the conversation, Koran followed her into its depths, unpermitted and uncaring. When Ulla gathered the water-berries under careful watch of a stunning naiad, Koran jumped out to slay the two and claim his prize -- and learnt something very important about the Sairebrec. The trees could move in speed and silence, with a dexterity utterly foreign to the lazy dwarf. Ulla was surprised to see the crimson rain fall over the berries, and was assured by the naiad that it would improve the remedy. She never saw the dwarf's body pierced by gnarled, thorny branches of Sairebrec. Upon leaving, Ulla was alarmed when she found a wizard asking her if she'd seen a dwarf in the Knots beside her. The wizard pointed to the remnants of both her camp and Koran's, and when Ulla denied knowing him, summoned a mighty flame to force her to speak. She was forced to slay him before he could harm her gift or the Knots behind her, the only time she'd had to use her blade in her journey. She offered his body to the edge of the Knots with a respectful bow, and left to see the druid. She returned home in glory and thoughtfulness with remedy in hand, considering the odd events that had transpired. The child healed by the bog's bloody gift grew up well, if a little odd, and is said to have grown up to be a powerful witch in her own right. Though simplistic in nature, the tale is nonetheless a popular one for children in both Halsgard and Myrkalla as a representation of respect and honour. If there is a historical basis for the tale, it is little-known.