Blacklace Flats
The official name for the largest and most infamous of Greymantles various intertidal mudflats is Blacklace, though it is most commonly and casually refered to as "The Flat."
The bay and the flats that it contains are so named from the stark pattern that the mud makes as it cracks and dries. With such a large plain stretching out in all directions, the endless net of black cracks against the pale mud has the dizzying effect of staring at a great sheet of black lace.
Geography
The Blacklace bay along the coast of western Greymantle Marsh is home to numerous small islands, as well as the regions largest mudflat at low tide. When the water recedes, a vast stretch of seemingly barren mud and silt is exposed, and travel between the islands on foot is possible.
The mud is excessively dangerous however, and even seasoned marshwalkers are known to occasionally become stuck. If the rising tide doesn't drown a trapped individual first, the local band of harpies will likely find and feed on them instead.
Ecosystem
The silty, brackish mud of the flats is seemingly barren of life, as not even mangrove trees grow up out of it. The only plant life in the area can be found clinging to the islands and the drier ground around the edge of the flats. However, the mud is teeming with hidden animal life, including crabs, snails, shellfish, and an impressive pantheon of worms and leeches, as well as high levels of bacteria that give the flats a distinctive odor.
Many of the worm and leech species can only be found in the mudflats, a few of which are almost entirely restricted to Blacklace only. The creatures range from simple, nearly-microscopic species, to carnivorous species large enough to prey upon the wading birds (and reportedly even harpies) who are feeing on the smaller worms.
Localized Phenomena
Of all the pockets of quickmud in Greymantle, the mud of Blacklace is the most infamous for being extremely deadly. Many local inhabitants, travelers, leech-farmers, and even rangers have met their ends in the mud, and the gruesome tales of drowning, suffocating, harpies, and accidental dismemberment by attempted rescuers have grown and gained nearly mythical status far and wide.
Fauna & Flora
The most famous creatures of the Blacklace Flats are the resident harpy tribe and the incredible array of worm species. While there have been researchers, scholars, hunters, leech-collectors, and explorers who have taken an interest in either of the flats' unique groups of creatures, generally speaking, there isn't a huge interest drawing more people to set out and brave the dangers.
Alternative Name(s)
The Flat
Type
Wetland / Swamp
Location under
Owner/Ruler
Owning Organization
Related Ethnicities
Inhabiting Species