The Numa and the Glimmer
The beauty and serenity of Kōryō's eastern coast is marred by a dark stain that hungrily eats away at the land like a cancer. This stain is the Numa, a tangled mess of dead trees and bubbling gray mud that is more than five feet deep at its deepest; a dark swamp that spans several-hundred miles and is home to tens of thousands of wild Yokai. Those who are brave (or foolish) enough to enter the nightmarish swamp will find themselves under constant threat from the Numa's inhabitants. Ravenous Yokai will patiently stalk the meal that so willingly walked into their midst, waiting days, even weeks, until their quarry finally exhausts themselves slogging through the swamp mire before descending upon their weakened prey.
After slogging for days on end through grey sludge and fighting off hungry Yokai, the (un)lucky few who, by some miracle, make their way deep enough into the Numa will find themselves at the border between the Numa and the Glimmer. The trees and the mud here seem to be glimmering as if they’re covered in thin sheets of shimmering holographic foil. Banks of opalescent mist swirl low to the ground. Although much smaller in size than the swamp lands that surround it, the Glimmer is the heart of the Numa and some of the most powerful Yokai in all of Kōryō dwell here.
After slogging for days on end through grey sludge and fighting off hungry Yokai, the (un)lucky few who, by some miracle, make their way deep enough into the Numa will find themselves at the border between the Numa and the Glimmer. The trees and the mud here seem to be glimmering as if they’re covered in thin sheets of shimmering holographic foil. Banks of opalescent mist swirl low to the ground. Although much smaller in size than the swamp lands that surround it, the Glimmer is the heart of the Numa and some of the most powerful Yokai in all of Kōryō dwell here.
Geography
The Numa is massive, spanning as far as the eye can see to the horizon. It is horrible to look upon: tangles of dead gray trees in varying states of decay knot and grow around each other as if the trees themselves are actively trying to throttle each other. The muddy wetlands surrounding it give way to a frothing gray oat-meal like muck that continues beyond the tree-line. It smells like death, rot, and fecal matter. The wind whispers through the knotted branches creating a perpetual groaning from the fetid swamp. This outer ring of the Numa is referred to as the Kita-Numa
The Glimmer, sometimes referred to as Minami-Numa, is like a completely different world: vibrant shades of lavender, lilac, and magenta can be found clinging to the flora and fauna and the sounds of nature (and to some, even faint musical tones) fill the air. Pools of Glimmer miasma sparkle enticingly. Anyone who finds themselves in the Glimmer perceives it to be their desired temperature and humidity. It is a beautiful sight to behold, almost unnervingly so, for the Glimmer's enchanting exterior belies a terrifying truth.
The Glimmer, sometimes referred to as Minami-Numa, is like a completely different world: vibrant shades of lavender, lilac, and magenta can be found clinging to the flora and fauna and the sounds of nature (and to some, even faint musical tones) fill the air. Pools of Glimmer miasma sparkle enticingly. Anyone who finds themselves in the Glimmer perceives it to be their desired temperature and humidity. It is a beautiful sight to behold, almost unnervingly so, for the Glimmer's enchanting exterior belies a terrifying truth.
Fauna & Flora
Although its dark and foreboding appearance is enough to send a shiver down the spines of even the most veteran adventurers, aside from the Yokai who inhabit it, the Kita-Numa is no different from any other swamp found in Kōryō. Samples collected and analyzed by alchemists and other practitioners of the arcane arts have revealed no special quality to its rancid mud and decaying trees. Their outward appearance seems to be a result of the Numa's geographical location itself. Of note, the Barkless Bog-Tree are an exception to this discovery. Their fleshy "bark" seems to be created over time from the muscle tissue of organisms it consumes and digests.
The Yokai species that inhabit the Kita-Yuma number in the hundreds tend to be more feral and instinctive in nature. Notable species observed in the Kita-Numa include:
Unlike the Kita-Numa, nothing is as it truly seems in the Glimmer. Rather than an ecosystem, the Glimmer itself seems to be a single organism; it is alive. The puddles of Glimmer miasma and the scintillating lavender colors carry a hypnotic effect that cause any who stray into the Glimmer to lose control of their mental faculties, leading them to wander about the Glimmer in a vegetative state until someone (or something) finds them. The acidic properties observed in the Glimmer miasma have lead some to believe that it functions as a form of digestive fluid for the Glimmer. This theory is supported by the Glimmer's ability to quite literally swallow any creature that has expired within its territory. After a creature passes away, whether it be from the Glimmer's influence or some other outside source, the ground beneath them will open up and "eat" the remains. If a creature is too large or if it is wearing armor or any similar outerwear, tendrils will erupt from the ground and drag the creature to the nearest puddle of Glimmer miasma where it will eat away at the victim until it is of a suitable size for consumption. The Yokai who call the Glimmer home are powerful, ancient, and above all, intelligent. Though not necessarily malicious in nature, there is a reason they haven chosen to reside in this shimmering hell. Under the right circumstances, they make for powerful allies, but they make for even more dangerous enemies. Some of the notable Yokai known to have lived/live in the Glimmer include:
The Yokai species that inhabit the Kita-Yuma number in the hundreds tend to be more feral and instinctive in nature. Notable species observed in the Kita-Numa include:
- Uwabami
- Chi-kiri
- Nozuchi
- Nure-onna
- Nure-onago
- Waira
- Reiki
- Gashadokuro
Unlike the Kita-Numa, nothing is as it truly seems in the Glimmer. Rather than an ecosystem, the Glimmer itself seems to be a single organism; it is alive. The puddles of Glimmer miasma and the scintillating lavender colors carry a hypnotic effect that cause any who stray into the Glimmer to lose control of their mental faculties, leading them to wander about the Glimmer in a vegetative state until someone (or something) finds them. The acidic properties observed in the Glimmer miasma have lead some to believe that it functions as a form of digestive fluid for the Glimmer. This theory is supported by the Glimmer's ability to quite literally swallow any creature that has expired within its territory. After a creature passes away, whether it be from the Glimmer's influence or some other outside source, the ground beneath them will open up and "eat" the remains. If a creature is too large or if it is wearing armor or any similar outerwear, tendrils will erupt from the ground and drag the creature to the nearest puddle of Glimmer miasma where it will eat away at the victim until it is of a suitable size for consumption. The Yokai who call the Glimmer home are powerful, ancient, and above all, intelligent. Though not necessarily malicious in nature, there is a reason they haven chosen to reside in this shimmering hell. Under the right circumstances, they make for powerful allies, but they make for even more dangerous enemies. Some of the notable Yokai known to have lived/live in the Glimmer include:
- Jigoku Tayū
- Mori Ayaka
- Mori Byakuya
- Benio
- Sutoku Tennō
- Yamata-no-Orochi
- The Boatman
Natural Resources
Bold (or foolish) adventurers may brave the Numa in order to harvest rare reagents from the Yokai that call this twisted swamp home with the threat level increasing the closer they approach the Glimmer. Examples of such reagents include:
- Barkless Bog-Tree skin
- Giant Frog pus
- Waira ears
- Gashadokuro bones
- Nure-onna stone
- Glimmer miasma
- Behir horns
- Glimmer eggs
Alternative Name(s)
The Great Stain, Kita-Numa/Minami-Numa, The Dark Swamp
Type
Wetland / Swamp
Location under
Included Locations
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