Swanfleet

Far to the west in a haze lay the meres and eyots through which it wound its way to the Greyflood: there countless swans housed in a land of reeds.

Scholars and travellers consider the vast marshland known as the Swanfleet to be uninhabited, save for hosts of swans, and other water-birds. Curiously, this vast network of swamps and pools may instead be one of the most densely populated regions in Eriador. For Swanfleet is home to the lost, and to those who fled their enemies and misfortunes. The local folk have many fore- fathers: the tribes of wild men who lived in the vast woods of Eriador, and were driven from their homes by the foresters of Númenor; Númenórean settlers who fled the coming of Sauron; folk from the North Kingdom who escaped the civil wars, or the war with Angmar.
Other people, too, have made Swanfleet their home. Elves hid here, High Elves of Eregion with all their might and art- istry, reduced to living in muddy holes after the Enemy laid waste to their palaces. Dwarves took refuge here for a time, when their kingdom in the mountains was destroyed. Even Hobbits lived in Swanfleet — the ancestors of the Stoors set- tled here for many years, for these marshes are much like the Gladden Fields on the other side of the mountains.

A Secret Folk

So, what are they like today, these marsh-folk of many fathers? They are a guarded people, whose language is as much ges- ture and silence as it is speech, mixed with marvellous imi- tations of bird-calls. Typically, they avoid contact with out- siders, vanishing into the undergrowth or even swimming under the murky waters like otters to escape detection. If strangers trespass deeper into Swanfleet, then the marsh-folk use bird-calls to summon others of their tribe, so they can ambush the intruders with greater numbers — or else they call up the Ghost Bird (page 95) to deal with their ene- mies. However, they do welcome those fleeing hardship; it is the custom of the Swanfleeters to give charity and shelter to the desperate. Hobbits, too, can expect a warm welcome, for the Swanfleeters have legends of when ‘little folk’ lived in the marsh, and believe they bring good luck.
The marsh-folk live by catching fish and birds, and gath- ering roots and berries in the marsh. They rarely work metal, using stones and bones as tools, but they sometimes trade with Dwarven smiths for necessary items. They do not use coins, preferring to barter furs, hides and feathers from the marshes.
They dwell on artificial islands in the marsh, called cran- nogs or marshflets, which are linked by twisting walkways just below the surface of the water (this practice gives rise to the belief that the Swanfleeters can walk on water). The crannogs are hidden by weeds and mist, and are hard to reach unless you know the secret paths.

Medcaute and Swantown

The two largest settlements in the Swanfleet Marshes are called Swantown and Medcaute.
Swantown is located on the west side of the marshes. The river Glanduin splits into many channels as it meanders towards its meetings with the Greyflood, and Swantown lies hidden on a marshy island between two such streams. The village is a mix of crannogs and buildings on stilts, similar to the houses of Esgaroth on the Long Lake. Many of those who dwell in Swantown are recent arrivals in the marsh, and fled the devastation of Tharbad. Life in the marsh can be hard, and some grumble and mutter about returning to dry land, but fear living under the cruel hand of Captain Gurnow. They have tried to make Swantown more like home — there’s a tavern of sorts there, the Two-necked Swan, and a blacksmith to repair the few tools they still own. There is often strife between the newcomers and the ‘barbaric’ marsh-folk, but for now they share Swanfleet. There is no lord in the town, but in time of need people look to Hugh Blackbriar, Master of Swantown.
Medcaute is another matter. The settlement here lies on the edge of a holy pool, and is ancient beyond the counting of mortal Men. It is the sacred place of the marsh-folk, and outsiders are forbidden to look upon the pool on penalty of death. The largest crannog in Medcaute is the House of Patient Women, where the The Wise Women of Swanfleet dwell; the eldest of these is Mother Wendreth, Wise-woman. These women preserve secrets from the dark days, taught to them by the Elves of Eregion, and it is said they can weave illusions and take on other forms if they desire. Medcaute is where the Swan-fleeters gather on the rare occasions when they need to elect a war chief, but they have no other government or customs of leadership.

GREAT SWANS AND TALKING OTTERS

Swans of gigantic size, taller than Men, dwell in the innermost reaches of the marsh. These birds flew out of the ruin of the west, and are said to have magical power over dreams. When they take flight, their shadows cause nightmares in those they pass over, and their cries can be heard in both the waking and dreaming worlds. Anyone who wears the feather of a great swan gains insight into the dreams of others for a time, and the Wise- women of Medcaute (see page 95) can make a potion from a swan’s egg that grants prophetic visions. The swans are vicious and territorial, and it is well known that they can break a warrior’s shield-arm with a single blow.
The marshes are also home to a population of otters (nindraug, in the Elvish tongue) who are descended from those who were awoken by the Elves of Eregion. Some of these otters retain the ability to speak in the tongues of mortals, as well as a talent for using tools; they are endlessly curi- ous and gossipy, and are often willing to serve as guides through the marshes — for a fee, of course. (What does an otter do with money? They wait until a Dwarf-smith comes by, and then they buy clever toys to play with as they swim along. Where does an otter keep its money until then? In a riverbank!)

THE GHOST BIRD

The Ghost Bird is a legend of the marsh. The tale, as told in the taverns of Tharbad, speaks of a nightmarish figure, much taller than a man, with spindly limbs and a bird’s skull for a face. The Ghost Bird lurks in the Swanfleet, and if any- one trespasses too far into the haunted marsh, it appears to murder them with its deadly spear. The Ghost Bird does not only defend Swanfleet, but also dispatches justice within it  and settles disputes as a neutral arbiter between families. Those who cannot resolve a dispute may nail the skull of a bird to a tree outside their crannog; the Ghost Bird will arrive a few nights’ later to make a judgement. Tales of the Ghost Bird go back as far as anyone can remember, so surely it is some deathless Wight or spirit that guards the swamp.