Blackwater Swamps
A strange and mysterious place that few know exists. This swamp lies outside of Florence, about two weeks away by carriage. The surrounding area is mostly uninhabited hills, ensuring that Blackwater goes unnoticed. While the swamps were once a perfectly normal ecosystem, that was ruined centuries ago for reasons that are still unknown. The land itself is rife with negative energy and as such, disease and death are an everyday occurrence for the unfortunate settlers that live here. Infectious undead roam the swamps, sometimes moving in herds that easily overpower the shanty towns that appear throughout Blackwater.
The swamps are also capable of changing. It shifts magically, sometimes as frequently as once a week and sometimes it doesn't change for months. This shift displaces many, pitting them against roaming hordes of mindless zombies or the demented slavers and killers that call Blackwater home. While the swamp had been a cesspool for many centuries, its condition only worsened with the arrival of a cult devoted to Vecna. When their ritual to summon the decaying god failed, the rot that permeated the cult spread to the surrounding land. Blackwater is now a mangled husk of the beautiful land it used to be.
While the conditions here are harsh, it seems that the mess within is self contained. Due to the land shifting so often, its residents and creatures of ill intentions are left disoriented and unable to leave. With so many people turning up missing around Blackwater, it's finally caught the attention of the military. Scouts have been sent out to investigate the area, but have alleged that they've found nothing or they've gone missing themselves.
The swamps receive a steady supply of water from the river that runs through the Caelsimilan Peninsula. While it comes in fresh, it's soon tainted by the land, but thankfully, it has no means of leaving Blackwater. For those traveling through the area, it's advised to cover and protect as much of their body as possible. Even the smallest of injuries can become a target for the swamp's infectious nature, which is incurable for the most part. Finding skilled clerics in such a bleak place is near impossible and one shouldn't count on getting out of the swamps in a timely enough fashion to save themselves before the infection claims them.
Geography
There's a large sinkhole within Blackwater that falls right into the Underdark. Locals mockingly call it the "Abyss" due to its depth and they warn travelers to stay alert at all times. The sinkhole is one of the only locations within Blackwater that isn't affected by the shifting landscape. It remains in the same place it always does, though those left disoriented by a shift may think it's moved as well. It's an eighty-foot drop into a mass of putrid sludge that drains into the cavern system below. The sludge is all manner of disgusting things that have fallen in from the shifts, so even if the fall doesn't kill you, the disease surely will.
The heavy amounts of nightshade in certain areas is attributed to a tribe of druids that settled in Blackwater ages ago. These fields have yet to be ruined by the swamps' taint, which leads to nomadic bands of mortals trying to claim these fields for themselves and take shelter within them. Over the years though, these fields became more and more sparse. To date, the locals say there's only a handful of nightshade fields left.
Natural Resources
Blackwater is rife with flowers and herbs that witches can make use of. Nightshade is ample in certain spots within the swamps and it's the most popular resource people seek out. It's good for poisons and for specialized oils to either cure or kill a lycanthrope. Rare species of fungi grow here as well, though some of it is a contributor to the taint that permeates the land.
History
After an attempt by Velevana's cultists to sabotage and curse the lands of Caelsimil, the Blackwater swamps were the only victim to their madness. Something had gone wrong with their ritual, leading the lingering magic to crawl up and seep into the swamps above. Centuries ago, the Caelsimilan military had noticed the rot that was trapped within the swamps and sent a squad of soldiers and paladins to find the source and eliminate it. A fortress was established here by them, but once the shift occurred, the fort was lost and its men were left to the elements. When none of the soldiers returned to Florence, the military quarantined the Blackwater swamps, discouraging any and all travel to that area. With enough time and the records sealed tight, the swamps were forgotten by most. It only survived as a tale told around campfires by old, dwarven soldiers who have claimed to see the worst of what Blackwater offered.
In truth, the shifting nature of the swamps has led to its disastrous environment being trapped within itself. Its negative energy has called to many corrupted individuals over the years, most of them falling prey to its madness and disease. Mages who manage to harness its wild magic are susceptible to horrific mutations if they're not careful. Though even with enough precaution, mild mutations are a given with enough time.
Everything that lives within this twisted, ruined place will never be able to leave for a multitude of reasons. The illnesses that plague Blackwater's mortal population leaves them weakened and their impoverished lives prevent them from having the funds to try and escape. The supernatural beings that thrive here see no reason to leave when so many people are dumb enough to settle down here. People see the uninhabited land as an opportunity to turn their lives around, not knowing that they've given themselves a death sentence. So long as Blackwater remains as isolated as it does, it will always be nothing more than an urban legend.
Rumors have started swirling around about it and with this heightened curiosity, adventuring parties have begun trying to find Blackwater's exact whereabouts. Its existence isn't noted on any modern maps and there isn't anyone left to speak of it personally, so some believe that these groups are chasing after a fairytale.
Alternative Name(s)
The Rotted Woods
Type
Wetland / Swamp
Location under
Inhabiting Species
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