The Wailing Marshes

Also called the Banshee Marshes or the Marshes of the Would-be Kings. The mist-shrouded marshes that encircle the inner sea of this Land of the Dead are a haunted and creepy place. It is a place where disembodied screams echo from all sides. A place where shades and will-o-wisps come in and out of sight, stalking the living. The souls of the dead come to rest at the Marshes, and the undead keep them.

The marshes area wild untamed land. The undead spirits and corpses that lurk within it are leaderless and driven by madness. Scant attempts have been made to fully understand the nature of this would-be underworld. The locals have many myths and legends concerning these mashes. They often contain tales of revenge and tragedy. "Go get lost in the Marshes” is an expression used by the locals that means to go find death among those who understand despair. A choice those who have fallen into tragedy often find acceptable as a release from a life of unfortunate circumstances.

The Marshes are given a wide berth by settlers. Many have tried to venture forth into the marshes to tame the land, hoping to drain the waters in search of agriculture-worthy soil. These attempts are futile, for the only things that grows deep within the mud are bones and restless corpses. Many mills and farmhouses near the inland stretches of the marshes lie abandoned, a testament to these fruitless attempts.

The The Painted Folk pay tribute to the shades of the marshes, erecting sacrificial platforms from where they throw their offerings into the marsh-water. Often they deliver objects of value, like master-crafted weapons and jewelry. Many centuries-old objects can be found in the hands of powerful ghosts and restless dead, who wield their power against the living who trespass into the marshes. it is also common to find overthrown enemy leaders floating within the murky brackish waters. It is said that their corpses are discard after they have been used in ceremonies involving a lot of drinking and chanting. These ceremonies offer a surprising degree of reverence to the courage of the defeated enemy. This practice has given the Marshes one of its names, and scholars among the newcomers into this land have speculated what spiritual influence this might have had on the character of this underworld.