The eponymous dense swamplands of the Lichen Marshes are concentrated in the north of the country. Brackish marshes follow the coast, and freshwater wetlands dominate further inland. Although the population is very low, the Marshes provide valuable natural resources, and is as important a source of magical herbs as the Vincan woods. It has been slowly absorbed into the Theocracy over the last hundred years, though progress is slow due to the untraversable terrain, unorganized peoples, and the native undead who have been unwilling to recognize the God Lich as a legitimate ruler.
Barrowmoor
The Barrowmoor is the dry, grassy, mossy land that borders Rustmarsh and Mirewoods. It is named after the ancient burial mounds that were built all over the moor. Many of the villages are, in turn, built upon the smaller burial mounds, which causes much trouble with the resident undead. People would also build upon the larger ones as well, but large burial mounds are generally inhabited by prestigious and powerful undead. Though it isn't possible to grow typical crops, hunt is abundant and the neighboring Rustmarsh provides a healthy supply of fish.
The people of the Barrowmoor host an annual reenactment of an ancient battle that took place there. No living person knows who fought whom to win what, but the undead insist that it was a very important battle. If the battle is not reenacted, they get upset. Nobody likes upset undead. Villagers make it a habit to leave small offerings and other appeasements to those undead whose burial mounds they live on or near.
Rustmarsh
Rustmarsh is a large, marshy area in and around Lake Verszh, cut through with dozens of rivers and streams. The name derives from the numerous parts of the rivers that run rust-orange from dissolved iron. The marshes teem with fish, birds and countless species of valuable plants. Where there is ground, it is soggy and usually a hair away from being outright submerged, making it treacherous to attempt to walk through the marshes. Most people opt for shallow boats propelled by poles.
The only permanent inhabitants of Rustmarsh live in
Vyselki, a small floating village built upon logs felled in the nearby mire. The village has access to some of the more economically important areas of the marshes. Most of the people living in the village are transitory, staying for a few days or weeks to gather what they need.
Mirewoods
The Mirewoods is a wooded section of the Lichen Marshes, consisting of a patchwork of moss, peat, and the occassional adventurous herb or vine. The acidic soil prevents most traditional plants from growing, and the presence of the trees and their host mosses, lichen and fungi hedge out less greedy and hardy plantlife.
Despite the unfriendly conditions, there are still those who decide to live in the Mirewoods. One can find huts scattered throughout the area, housing one or two people who eke out a meager living in the mire. The Mirewoods boasts the highest number of awakened trees anywhere on the continent, and thus attracts druids and witches as well. The most obvious sign of a resident witch or druid is the presence of plants atypical for the mire, such as herbs or even a scraggly bush.
Rotwater, an ingredient crucial for healing potions, is abundant in the Mirewoods. Many a traveller has stepped in an innocent-seeming pond, only to have their foot grasped at by an unhappy undead creature.
Such a wonderfully descriptive piecce, I can already see where I would ambush my players with some hideous monstrosity that wants to drown them >:) It's hard to pick a favorite, but it's between 'the rust-iron water' or the gargantuan, displeased snake. :D Awesome stuff, I can't wait to hear about your players bumbling through the place :D
Creator of Araea, Megacorpolis, and many others.
Thank you so much! I love the rust-iron water, it's something I actually learned of when researching real marshes. The iron would bleed into the water and discolor it, and that's how we would find some of our early iron.