The Mere of Deadmen

The Mere of Deadmen is a vast, foreboding saltwater swamp along the Sword Coast, stretching between Neverwinter and Waterdeep. Once a fertile lowland, the region was transformed into a desolate mire in 615 DR, following the devastating fall of the ancient kingdom of Uthtower. The kingdom, along with the neighboring city of Iniarv’s Tower, was wiped out when the lich Iniarv unleashed a catastrophic flood, drowning the land and turning it into a fetid marsh. Over the centuries, the Mere became a cursed graveyard, littered with the bones of countless fallen warriors, as armies clashed over its treacherous terrain. The War of the Returned Regent (893 DR) saw yet another massacre, further cementing the Mere’s reputation as a realm of the restless dead. By 1491 DR, the swamp is home to undead horrors, lurking monstrosities, and remnants of civilizations swallowed by time, making it one of the most feared regions of the Sword Coast.
Though largely avoided by travelers, the Mere has long been a hiding place for outcasts and sinister factions. In recent years, the ruined Castle Naerytar, deep within the swamp, became a stronghold for the Cult of the Dragon, who used it as a staging ground for their Rise of Tiamat campaign. Though the cult was driven out by adventurers, other creatures and dark forces have since reclaimed the ruins. Lizardfolk tribes, once enslaved by the cult, now fight for control of their ancestral lands, while black dragons, drawn to the ancient power saturating the swamp, prowl its murky waters. Legends speak of forgotten treasures buried beneath the silt, artifacts of fallen kingdoms, and gateways to deeper, more malevolent mysteries. Yet, few who enter the Mere of Deadmen return unscathed, for its name is not merely legend—it is a promise.

Type

Wetland / Swamp