The Dead Basin

Demographics

The Dead Basin is a mysterious region that many wayward, otherwise rejected members of society make their home. As such, the races of the inhabitants are varied, though some more specialised races exlusively live in the swamps of the Dead Basin such as the Boggies. The largest habited area with the Dead Basin is a large conclave of Elves, though other races call the conclave their home. The town is officially named Irez, though due to no other towns being nearby, it is commonly, and unhelpfully, referred to as The Basin, or just "The Town" by local inhabitants.

Government

The Dead Basin holds no seat of Government, and no formal ruler. The peoples of Irez look to a Matriarch as their defacto leader, and commonly adventurers and travellers within the Dead Basin will make trips to Irez to learn of new goings-on from the Matriarch of the town. Many look upon the Dead Basins governance as chaos, though inhabitants will simply claim it as a more simple, easy going way of life.

Defences

The Dead Basin holds no standing army, nor can claim any defensive structures. The harsh swamplands themselves and fierce creatures that call them their home act as a natural barrier to any encroaching army, though inhabitants native to the Basin seem to have no trouble travelling within the swamps.

Industry & Trade

The Basin itself produces no trade goods, instead bartering amongst one-another for any required goods. Coin is often of little use here, as material new material posessions are hard to come by, and as such more valued.

Assets

The Dead Basin is home to all manner of flaura and fauna, creating a unique ecosystem that produces rare and powerful ingredients for potions, valued hides and materials from beasts, as well as magical resources from it's ancient trees and rocks.

Guilds & Factions

No Guilds call the Basin their home, though the Aegir Adventurers Guild often receive and accept contracts from the peoples of The Basin. Internally, rough groups have formed within the populice, such as a defacto "Group of Brewers" who are deemed the best at producing crude alcohol from the crops grown via aquaculture.

History

The Dead Basin is somewhat untouched by the larger Realms of the land - once in the early days of the Kingdom of Ascention, settlers attempted to breach the swamps to form a more permanent town, but due to the difficulties of the environment and viscousness of the beasts living in the swamp, it was quickly abandoned. The populice of the Basin grew naturally as more wanderers decided to take up permanent residence deeper within the swamps, though the townships themselves regularly stay to themselves and don't often communicate with the outside Realms. The Basin is of much scientific and Arcane interest to scholars and Mages due to the plethora of seemingly arcane charged plants and animals that live within the swamps. Legend has it, the source of this mystical energy is the body of a long-dormant God that chose the swamps as it's resting place, and now permiates the land with it's energies - though which of the ancient gods of Aegir this may be is still a great, unsolved mystery.

Mysticism and The Basin

Magic and mysticism is common place within the communities of The Basin. Due to the harsh nature of their existance, they share an intimate knowledge of death and spirits that seems to have become a part of common life. Being visited by the ghost of your long-dead great-grandmother's brother is fairly common place - as is communing with your recently departed cousin to find out where they stashed their good moonshine.

The Dangers of the Swamps

Despite the relatively easy going nature of the inhabitants of the Basin, the swamplands themselves are a very dangerous place. All manner of magical plants and creatures hunt any unfortunate enough to stray from the swamp's few paths - and many ancient, intelligent creatures call dark, humid corners of the murky mangroves their home.

The Dead in the Basin

Signs of Aegir's ancient history seems to be plentiful within the swamp - ancient corpses can be seen strewn about in fetid swamp water, though the areas are often too inaccessible for archaeologists to investigate.