Byambum

Byambum Cave, note the railings built by the Byambum people.


The Byambum are a secretive and reclusive society of Tortle people living in the wetlands of Easterwall. The Byambum people live in a secluded cave coined Byambum Cave after them. Scholars from Fairmarsh have repeatedly made the journey over to the cave to try and study the Byambum people, often times receiving hefty grants and funding because of the cave's supposed magical aura and anthropological properties.

THE AESMARSH EVENT

On 12 Haust 3425 a large explosion was seen and heard deep in the marshes of Fairmarsh, nearby the small village of Aesmarsh. Witnesses in the village reported it to nearby elders who agreed they heard something peculiar at around the same time. News spread quickly, some notable people claiming to have heard the explosion from a very far distance. Several government officials and scholars from all around Agnesia quickly came to assess the situation and damage. One report from a professor at the Arcane University of Bulatania reads as follows:

[The] entire area was ruined. No wildlife or plant life can be seen nearby. Never have I seen such destruction in one place, trees flattened as far as the eye can see. ... Nearby what seems to be the center of the blast (though the radius of the blast is far too large to practically measure) is a curious little cavern. My colleagues tell me they tried to approach the cave but were discouraged by a strong magical power and a feeling of "unease". I made my way up with them to the cave. I too felt this feeling they described, as if I was not allowed to be where I was standing.We pushed ahead into the cave. The base of the cave seemed empty at first glance, but my colleagues knew better. It was then they dug up [the skull]. Both human and nonhuman, like no race I've ever seen. Truly incredible, we had no clue what we found, but we had no time to address it; from deeper in the cave a group of Tortle people approached. Tortle people, in Easterwall! The skull, though, did not resemble them in any way. They droned at us "Byambum don't like visitors, please let us mind our own business." We left, not wanting a fight.

The cave has been subject to many academic and religious interpretations, many people make the attempt to sneak in but are met with resistance.

THE SKULL OF BYAMBUM CAVE

The skull found in Byambum has been studied by experts from its discovery all the way to recent years. The skull is about the size of a human skull, but has significant differences. Firstly, its shape is remarkably different from any known species, it is much flatter and longer. The bone composition is also different from any known race, it is much more dense and more resilient. Further examination is currently being done.

PAINTINGS

The cave, in its base, has numerous paintings on the walls. Many depict Tortles, nearby animals and plants, and constellations. Some paintings, however appear to resemble the legend of Meotzar who (perhaps coincidentally) roams the same area of the cave. Some scholars suspect a link between the beast and the cave, but more evidence is needed.