Shyrta's Breath (Sheer-tah)

When the fog lingers past early morn, have a care when going out. Shyrta, gate to the prison Hamel, has exhaled once more, bathing the land in his breath. But even the most vigilant of gods can't stop all the bad spirits from escaping their prison. Until Shyrta once again draws them back into his belly, they will roam the land, luring victims into the bogs hidden by the divine veil. Death is not the worst they can do. The unlucky will lose their bodies and take the place of the punished spirit in Hamel, while the spirit takes your place in your body.

Fog is a common phenomenon the world over. It appears early in the morning as a dense shroud of chilly white, obscuring vision until the sun burns it away. While the morning fog generally presents little threat to the people of Eldris, many cultures find the fog that lasts all day to be a blight brought down upon them by angry gods or evil spirits.

Summary

The people of the Rainbow Marshes worship a variety of gods, one of which is the rainbow winged serpent Shyrta, the god of the dead. It is said that when Shyrta exhales, fog covers the land and mischievous spirits escape his belly to wreak havoc upon the living. These spirits are sometimes playfully playing tricks on the living, but malicious enough to lure the living to their deaths or steal their bodies.

Historical Basis

The legend is rooted part in mythology and part in historical events as a means to explain the origin of long lasting fog and the deaths that occur. It is easier to blame the dead rather than victims who, blinded by the fog, wander into the marshes and drown, trip over roots and knock themselves senseless, get ambushed by predators, etc.

Spread

The myth is wide spread through the Rainbow Marshes and bordering lands. Scholars have studied and recorded the mythos, making it publicly available in various libraries.