Vast Swamp
Many of the popular conceptions of swamps. as dismal places of great danger and quick death - are borne out in the haunted depths of this foul region. A large, relatively shallow marsh, the Vast Swamp feeds the wide, sluggish Darkflow River.
Unlike the other two swamps, the Vast is thoroughly polluted by its inhabitants, and by generations of evil magic, serving only a minimal function in cleaning and filtering the Darkflow. As its name implies, the Darkflow's water is black with sediment, foul, and badsmelling, and harbors numerous dangerous creatures. In area, the Vast is almost as large as the Farsea and Tun Marshes combined. One of its few positive functions is that of safeguarding Cormyr's eastern border, for no army could possibly pass nearby unscathed.
Weather and Seasons
The Vast Swamp's climate is harsh and unnatural. A sticky mist hangs in the air constantly - hot in summer and cold in winter, clinging to the black branches of trees, gathering in hollows and depressions, flowing like a living thing. Rain falls regularly, drenching the ground, swelling the Darkflow, and flooding the region. These rains have no real season.they seem to fall when most uncomfortable and inconvenient. Seasons vary primarily by temperature, stiflingly hot in summer and autumn, bone-chillingly cold in the winter and spring. With the constant discomfort of the rains and the fog, the Vast Swamp is a miserable and dangerous place no matter what the season.Climatic Averages for the Vast Swamp
Spring 55 ° F. Summer 70 ° F. Autumn 60 ° F. Winter 50 ° F. Low Temperature (year) 40 ° F. High Temperature (year) 90 ° F. Annual Precipitation 70 inches Days with Snow None h1]The Vast Swamp This dark and dangerous place is shunned by the people of Cormyr, who tell many fearsome stories about it. Several tales claim that a cabal of liches inhabits a ruined necropolis deep within the swamp, and from them flows an incessant evil, which seems to infect everything that lingers in the region. Others claim that the region's inhabitants once harbored an evil demigod and were cursed for it. It has been suggested that this so-called "demigod" is actually a vastly powerful beholder or grell Imperator. Still other legends tell of how the god Cyric once sought refuge here, and his evil presence remains. Many famous adventurers and their companies have ventured into the Vast, but few have returned. Sylara of the Moon's Twelve, a Cormyrean adventuring band, was the sole survivor of a disastrous expedition into the swamp ten years ago. She told me of encountering an unexpectedly large number of illithids, who were apparently allied with one or more powerful eye-tyrants. Ambushed, the Twelve fled from the swamp after finding a complex of ruins easily as extensive and ancient as Myth Drannor. She claimed to have seen several murals and carvings depicting elven kings and sorcerers, suggesting that the Vast was once home to a previously-unknown elven kingdom. As previously noted, evil humanoids of all kinds - orcs, goblins, hobgoblins, ogres, trolls, and more - are found in this swamp in abundance. Several tribes have legends that speak of a coming unification and holy war against the humans of Cormyr and surrounding regions, and it may only be a matter of time before an ambitious warlord, sorcerer, or other powerful individual decides to twist these legends to his own ends and form the Vast tribes into an army. Several Cormyrean researchers actually claim that the Vast Swamp is expanding, and that its foul influence affects those around it. To be sure, the rate of violent acts - murder, arson, brawls, and feuds - seems to be increasing in the region. Whether this is due to the turbulent nature of modern times or to the swamp's increasingly close proximity cannot be ascertained for certain. Those treasures that have found their way out of the Vast seem intriguing enough. Several items are clearly of elven manufacture, featuring ancient espruar runes and images familiar to scholars. These things lend credence to Sylara's story about the ruins of an ancient elven kingdom. Surely, a closer look into these things and the places they come from would produce a fresh understanding of the past, hidden from knowledge for so many years. Given what I have seen of the marshes myself, and what my friends and informants have contributed likewise, I find it hard not to lie awake nights and wonder what these now-forbidding lands have seen. Other items have been discovered over the years - ornate crowns, scintillant armor, weapons of strange shape and manufacture, and spectacularly memorable gems. These seem to have been drawn from many different times and cultures. They may simply be booty carried into the swamp by humanoid raiders, or additional evidence of forgotten kingdoms lying below the boggy surface of the marsh. At present, the extreme levels and variety of dangers in the Vast Swamp inhibit those who would engage in extensive exploration. Too many expeditions launched in years past have failed to return. The few researchers who bring word out of the swamp bring little good news, however alluring are the occasional treasures discovered. Yet I can foresee there may come a day when King Azoun and his advisers can afford to ignore the Vast no longer.Флора и фауна
Plants and Animals
Plant species include the common marsh-reed and cattail, as well as swamp grass and several rare species of water lily, some of which provide components for spells, and magical or healing potions. Trees include willows, gall oak, and a number of dangerous carnivorous species, such as thornslinger and black willow. All of these plants seem somehow twisted and dark, often diseased, hung with trailing moss and embraced by the region's pervasive mists. Many claim that the swamp was once the site of wicked magics or the worship of forbidden gods, but this has never been proven. Just the same, no better hypothesis has been advanced to explain the festering evil of the Vast Swamp. Likewise, the Vast Swamp's mundane animal species are all of unnatural mien and appearance. Black squirrels and other rodents scurry along the branches of trees, or fight for possession of the few bits of solid ground. Poisonous snakes are a constant danger, as are the lynx and swamp panther, which hunt here without apparent fear of man. Even normally shy species such as raccoon, fox, and otter behave in an aggressive manner in the Vast, sometimes attacking humans with deadly ferocity. Many of these animals are diseased, carrying such dreaded ailments as rabies and swamp fever. Not surprisingly, the other inhabitants of the Vast Swamp are truly terrifying. My few journeys to the swamp (to further the Naturalists. Guild's understanding of its biology, and to see if the swamp contained any potential converts) were always exercises in caution and fear, interrupted by moments of stark horror. Tribes of lizard men, hobgoblins, gnolls, orcs, goblins, and trolls inhabit the swamp, warring continuously upon each other and, from time to time, upon the outside world. At least two young black dragons (the get of Skurge, dragon of Tun) inhabit the swamp, along with even more evil creatures such as beholders, undead, and even illithids. As might be expected, my visits to the swamp yielded few new Chauntea-worshippers. I cannot subscribe to the common belief that swamps are evil, undesirable places. Nevertheless, honesty demands an accurate recounting of my words here, and I am forced to remind would-be travelers to beware of a terrible evil that does indeed fester deep within Cormyr's Vast Swamp... an evil that may, in time, spread to taint all its surrounding lands.Grell
The dark reaches of the Vast Swamp harbor a colony of these repulsive creatures, whose evil has clearly influenced and been influenced by the wickedness that festers there. While I have not personally dealt with these diabolical creatures, I am indebted to my friend Aerilaya, an elven priestess whose experiences in the Vast Swamp form the basis for much of the information in this document. The following account is heavily based upon facts provided by her.Hive in the Swamp
Diabolic creatures resembling disembodied brains with biting beaks and ten thick tentacles, the grell live in communal hivelike groups, favoring ruins, swamps, and wilderness areas far from the prying eyes of humans. Grell are divided by a strict hierarchy, with the powerful patriarchs at the top and common workers at the bottom. The caste known as philosophers mediates between the two and is often found in command of raiding parties of workers. Possessed of an evil and arrogant outlook, the grell of the Vast Swamp are hated and feared by the region's other inhabitants. At least four hives, with a total of perhaps sixty individuals, occupy the swamp, preying on other swamp denizens, intelligent and otherwise. Lizard men and hobgoblins are especially favored prey.The Patriarchs
Each grell hive is controlled by an absolute ruler known as a patriarch. Larger, stronger, and far more intelligent than ordinary grell, the patriarchs of the Vast Swamp have many unusual powers, which make them particularly dangerous. In addition to their well-known ability to paralyze their opponents, Vast patriarchs are known to have substantial psionic abilities. Aerilaya told me of one encounter in which she witnessed a grell patriarch's psionic abilities."With the sceptre I had liberated from the hobgoblin chieftain safely tucked into my belt, I made my way through the misty reaches of the Vast Swamp. I hoped that Queen Amlaruil's gratitude for my service would be considerable, for the sceptre had once been the property of a lord of Myth Drannor, and it was my intention to return it to its rightful owners, the elves of Evermeet. "Of course, nothing ever goes as smoothly as one might hope, and my escape from the swamp was punctuated by encounters with several of its denizens. Less than a day's journey from the swamp's edge and safety, however, I stumbled upon one of the most fearsome beasts I had yet encountered. "As I cautiously made my way through a bare stand of black oak trees, a nightmarish creature hovered into view nearby. I had dealt with grell before, but nothing could have prepared me for my first sight of a patriarch.like a normal grell but larger, more powerful, with heavy, muscular tentacles and a tangible aura of menace surrounding it. "What a patriarch was doing on its own, far from its hive, I can.t say. What I can say is that it wanted the sceptre I carried. It did not speak, but in my mind I felt a deep and malevolent desire, as well as a complete lack of pity or mercy. "Not surprisingly, I fled. The thing gave chase, moving effortlessly through the trees, over the black water, in close pursuit. When it became apparent that I couldn't escape, I turned, drawing my weapon and facing the approaching horror. "To my surprise, it did not move to attack, instead hovering silently, ten feet away. Then I felt a terrible, aching pressure deep inside my head, a compulsion to walk forward and hand the sceptre to the hovering grell. A corner of my consciousness resisted, and I was able to overcome the compulsion. "The grell was without expression, but waves of rage washed over me, and a burning, white-hot pain filled me - the thing was trying to slay me with the force of its mind alone. I fell to my knees, my weapon falling to the ground. Desperate to defend myself, my hand closed on the scepter at my belt. "Instantly, the pressure vanished, and a silvery beam of energy lanced from the scepter to strike the grell. With a shriek, it too fell into the brackish swamp water and there it lay, writhing. "Needless to say, I used the opportunity to escape from the thing. Whether it was hurt, wounded, or dying, I cannot say. I was later to learn that the scepter had the ability to reflect magical and psionic assaults back on an attacker, an ability for which I was extremely grateful."
The Imperator
The grell of the Vast Swamp do not profess to any religion, but instead revere a powerful being which they call the Imperator. This creature, said to dwell beneath the surface of the swamp itself, is a grell of gigantic size, with dozens of tentacles and nearly unbelievable psionic abilities. Whether the Imperator is actually a unique godlike being or simply a very powerful grell is not known. The grell themselves appear to believe that an Imperator is of sufficient stature and ability to unite all grell and lead them in a great war of conquest. They also claim that, under the command of an Imperator, they have actually conquered entire worlds. Several hobgoblin legends tell of a gigantic, evil, and highly intelligent grell that supposedly dwells in caves beneath the swamp. These are clearly inspired by tales of the Imperator, but whether they are true or not is a matter of conjecture.Grell Patriarchs of the Vast Swamp
Vast Swamp grell patriarchs are similar to normal grell patriarchs, save that they have considerable psionic abilities, as follows: Psionics Summary: (Ed. 2) Level: 6 Dis/Sci/Dev: 3/2/3 Attack/Defense: PsC, PB, MT/MScore: =Int PSPs: 200 Vast Swamp patriarchs always know the following powers, and there is a 15% chance that they will have one more science and two more devotions in the psychokinetic discipline. • Clairsentience: Devotions: Clairaudience, Clairvoyance • Psychokinesis: Sciences: Detonate, Project Force, • Telekinesis: Devotions: Ballistic Attack, Soften • Telepathy: Sciences: Domination, Mindlink, Mindwipe; • Devotions: Contact, Awe, ESPHobgoblins
Several tribes of these objectionable humanoids inhabit the Vast Swamp. They are even more violent and xenophobic than most hobgoblins, attacking all outsiders who venture into their territory and engaging in ferocious wars with each other. Many have enslaved some of the primitive goblins and kobolds that dwell in the swamps, making them servants and battle-fodder. The hobgoblins of the Vast may prove especially dangerous to Cormyr due to their unusual religious beliefs. The tribes claim that their constant warfare is intended to unite them under the banner of a single leader, and they will then emerge from the swamps in a holy war against the surrounding human lands. The hobgoblins claim that the evil god Cyric himself will lead them in their crusade, and that no human force can stand against them. It is further claimed that, when Cyric arrives to lead the united tribes, he will bring with him a weapon of such might that entire armies will flee at its sight, and castle walls will crumble at its touch.Undead in the Vast Swamp
Along with its other horrors, the Vast Swamp harbors huge numbers of undead. All known types of undead have been encountered here, including mummies (normally found in more arid regions) and revenants. Many claim that a lich or group of liches is behind the insidious evil in the Vast Swamp. Some tales tell of a large complex of ruins near the center of the swamp, inhabited by numerous skeletons and zombies, as well as one or more liches clad in tattered black garments and armed with a variety of ancient and exotic weapons.Lizard Men of the Vast Swamp
The lizard men of the Vast Swamp are considerably less civilized than their Tun cousins, and conform to the popular view of the creatures. These savage beasts live in nomadic tribal groups of a dozen or so, and do not build permanent shelters. The malign influence of the Vast seems to have seriously affected the marsh's lizard men, making them virtually psychotic, attacking any outsider who ventures near them, and pursuing human, elven, and halfling prey with single-minded intensity. They do not worship Semuanya, but instead venerate a group of evil nature spirits and fiends, including the tanar'ri lord Sess'innek, who seeks to corrupt the lizard men, and transform them into a truly evil race. Lizard man shamans conduct savage rituals utilizing bizarre altars and religious icons crafted from the bones of sacrificial victims and swamp creatures. Several lizard kings have been reported in the Vast, and these are even more evil and sadistic than is usual for their kind. True creations of Sess'innek, these kings demand sacrifice of intelligent beings such as humans or elves, but have been known to slay and feed upon their own followers. [Если вы хотите что то добавить или присоединится к команде редакторов - пишите комментарии
Внимание! Имеется скрытый контент, доступный только подписчикам. Подписка - бесплатна. Детальнее - читай здесь.
Вы можете присвоить себе следующие роли, чтобы расширить видимый контент: Silver Marches Daggerford Baldur's Gate Neverwinter Waterdeep Deadsnows
RSS канал данного сайта Подпишитесь на Boosty или Patreon
Вид
Wetland / Swamp
Комментарии