Whisper in the Swamp
"Most people outside of Mistridge don't really know anything about the location, but locals have a different story to tell. A long time ago there was once a settlement in the swamp, by the name of Homesunk. Despite the name Homesunk was actually one of the more happy and easy going settlements in Orisia. The people there had spent a long time during the dank smelly old swamp into a warm paradise. Those who lived in Homesunk were always pleasant to newcomers and despite their meager looking town, gave what they could to those who needed it. Because of the one of a kind area, all sorts of plants and animals could be found in Mistridge that couldn't be found anywhere else. This ensured that people of Homesunk made a lot of money trading. Baron Gustov Drellic was the leader of the area and took great care of his people. Life in Homesunk was plain and simple, but in that was happiness and ease of mind. One night there was a loud explosion within the swamp itself that echoed outside of the swamp for miles and miles. When outsiders came to investigate they found the swamp much different than before. The once friendly wetlands had changed seemingly overnight to a foggy, miserable place. King Rain Brennis I sent guardsmen into the fog to try and find Homesunk. Those who returned told them that the swamp had become deadly. Massive predators and dangerous terrain had claimed most of the men who had entered. Those who had returned said that Homesunk had been claimed by the swamp and very little of it remained above water. The residents were dead and half eaten when they finally arrived at the village. Eventually the King said that the town had been destroyed by pressurized swamp gas that had been trapped under mud for centuries, but not everyone believed him. Some say that Homesunk was attacked by a dragon that had been sleeping under the water, others say the area was an old burial ground and those resting there didn't like people living above them and dragged them down into the mud with them, and others say it had been a part of some dark ritual and that the swamp is under control of a cult now. All that's certain is that a lot of people have gone missing over the years around there... It's said that if you walk past the swamp in the middle of the night you may hear someone whisper something in your ear, only for no one to be around... That one of the dammed souls around there is begging for you to aid them... or maybe to drag you down with them." - An unknown elderly patron at a tavern outside of Tolfoda.
Historical Basis
While there are rumors that circle around the destruction of Homesunk, each of them does seem to have a little credit behind them.
There was a massive explosion was that heard all the way in Hopeshelm, which supports both the King's claim, as well as the dragon in the water rumor. To further aid that rumor, there had been reports of something massive in the air a few days before and after that had happened.
As for the undead rumor, there are claims of people having found old skeletal remains in the swamp mud around Homesunk during it's early day construction. It's said they found at least three partial human skeletons in the swamp while building foundation for the village. A massive knocked over stone tower was found outside of the village shortly after it's destruction, and there were no reports from locals of it's existence before.
And finally the cult theory has some ground as well. A small amount of people had gone missing who had visited Homesunk up to a year before it's destruction. Afterwards people have continued to go missing around Homesunk and there are even claims of lights coming from the swamp in the middle of the night.
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