Smokefang Swamps

The Smokefang Swamps, once known as the Pine Top Forest is as desolate a wasteland as it comes. This swampy, foggy wetland is a no mans land. With its foul odor, thick treacherous mud and soupy ponds, The Smokefang Swamps are a hazard for any who dare dual with its ecosystem. A thick cloud covering vastly blankets the sky above, making tracking the sun and stars impossible. Stretching for nearly 2000 square miles and offering no forgiveness, adventurers beware. Believed to be contaminated by the past events of "The Corruption of the Calamity Stone" the once vibrant forest of Pine Top is now gone, and all that remains is uninhabitable. Home to many large species of mosquito and dragonfly, some the size of newborn babies, this territory provides danger at every painstaking step. There is a saying amongst the surrounding towns and cities, "If the swamp dont kill ya, the mosquitos will!". But it begs the question, if the mosquitos are big enough to eat humans... What in the swamp is big enough to eat the mosquitos..?

Geography

Absolutely no fresh water to be found here, and nothing but algae infested ponds. Soupy bogged down mud and dead standing trees, surrounded by a thick foggy mist. This area is as vibrant as human waste.

Ecosystem

With very little, to no adventuring in the area and the old trading route lost, human activity is non existent. Yet, large bugs and snakes have been spotted traversing the swamp. During the rainy seasons of March through May, the swamp can get anywhere between 18-36" of rain in those months, making the area a large wetland only capable of traversing by boat. During this season the spike and increase of large insects like mosquitos, dragonfly and glowbugs is tremendous. Surrounding towns are always struck hard my malaria, disease and other vile insect bites as this area suffers during this infestation season. From the months of June to September the swamp tribes of Orc, Bullywug, Lizardmen, Yuanti and Gnolls begin hunting and stocking up on all the large bugs and vermin in the area, in preparation of winter. This is an especially dangerous time to be in the nearby swamp towns, as countless raiding and pillaging occurs. But this quickly dies down, as the months of October through December the much larger and more dangerous swamp creatures begin to pray on the now plumped up swamp tribes.

Fauna & Flora

Within the swamp there is a breed of mushroom that grows, known locally as "Reaper Gill". This mushroom only grows from July to November, and is believed to be an invasive species since the mating of the black dragon Kalameet many years ago, With a bright orange umbrella head and a white colored stem, this mushroom is extremely rare, and even more valuable. When consumed, it is said, it creates an impervious catatonic state. Believed to make the consumer impervious to any form of damage, rather it be by physical or magical means. But also dropping the user into an unstoppable and uncontrollable catatonic process. Capable of seeing, hearing and smelling everything, the user is shelled by a force that allows them to ignore the regular living conditions of breathing, eating and sleeping. Creating a barrier between life and death, the "Reaper Gill" is an alchemist dream ingredient.

*Note - Please see "Reaper Gill" in the "Materials" article for more info*

Alternative Name(s)

Old Pine Top Forest, Smokefangs Den

Type

Wetland / Swamp

Location under

Smokefang Swamps

Included Locations

• Muck
• Smokefang Swamps

Characters in Location

• Melina Notesinger Aressia
• Oswald the Overburdened