Old Coppania Lowlands

Something is seriously twisted in these old river beds. I am telling ye, Gazezu is not pleased with men simply diverting a river. Now we have thorns and fowl air and bad tasting mushrooms everywhere!
 
The Old Coppannia Lowlands is an area south of Padaccia and the original path of the river Coppanias, before it got diverted with the help of the Copperdam. After diverting the river, the soil left behind proved to be tainted by some sort of dark magic and it rendered the area inhospitable for Humans, Elves, Dwarves, and Orcs alike.
 

Dangerous Flora

 
Most plants that are able to grow here have been twisted into some darker variant of themselves by the tainted soil. Flowers will have grown thorns or turned into mushrooms, thorned vines are creeping across the floor, choking the plants underneath it and constricting passage through the area. Large Trees are suffocated by dark red moss, rotten to the core. The air is heavy to breathe and full of poisonous spores from the large amounts of fungi growing in the dark.
 
It is theorized that over the centuries, many seeds of Renseng have been collecting in the river bed, with their potent hallucinogenic agents seeping deep into the soil. After the Coppanias got diverted and the area dried up, the soil gave nutrition only to hardy plants that were able to adapt.
 
An additional theory considers the preexistence of some magical taint in the area, that had been undetected before. Others blame the dark influence of Zecod that was mostly present in old Ethoras but could have reached this far northwest, beyond the Ethorian Sea of the flodded nation. A definitive explanation has not been found so far.
 

Dubious Interest

  While it is generally agreed upon that this area is inhospitable to everybody, there are still various groups showing interest in the region and its properties. Some of these groups are officially sanctioned by the Ethoressian Government, others have clearly malicious intentions. All of them suffer regular setbacks due to the poisonous atmosphere in the region.  
Padaccian Alchemical Conglomerate
Sanctioned by the government, the researchers of the Padaccian Alchemical Conglomerate are trying to collect samples of soil, plants, and mushrooms to analyze the possible uses in alchemical processes.  
Sisterhood of the Dark Light
The fanatics of the Sisterhood of the Dark Light believe that they might be able to find artifacts of their fallen god in the region and try to recover them. They are loosely organized and terrorize the region through various raiding activities.  
Company of Lirini's Grace
A group of priests of the order of Lirini, supported by the local orc-population are moderately successful in healing the lands, but a darkened variant of the Grinna Amber in the area hinder their progress immensely.  
Black Amber Pact
Rumors have it that a small group of necromantic acolytes is using the darkened variant of Grinna Amber for their mind control experiments. Apparently, they are abducting specifically very young female orcs.

Cover image: by Vertixico

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