The Corellum Mire
Geography
The Mire dominates the peninsula across Corellum Bay from Corellum. It covers nearly the entire peninsula, stretching 150 miles from the southern tip of the peninsula to the grasslands to the north. The water from the Viridian River does not all disperse into the Bay - much of it feeds into the Mire, creating the massive swamp. At its widest point, it is nearly 100 miles across.
The Mire is considered by most to be an eyesore, and many have proposed draining it and turning it into farmland, although in a rare case of total agreement between them, the Ducal Council, the King, and the archmage have stood firm against this request.
As the Viridian River approaches the city, the western bank is low enough that it cannot contain all of the water flowing through the river. This water then flows over the peninsula, which has a gradual slope running down to the southwest. The water saturates the ground, leading to standing pools and some channels. Eventually, this water funnels to the western edge where a ridge a few dozen feet above sea level holds the swamp back. The level of the swamp is at its lowest there, in some places below sea level, leading to more stagnant pools. Some hills are present in various areas, mostly covered by pines and some hardwood.
Ecosystem
The Mire is an enormous, though otherwise typical, bayhead bog. Water is supplied by the Viridian River flowing over its western bank before reaching the bay - most estimates are that half the water carried by the Viridian does not make it directly to the bay but rather ends up feeding the Mire. This water cascades down the slopes and across the mire, providing fresh water to the numerous species of plants and animals that reside in the area.
The eastern side of the swamp is covered primarily in sweetbay magnolias, as well as swamp ash, laurel and water oaks, with an understory of gallberry, swamp redbays, and blaspheme vine. The lower elevations are dominated by varieties of cypress, and the understory consists of a wide variety of ferns. Sphagnum moss is present across the entire peninsula, driving the growth of the Mire. The moss, leaves, and other biological material form peat, which has found many uses by the Kingdom and its predecessors.
The Mire is replete with a wide variety of creatures. More arthropods per acre are found in the Mire than anywhere else on the continent. Mosquitos, midges, spiders, ticks, and assassin caterpillars are the deadliest of the small insects, and they can be found everywhere in the swamp. A great number of parasitic worms make their home in the area as well, with leeches being the least dangerous. Reptiles and amphibians are the most common of the vertebrates, with a wide variety of frogs and lizards making up the majority. Birds are common and dominated by the heron family. Mammals are mostly small, like marsh rabbits or beavers, though bears and other large predators exist as well.
In terms of sapient species, there are known to be a number of solitary ogres living in the swamp, although they have not caused any problems with the nearby kingdom. There is a civilization of bullywugs living in the swamp as well, and they spill over every few decades, requiring the Corellum guard to come in and end their incursions into the kingdom. Another tribe has been spotted in the depths of the swamp, with most reports indicating that they are kobolds, although some say they are dragonborn, while others claim they are some other, unknown species.
Ecosystem Cycles
The formation of peat is the primary cycle driving the Mire. As the peat builds, it changes the shape of the land, moving the wettest areas. The built-up peat eventually rises from the water and dries, while the areas getting more moisture start building up more and more peat. Harvesters from Corellum regularly remove peat from rotating sites around the eastern edge of the swamp. When they cut down the peat in one area, the sphagnum regrows, pulling in more water and detritus to rebuild the peat in the area, and the cycle continues.
Localized Phenomena
Near the southern tip of the peninsula, a large number of undead stalk the Mire. Ghasts and ghouls wander the southern reaches, making it deadly for most humans to come close. Something keeps them in the southern tip, however, which has allowed Corellum to mostly ignore their presence.
Climate
The climate of the Mire is humid subtropical, with long, hot, and wet summers and short, mild winters. Tridecim is the driest month, with slightly less than 3 inches of rain expected, while Sexemra through Novorum all average close to 6 inches. Some amount of precipitation is expected almost daily in the Mire. That precipitation is almost always in the form of rain, although when conditions are correct hail is not unheard of.
The short winter can see temperatures fall into the low 40s during the nights, although they are still usually in the upper 60s by day. The area rarely falls to freezing, perhaps only reaching that low once a decade. Summers can be quite hot, although the bay helps to keep the temperature restrained. Typical summer temperatures hit 90 degrees in the day, and over 70 at night, while a true heat wave may bring the temperature close to 100.
Hurricanes are a possibility in the Mire, and deadly when they occur. The ridge of land on the west coast helps to blunt many of them, which has saved many of the trees in the area over the years. But the local wildlife is still endangered by what makes it into the peninsula. This is part of the reason why Corellum is established where it is - the most likely paths for a hurricane to approach the city all go over the Mire first, making it a natural break to reduce the fury of any storms. The city itself has not seen hurricane damage in hundreds of years, while the Mire has experienced dozens of major events in that time.
Natural Resources
Peat from the bogs and wood from the forest are the most useful resources to the local kingdom. The peat is protected by the Kingdom, ensuring that it is not removed faster than it can be regrown. Because of the limit, the peat is used almost exclusively to impart a smoky flavor to whisky by using it to kiln the malt. The smoke flavor of the whisky can only be found in Corellum, and it goes in and out of fashion as a trade good.
The Mire is a good source of oak, although there is a limit to how much can be produced. This is not due to controls from the kingdom, or lack of wood. It is simply that expeditions any deeper than the edges to retrieve wood tend to have a higher casualty rate than is acceptable.