"Be careful when you tread the Marshes of the
Sorcerer-King. He does not take kindly to sorcery not of his own making. During
his reign, others who showed talent in the Craft were hunted down. They say that
nothing in the Marshes goes unnoticed by him."
- Kaelig, Master Thief of the Seven Sabres
The Kalanos Marshes are a vast maze of bogs, marshlands and swamps. Different regions will exhibit different types of terrain and vegetation. The borderlands surrounding the Kalanos Marshes are barren and little more than cracked, dried mud. As one gets closer to the Marshes, the ground becomes increasingly wetter and the vegetation becomes thicker. Dozens of creeks and brooks crisscross the region. Several areas are like shallow lakes of putrid bog water dotted with hundreds of tiny islands. A perpetual mist hangs in the air. The water rarely is more than chest deep. However, deep holes under the water can swallow the unwary. The heart of the region is a dense, tangled forest of vegetation and muddy pools. A network of rivers flow through the Marshes, merging and splitting in a web of waterways.
Travel through the Kalanos Marshes is generally unpleasant. The atmosphere is thick, humid and cold. The heavy mist obscures vision, permeates cloth and soaks through to the skin making garments uncomfortably cold and heavy. The ground underfoot is soft and unstable. Thick mud will suck at boots.
The Kalanos Marshes fill a large portion of the region between the borders of the Aukarian Republic and the Chaddamar Theocracy. There are 3 main roads and numerous trails through the Kalanos Marshes. Most traffic between Aukaria and Chaddamar uses one of these three roads.
1. The Old Road - The main road between the Aukarian Republic and the Chaddamar Theocracy. It was made over 1000 years ago. Rebuilt from the ruins of a Kytohan imperial road. The original Aukarian Republic rebuilt the ruined road as a pathway to the east. However, since the rise and fall of the Sorcerer King Lothiramar, it has fallen into disrepair. Although it is in a state of disrepair, this is still the best road. It is wide, level and paved in many stretches. It spans several rivers with stout stone bridges. Much better than any of the hunting trails out in the wetlands.
2. The North Marsh Road. A very wide dirt road which meanders through the northern half of the Marshes. Origins unknown.
3. The South Marsh Road - This ancient trail is narrow and windy. It is little more than a hunting trail or walking path. Numerous other small trails branch off of it at various points. Several of these trails criss-cross throughout the southern half of the Kalanos Marshes. Many of them are choked with vegetation and overgrown. Almost impassable. The soldiers of Lothiramar use many of these trails now, especially in the southern half of the Marshes. The main trail, however, the South Marsh Road, links them all.
The Village of Braga is a small pig farming village at the edge of the Kalanos Marshes on the west side. It is the last stop before entering the Marshes from the west. Braga has about 250 people, mostly farmers. They have swampboats for navigating the small rivers in the swamp. The village is walled by a palisade of logs, but still the tiny militia of this small community is hard pressed to turn back raids from Lothiramar's hordes. Needless to say, the people of this tiny village are a hardy lot who refuse to give in to adversity. These villagers can warn travelers of the dangers of the swamp.
Centuries ago, a powerful and evil wizard took control of the Aukarian Republic and enslaved its people. He ruled for over two centuries. After more than two centuries of oppression, the people united against the Sorcerer King in a great civil war. When he was finally overthrown, the peoples of that realm returned to the ways of the Aukarian Republic which had existed before his reign.
In 2705 CY, it was discovered that the Sorcerer King had returned and was dwelling in the Kalanos Marshes to the east. Here, the once mighty Sorcerer-King bids his time. He is amassing power, expanding the Marshes and enslaving the native boglings, bending him to his will. Other races, evil creatures, bandits and evil men are also flocking to his banner to rule beside him. The extend of his army is not known, but the Aukarian Republic and the Chaddamar Theocracy are both patrolling the borders of the Marshes and waging war against his minions.
Several noble houses in the Aukarian Republic are secretly allied with Lothiramar. Once each month, Lothiramar sends an incorporeal apparition to the houses to make contact with them. In exchange for information and favors, Lothiramar provides them with training in the darkest arts. Through these corrupt nobles, Lothiramar acts against Aukaria. His eventual goal is to re-conquer the Republic. Each of these corrupted nobles is required to maintain a shrine in his house to Lothiramar. These forbidden shrines are usually hidden away in the catacombs beneath the house. Other members of the house are usually unaware that the noble family is in league with the Sorcerer King.
The Sorcerer King has claimed and rebuilt the ruins of a great Kytohan castle. Hundreds of enslaved boglings were used for this massive project. He now rules from this fortress deep in the swamp.
In addition to this great and terrible fortress, Lothiramar maintains several fortified towers scattered throughout the Marshes. Each is about 500 square meters, a short, squat tower shaped fortress about 5 levels tall. A single tower is manned by roughly 50 bandits. It is usually the home of boglings and other evil humanoid creatures. The boglings scout out the Marshes and report, by drum, back to the nearest tower.
Lost in the mists of the Kalanos Marshes are twelve great obelisks. These 20 foot tall pillars are crafted from a dense black rock. Each of the four faces of an obelisk is covered in gold inlaid runes. These obelisks are silent, enchanted sentinels made by Lothiramar. In the vicinity of an obelisk, Lothiramar knows everything. He can see, hear and smell the area. He can cast spells through the obelisk. It is even rumored that the obelisks act as magical gateways and Lothiramar can send his minions through them to distant parts of the marshes.
The obelisks are especially dangerous because you never know where you will find them. Each obelisk teleports to a new location each night. Therefore, it is useless to map the locations of the obelisks. Lothiramar created the obelisks as a way to keep the Dark Watch renegade soldiers under surveillance.
Two meters tall, fashioned from gold and black stone. Runes and glyphs of gold are inlaid on the surface of the golem's chest, arms and legs. It's construction is very similar to the obelisks. The face is featureless and its eyeless gaze is disconcerting. This automaton was fashioned by Lothiramar himself. It is sent out into the Marshes from time to time to strike fear into his enemies and minions alike. The golem is enchanted such that anything it touches is instantly teleported into specially prepared prison cells in Lothiramar's dungeons.
In combat, the golem is a feared adversary. Tales of the golem have come from those who have seen it in battle and fled. Weapons struck upon the golem will teleport away leaving the attacker weaponless. Arrows fired at the golem will teleport the instance they touch it causing no damage.
Spells fired directly at the golem are scattered and reflected, sometimes harming bystanders with fragments of the original spell which may have similar, but lessened, effects.
The Boglings - A primitive race of amphibious humanoids that live in tribes and dwell in the swamps of Aggradar.
The Gonjara Mushroom Trees - Huge mushroom like trees which emit the gonjara spore that causes weakness, respiratory problems, prevents healing and causes food to rot quickly. These trees grow by the hundred in the Kalanos Marshes.
Lothiramar has bent many creatures and even plants in the Marshes to his will. Through the power of his magic, they now serve him. Though they are poor dumb beasts, they are driven by instinct which the Sorcerer King now controls. Many such beasts are fitted with an "eye collar". An eye collar is a thick iron band fitted around the neck of a beast. Situated in the center of the band is a large eye, surgically grafted to the metal with wire and tubes. This is a living eye torn from the head of some poor creature. These eyes swivel and focus from within their metallic mounts in the collars. Whatever the eye sees, Lothiramar sees. Because they are strapped to the necks of winged or walking beasts, they are mobile and survey much of the Marshes.
Organization of guerilla warriors that fight against the Sorcerer-King. Neither Aukarian nor Chaddamarian, the Dark Watch soldiers are independent. They owe allegiance to no one. They live by hunting and gathering in the Marshes. Their camps are well hidden and relocate often.
This page last updated Wednesday, December 24, 2008. Copyright 1990-2009 David M. Roomes.