Deadman’s Marsh
The Drowned Kingdom

Position: Central Tallanon
Borders: South of the Demon Spine Mountains, north of the Great Sandy Straits, surrounded on all sides by the remnants of Blackwood Forest
Heart: A vast, mist‑shrouded lake from which the River Tyr flows southeast toward Penville

☠️ A Brief History of the Drowned Kingdom

🜁 Origins — When Blackwood Was Whole

Long before the marsh existed, the region was the emerald heart of Blackwood Forest, a place of towering moon‑oaks, silver birch groves, and crystalline springs. The elves called it Tir’Vanyel, the Crownwood, and built their greatest inland stronghold upon the shores of the lake that would one day drown their halls.

• The lake was once a clear, sacred reservoir fed by mountain snowmelt.

• The elves shaped the land with gentle magic, coaxing the forest into living architecture.

• The region was a crossroads of elven culture, trade, and diplomacy.

This was the age before the shadows.

🜂 The Shadow War — Fall of the Crownwood

The peace shattered when the sub‑terranean dark elves—the Umbrith—rose from beneath the Demon Spine Mountains. Their tunnels pierced the deep roots of Blackwood, and their sorcerers wielded void‑magic that poisoned the land itself.

Key Events

• Siege of Tir’Vanyel — The Umbrith unleashed a ritual that cracked the bedrock beneath the elven city.

• The Sundering Spell — A catastrophic surge of shadow‑sorcery caused the lake to swell, drown, and warp the surrounding forest.

• Flight of the High Houses — The surviving elves fled west over the Demon Spine Ridge.

The once‑living halls of the elven lords collapsed into the rising waters. The forest twisted. Spirits lingered. The land became a grave.

Thus was born Deadman’s Marsh.

🜃 The Drowned Age — Birth of the Marsh

In the centuries that followed, the region transformed into a vast, mist‑choked wetland:

• The lake expanded into a murky, bottomless basin filled with drowned ruins.

• Blackwood’s trees became bleached husks, their roots drinking tainted water.

• Strange lights flickered over the bog at night—echoes of the Sundering Spell.

• The River Tyr carved a new path southeast, carrying silt, bones, and broken stone toward Prenville.

The marsh became a place of fear and superstition, avoided by all but the desperate.

🜄 Modern Deadman’s Marsh — A Land of Ghosts and Secrets

Today, Deadman’s Marsh is a haunted scar in the center of Tallanon.

Features

• The Mist‑Lake — A vast, silent expanse where the elven city lies drowned beneath layers of silt and shadow.

• The Tyr Outflow — The river’s source, where the water churns unnaturally warm from ancient magic.

• The Blackwood Ring — The forest encircling the marsh, still twisted by the Sundering’s aftershocks.

Dangers

• Marsh Wraiths — Spirits of elves and Umbrith alike, bound to the drowned ruins.

• Bog‑Crawlers — Amphibious predators born of corrupted forest beasts.

• Shadow Pools — Pockets of lingering void‑magic that warp flesh and memory.

Rumors

• The elven city’s Moonspire Tower still stands beneath the lake, its top just visible on nights of the Blood Moon.

• The Umbrith tunnels beneath the marsh remain intact—and inhabited.

• A sealed vault of elven relics lies somewhere along the Tyr’s hidden tributaries.

🜆 Legacy — The Founding of Eldavar

The surviving elven lords crossed the Demon Spine Ridge and founded Eldavar, the western forest‑coast city.

• Eldavar’s architecture still bears the Crownwood style, though more defensive.

• Its people carry the memory of the marsh’s fall as a cultural wound.

• Some Eldavari believe the marsh must one day be purified—or destroyed.

1. Marsh Wraith — A pale elven spirit drifts above the water, whispering in a language older than the marsh itself.

2. Bog‑Crawler Pack — Amphibious predators rise from the muck, their eyes glowing with corrupted forest magic.

3. Sinking Ruin — A half‑submerged elven tower groans as it slips deeper into the lake; something moves inside.

4. Shadow Pool Surge — A pocket of void‑magic ruptures, warping the air and twisting nearby creatures.

5. Lost Blackwood Ranger — A lone ranger emerges from the fog, delirious and frost‑bitten, clutching a relic from the drowned city.

6. Umbrith Scout Party — Dark elves surface from a hidden tunnel, searching for something buried beneath the marsh.

7. Mist‑Lake Apparition — A ghostly elven procession walks across the lake’s surface, reenacting the night of the Sundering.

8. River Tyr Surge — The river suddenly rises, carrying debris, bones, and fragments of ancient stone.

9. Blackwood Husk‑Stalker — A twisted forest beast, bleached and hollow‑eyed, prowls the marsh’s edge.

10. Moonspire Echo — A deep, resonant hum emanates from beneath the lake, shaking the ground and stirring the mist.

11. Elven Relic Cache — A stone chest rises from the mud during low tide, sealed with ancient runes.

12. The Drowned Lord — The spectral remnant of an elven high lord rises from the lake, bound by the Sundering’s curse.

Roll 2d6 to determine the hazard affecting travel, exploration, or survival within the drowned ruins of Tir’Vanyel.

2. The Black Mist

A choking, oily fog rolls across the marsh, muffling sound and draining warmth. Prolonged exposure induces hallucinations of drowned elves.

3. Silt‑Sink Hollows

Deceptively solid ground collapses into deep pockets of liquefied mud. Anything stepping in risks being swallowed whole.

4. Shadow‑Tainted Water

Pools shimmer with an unnatural sheen. Drinking or touching the water causes memory loss or visions of the Sundering.

5. Corpse‑Reeds

Tall reeds whisper in the wind, mimicking voices of lost companions. Following them leads deeper into the marsh’s deadliest areas.

6. Marsh Gas Ignition

Pockets of volatile gas erupt when disturbed, creating sudden bursts of green flame that illuminate submerged ruins.

7. Thickening Fog

Visibility drops to arm’s length. Navigation becomes nearly impossible as landmarks vanish and sound warps.

8. Leech‑Swarms

Clouds of tiny, translucent leeches rise from the water, drawn to heat and magic. They drain stamina and spell‑energy.

9. Root‑Snare Tangle

Blackwood roots, twisted by void‑magic, writhe beneath the mud. They grasp ankles, drag victims down, or entangle wagons.

10. Moon‑Drowned Tide

During certain lunar phases, the lake swells outward, flooding trails and revealing drowned structures before swallowing them again.

11. Whispering Wind

A cold breeze carries fragments of elven speech. Those who listen too long risk being lured toward deep water.

12. Void‑Scar Bloom

A rare but catastrophic event: a patch of marsh erupts with shadow‑energy, warping plants, animals, and even the terrain itself.

Roll 2d6 to determine the current atmospheric conditions in the drowned ruins of Tir’Vanyel.

2. The Black Tempest

A violent storm of shadow‑tainted rain and swirling void‑winds. The sky turns ink‑black, and lightning flashes purple across the marsh.

3. Bone‑Cold Downpour

Freezing rain needles the skin and turns paths into slick, treacherous mud. Visibility drops sharply.

4. Creeping Marsh Fog

A thick, rolling fog blankets everything. Sound becomes muffled and distorted, and shapes move within the mist.

5. Ghostlight Drizzle

A faint, shimmering rain that glows pale blue. It leaves no moisture—only a cold numbness on exposed skin.

6. Still Air of the Drowned

The marsh becomes eerily silent. No wind, no ripples, no birds. Even the mist hangs motionless.

7. Grey Overcast

A dull, oppressive sky. The marsh feels heavy, and the air tastes faintly metallic.

8. Cold Breeze from the Tyr

A steady, chilling wind blows southeast along the river’s path, carrying faint whispers.

9. Drifting Mist‑Veils

Thin sheets of mist slide across the marsh like living curtains, revealing and concealing ruins at random.

10. Sun‑Break Through the Gloom

A rare moment of weak sunlight pierces the clouds, illuminating the lake’s surface and revealing submerged shapes.

11. Witch‑Wind

A sudden, spiraling gust that carries distant elven singing—or screams. It lasts only moments but chills the soul.

12. Blood‑Moon Rising

The sky turns crimson as the moon rises. The lake glows red, and the drowned ruins stir beneath the surface.

Roll 2d6 when exploring the submerged remains of the elven Crownwood capital.

2. Moonspire Pinnacle

The very tip of the ancient Moonspire Tower breaks the surface of the lake. Its runes flicker faintly, responding to the presence of living blood.

3. Collapsed Sky‑Bridge

A shattered arch of white stone lies half‑submerged. Beneath it, spectral figures reenact their final moments.

4. Drowned Library Vault

A sunken archive whose shelves still hold waterlogged tomes sealed by elven preservation magic. Opening them risks releasing trapped memories.

5. The Singing Gate

A pair of ornate doors buried in silt hum with a soft, mournful melody when touched. The sound attracts marsh spirits.

6. Broken Crystal Walkway

Fragments of a once‑glittering path lie scattered across the lakebed. Some shards still glow, revealing hidden shapes in the depths.

7. Elven Dwelling Ruins

Twisted remnants of living‑wood homes, now bleached and hollow. Strange fungi grow where elven magic once flowed.

8. The Tyr Conduit

A submerged stone channel where the River Tyr once flowed through the city. It now carries warm, shadow‑tainted currents.

9. Umbrith Tunnel Mouth

A jagged opening in the lakebed leads into the dark elves’ ancient assault tunnels. Faint violet light pulses from within.

10. The Sundering Scar

A deep fissure carved by the void‑ritual that drowned the city. Strange whispers echo from its depths, promising power.

11. The Crownwood Throne

The petrified remains of the elven high throne lie toppled in the mud. Touching it triggers visions of the city’s final hours.

12. Vault of the Drowned Lord

A sealed, rune‑bound chamber rises briefly during low tide. Inside lies the spectral remnant of the last elven ruler—still bound to the curse.

1. The Drowned Lord’s Bargain
   The spectral ruler of Tir’Vanyel rises from the lake, offering forbidden knowledge in exchange for retrieving a relic lost in the Umbrith tunnels.

2. The Tyr Runs Red
   The River Tyr turns crimson for a single night. Eldavari scholars believe it signals the awakening of a long‑buried elven vault beneath the marsh.

3. The Whispering Lantern
   A lone lantern drifts across the mist‑lake, whispering a child’s voice. It leads toward a submerged ruin that should not exist on any map.

4. The Blackwood Pilgrim
   A dying ranger begs the party to deliver a rune‑stone to a hidden shrine deep within the marsh—before the marsh spirits claim his soul.

5. The Sundering Echo
   A surge of void‑magic erupts from the lake, warping nearby wildlife. Eldavar fears the Umbrith are attempting to recreate the Sundering Spell.

6. The Moonspire’s Call
   On the night of a rare lunar alignment, the tip of the Moonspire glows silver. Those who approach hear a voice pleading for release from beneath the water.