Cadaver Bogs

[Map coming soon] The Cadaver Bogs are a moor located between the Dragonfang Mountains in the south, the eastern shore of the Thaspis Sea in the west and the Hills in the east while it faces the glowing mountains in the north.

Its not clear if the evil lurking in the bogs created the moor or the moor attracted the sinister things hiding in the cold waters. According to the dwarfs the moor was allways there and allways filled with vile things. But eventhough the dwarves are inhabitating Nandaahr much longer than any other species, there was a long time in Aar where no intelligent species roamed the place. So we will probably never figure out what was there first in this case - the moor or evil? But that is only an academic debate because the bogs became a kind of synonym for evil over the eras. As I mentioned when I talked abut Nandaahrs general history, the bogs are filled with undead warriors of countless battles and even more cunning spirits and other unnatural forces that long after warm blood and souls.  

Geography

So, geography. In the north east the crimson river cuts into the bogs and - depending on the amount of rain at the moment - picks up more or less of the dark spoiled waters of the moor. The only truely dry and sturdy places in the bogs are ironicaly directly in the center of the bogs on the shores of the Black Eye Pond. Towards the Pond the ground gets gradually steeper, but the gradient is so small that its barely noticable. Oh and there are some small bits in one meander of the crimson river on the very eastern boarder of the bogs. And a small cave underneath one of the few small mountains in the south. Rumor has it that some elvish mages builded a shrine there ages ago which works as a hiding place for those lucky enough to escape the horrors of the swamps long enough to venture that deep into it. Sadly they are still trapped in the middle of the bogs. Safe from harm but trapped nonetheless. In the west only a small, gnarled and knotty coniferous forest seperates the bogs from the road. But that doesnt keep the undead and whatnot from creeping up to the road and grabbing whomever is foolish enough to use the road between dusk and dawn and drag them into the bogs. The Black Eye Pond with its small island forms the center of the bogs. It is the source of the countless rivers, big and small, that lead through the swamps. The waterways form a system of veins with the Black Eye Pond as the heart, pumping its dark and vile waters through the bogs, infesting everything with its malicious counciousness. In the south the bogs just fade into the hills.   

Wildlife

There arent much animals in the bogs. At least not living ones. The only big herbivore is a grossly deformed beaverlike mammal that is able to eat the countless poisenous plants. It stores the poison in its organs and tissue to keep the predators away. So please dont be so dumb and try to hunt it. It has big claws to dig up roots an long front teeth to gnaw through hard wood too, so dont think only because its a herbivore its easy game. For the predators, there are a bunch of them. The most abundant are big swampsnakes. They are some of the nonepoisenous or venomous animals, but at 6 meters lenght they can still easily choke elv, dwarf or man to death. Then we got some kind of aquatic doglike packhunters. Its not sure if they really are mammals or reptiles ince they are covered in a mix of scabby fur and scales - but have apart from the webbed feet an appearance quite similar to dogs or wolves. Last but not least we got the giant bats, but they arent really unique to the bogs, they can also be found in the sunken forest and some other places. Still, annoyingly dangerous and smarter as they should be. They like to scout from the clouds and then ambush you in a group while youre blind in the dark. Luckily, since their bones are hollow, they are deadly afraid of blunt hits - so if you hit them hard enough once or twice before they drag you off into the sky they will probably start looking for easier prey.   

Plants

The plants follow the same plan as the animals - the more poison, the better. The Cadaver Bogs are most likely the ine single place on Nandaahr that grows no plants with even the slightest healing abbillities. On the other hand this place is an assassins wet dream, more than half of the plants here are able to kill you. Some even actively. There are a bunch of meateating plants growing here that grow large subterran jugs filled with acid while covering it with harmless looking leaves. You can find these plants in allmost every moor and many jungels, but the Cadaver Bogs are the only place in Nandaahr where they grow to these absurd sizes. So be extra careful where you put your feet. Apart from that you will find a number of mosses and reeds here.   

Undeads and supernatural things

The real threat in this place. As mentioned when I talked about the 3 big battles and countless skirmishes that have been fought in this place, the waters here give the fallen warriors the annoying trait of simply not staying dead and roaming the bogs at night. And I suppose you can imagine how many undeads there are after 3 eras that all ended with a big battle at this place. But aside from the undead demons, elves, dwarfs, men and some orcs there are also a lot of wisps, ghosts, necromancers, some vampires and witches that try to drag you into the swamps. Nobody really knows what happens if they get you because noone survived that but some suppose that some strange things happen at the Black Eye Pond in the center that turn the poor captives into undeads and witches as well.  

The Black Eye Pond

The center of the bogs. This lake is encircled by dead trees and dried up grass. The sky is allways cloudy and it never seems to become day here. In the middle of the unmoving waters an island rises from the lake, hosting a small hill with a cave. But until this day nobody has found out what is in this cave. The only person known to return from the lake was a scholar of the arcaneum who was wise enough not to build a raft from the rotten wrecks of the ships at the shore and ride over the acid, black, oily waters to explore the island. Sadly he disappeared under suspicious circumstances shortly after his return so there isnt much known about his expedition into the bogs. Of course there are other people who have been there, but necromancers, witches and other undeads are noone you invite to a jug of ale and question them about this place.