The Swamp Queen
In the dark corners of the Anoth Delta rules the Swamp Queen. A malign witch from the blackest hell of Durakhar. Her loathing of mankind is endless and she will stop at nothing to inflict terror on the innocent people of the Delta. The Queen shamelessly wears no clothes, only the filth of the swamp covers her unclean flesh, and she exudes a horrid stench like the miasma of a decaying corpse.
Everywhere she goes she’s accompanied by her evil servants, the Green Men. They obey her every whim and grovel at her feet. The Green Men are born from the muck of the swamp and are hideous to behold. Even the stoutest warriors' hearts have wilted when coming face to face with the hideous strength of the Green Men.
Once every month during the waning moon, the Queen and her servants leave their odious swamp to plague the villages of men. They skulk in the shadows, searching for an unlocked door or an open window to slip in and steal children. Wicked children beware, if you don't mind your parents the Swamp Queen may snatch you away from your home. When she has captured her victim the Queen and her Green Men slide back into the swamp. There, in the deepest part of the swamp when no moon is in the sky, the Queen sacrifices the child to her evil god, devours their flesh, and tosses the bones to her piteous Green Men to squabble over the scraps.
If you travel through the marshes you can sometimes hear the wails of the Swamp Queen as she bemoans her lost humanity. For once she was was a beautiful woman, with a loving family; a husband, and three healthy children. But the plague came to her village and took her husband. So to save her children from certain death she made the pact with the Master of the Shadow of Bukrai. Her children were indeed saved from sickness, only to be consumed by the Wreaker of Chaos. This treachery drove the Swamp Queen mad, but lo there was naught she could do but keep her bargain and continue to appease the Dark One with continued sacrifices.
Over the years numerous would-be heroes have sought to find and slay the evil Swamp Queen, none have yet to succeed. Many a brave man has stood before his village and made an oath to lift the Queen's curse, they share their goodbyes with their families, fortify themselves with drink, and boast to their mates of their coming success then set off into marshes, never to return. Those few who are able to navigate the treacherous pitfalls of the bogs and find the Swamp Queen's lair are then set upon by her Green Men. If worthy does prevail over her wicked minions, they must then face the wrath of the Queen herself. Weaving her enchantments, she beguiles the poor fools into believing she is a beautiful and helpless maid with light hair, eyes of blue, and skin of alabaster. With her honeyed tongue, she thanks them for rescuing her from the Green Men, and embraces them promising to fulfill their lusts. It is when they have lain with her that she reveals her true form, a hideous crone who in a moment consumes their wretched souls leaving only a desiccated corpse.
Everywhere she goes she’s accompanied by her evil servants, the Green Men. They obey her every whim and grovel at her feet. The Green Men are born from the muck of the swamp and are hideous to behold. Even the stoutest warriors' hearts have wilted when coming face to face with the hideous strength of the Green Men.
Once every month during the waning moon, the Queen and her servants leave their odious swamp to plague the villages of men. They skulk in the shadows, searching for an unlocked door or an open window to slip in and steal children. Wicked children beware, if you don't mind your parents the Swamp Queen may snatch you away from your home. When she has captured her victim the Queen and her Green Men slide back into the swamp. There, in the deepest part of the swamp when no moon is in the sky, the Queen sacrifices the child to her evil god, devours their flesh, and tosses the bones to her piteous Green Men to squabble over the scraps.
If you travel through the marshes you can sometimes hear the wails of the Swamp Queen as she bemoans her lost humanity. For once she was was a beautiful woman, with a loving family; a husband, and three healthy children. But the plague came to her village and took her husband. So to save her children from certain death she made the pact with the Master of the Shadow of Bukrai. Her children were indeed saved from sickness, only to be consumed by the Wreaker of Chaos. This treachery drove the Swamp Queen mad, but lo there was naught she could do but keep her bargain and continue to appease the Dark One with continued sacrifices.
Over the years numerous would-be heroes have sought to find and slay the evil Swamp Queen, none have yet to succeed. Many a brave man has stood before his village and made an oath to lift the Queen's curse, they share their goodbyes with their families, fortify themselves with drink, and boast to their mates of their coming success then set off into marshes, never to return. Those few who are able to navigate the treacherous pitfalls of the bogs and find the Swamp Queen's lair are then set upon by her Green Men. If worthy does prevail over her wicked minions, they must then face the wrath of the Queen herself. Weaving her enchantments, she beguiles the poor fools into believing she is a beautiful and helpless maid with light hair, eyes of blue, and skin of alabaster. With her honeyed tongue, she thanks them for rescuing her from the Green Men, and embraces them promising to fulfill their lusts. It is when they have lain with her that she reveals her true form, a hideous crone who in a moment consumes their wretched souls leaving only a desiccated corpse.
I love this myth. Brings the horror of the Shadow of Bukrai out nicely.
Thanks! I got it from an old Thornahexus Common Knowledge article and updated language and grammar details, and fond the kewl picture of the swamp queen. Note, I am still finding typos, why is grammar so hard!!!
Being mildly dyslexic I purchased a Grammery subscription. Even so I still make a lot of mistakes and forever finding errors in my old articles.