Eastern Salt Marsh

Close to the ocean, the Eastern Salt Marsh a low, open landscape where land and sea argue constantly and neither fully wins. The ground is flat and deceptively calm, broken into winding channels that carry brackish water in and out with the tides. At high water, much of the marsh disappears beneath a shallow sheen, transforming into a reflective plain; at low tide, it reveals slick mudflats veined with trickles of water and crusted with salt. The air smells of minerals and decay, sharp and clean at once, and the horizon feels wider than it should, as though the land has been pressed flat by time.

Westward, the land slowly rises and spots of firm ground develop enough for taller and thicker plants to begin thriving. The water becomes less and less brackish the further you range from the ocean, but remains undrinkable to most species. The low tide mud flats give way to salt flats and an alkaline crust covers a significant portion of the ground.

Near the ocean vegetation in a salt marsh grows tough and low, shaped by wind, water, and salt rather than height or beauty. Grasses and reeds dominate, their blades stiff and pale, bending but rarely breaking. Clumps of rushes anchor the mud, while scattered pools host algae and floating growth that stains the water green or rust-red. Trees are rare and stunted where they appear at all, their roots fighting both drowning and desiccation. Insects thrive, birds gather in great numbers, and life concentrates along the thin margins where solid ground briefly asserts itself.

The Eastern Salt Marsh, caught between ocean and forest, lives under a climate of warmth, moisture, and constant motion. Temperatures are generally mild to warm throughout the year, rarely reaching true cold, with long humid seasons where the air hangs heavy and still. Sea breezes temper the worst heat during the day, while nights remain damp and cool enough to draw fog off the water. Rain is frequent, arriving in steady systems or sudden downpours that swell channels and briefly blur the line between land and sea.

Storms shape the rhythm of the marsh more than the calendar does. Coastal squalls and seasonal tempests drive salt spray inland, stressing plants already adapted to brine and wind. The forest, Sylve Sanglante, acts as a partial shield to the west, breaking gusts and trapping moisture, while the ocean ensures a steady supply of clouds and changing weather. Over time, this interplay has produced a climate that feels perpetually unsettled—rarely harsh, but never gentle—where everything is slightly wet, slightly warm, and always in motion.

Over the years there has been little exploration of the Eastern Salt Marsh. The natural conditions make travel and extended stays dire to all but the most experienced explorers. There are several documented accounts of a great civilization that was based here in the marsh prior to the Great Elemental War. No contact with any of their ruins has been made in a millennia.

In the years since the war, several pirates have established a small free city on the eastern shores. The town holds the creative name of Saltmarsh. The Kinarian government tolerates their existence since they prey little on Kinarian ships. It is only accessible by sea routes and has no natural harbor. Ships must use long boats from anchorages to reach the town.