Moonlilies
Rare flowers whose white petals glow beneath moonlight.
🌿
✦ THE REGIONS OF AETHERIA ✦
THE
MARSHLANDS
✦ ───────── ✦
“The water remembers what the living forget.”
AETHERIA • THE WILDLANDS
↓ ENTER THE MARSHLANDS ↓
✦ THE MARSHLANDS ✦
Where the Water Remembers
✦
The Marshlands are a vast wetland region located within the Wildlands of Aetheria.
Endless reeds, twisted trees, dark waterways, enormous lily fields, and thick blankets of mist cover the region.
Ancient roots rise from the muddy water, while forgotten ruins slowly disappear beneath vines and moss.
The Marshlands are beautiful from a distance.
Up close, they are unpredictable.
Paths can disappear overnight. Rivers can change direction. Fog can roll in without warning.
And the deeper someone travels into the wetlands, the less certain they can be that the path ahead is the same one they entered through.
✦ THE EVER-PRESENT FOG ✦
THE MARSH MIST
✦ ───────── ✦
The Marshlands are almost always covered in some amount of mist.
During the morning, thin fog floats above the waterways. After sunset, it becomes much thicker and can completely hide the surrounding landscape.
Some of the mist is believed to contain traces of ancient magic.
01
Distant Voices
Travelers sometimes hear voices coming from places where nobody stands.
02
Strange Lights
Unfamiliar lights drift through the fog and vanish without explanation.
03
Lost Paths
Travelers may find themselves standing exactly where they began.
04
Figures
Unfamiliar silhouettes sometimes appear through the mist.
“The people who live in the Marshlands have learned not to trust everything they see within the mist.”
✦ THE DARK WATER ✦
THE BLACKWATER
✦ ───── ✦
Throughout the Marshlands are enormous pools of unnaturally dark water known as the Blackwater.
Nobody knows exactly how deep some of them are.
The water remains strangely warm even during colder seasons, and faint blue-green lights can sometimes be seen moving beneath the surface.
☽
Fish and other aquatic creatures live within the Blackwater, but locals rarely swim in the deeper pools.
Some believe something much older is hiding beneath it.
✦ FLORA OF THE WETLANDS ✦
MARSHLAND VEGETATION
✦
Plants found here possess properties found nowhere else in Aetheria.
Ghost Reeds
Pale reeds that sway even when there is no wind.
Blackwater Moss
Dark moss found growing beside the deepest pools.
Glowroot
A naturally luminous plant often used by marsh communities.
Marsh Orchids
Delicate flowers with unusual magical properties.
Lantern Mushrooms
Mushrooms that produce a soft natural glow.
✦ A SACRED PLACE ✦
THE MOONLILY FIELDS
✦ ───── ✦
Deep within the Marshlands lies a massive field of magical Moonlilies.
During the day, the flowers remain closed. When the moon rises, thousands of them bloom simultaneously.
Their glow illuminates the surrounding water with a soft silver light.
RESPECT THE FIELDS
Taking large quantities of Moonlilies is considered extremely disrespectful by the local communities.
✦ THE PEOPLE OF THE WETLANDS ✦
THE MARSH DEMI-HUMANS
✦ ───────── ✦
Numerous demi-human communities have made their homes deep within the Marshlands.
🦌
Deer Demi-Humans
Gentle but highly alert inhabitants of the deeper wetlands.
🐸
Frog Demi-Humans
Excellent swimmers who thrive among the waterways.
🐊
Crocodile Demi-Humans
Powerful marsh dwellers adapted to the deepest waters.
🐍
Snake Demi-Humans
Skilled hunters and navigators of the dense reeds.
🦦
Otter Demi-Humans
Social communities commonly found near rivers and shallow waterways.
🪶
Heron Demi-Humans
Quiet hunters known for patience and observation.
🦉
Owl Demi-Humans
Nocturnal scouts who move through the wetlands after sunset.
✦ LIFE ABOVE THE WATER ✦
MARSH VILLAGES
✦
Most settlements are built above the water.
Wooden walkways connect homes, markets, storage buildings, and gathering areas.
Some villages are built upon enormous natural roots. Others sit on small islands surrounded by deep water.
Lanterns containing glowing insects or magical crystals illuminate the walkways at night.
🏡
Hidden Homes
Many communities deliberately avoid appearing on maps.
🏮
Lantern Walkways
Glowing lanterns guide residents through the darkness.
🌿
Hidden Paths
Local people know routes that outsiders will never find.
Being difficult to find is often safer.
✦ CREATURES OF THE WETLANDS ✦
CREATURES OF THE MARSHLANDS
✦ ───────── ✦
🐊
Mirefangs
Large amphibious predators that hide beneath the surface.
🐍
Marsh Serpents
Large snakes that live among reeds and waterways.
🧚
Bog Sprites
Small magical creatures known for stealing objects and confusing travelers.
🦋
Moon Moths
Large nocturnal moths with naturally glowing wings.
🐸
Giant Marsh Frogs
Massive frogs capable of carrying small creatures across the wetlands.
🦎
Mire Drakes
Small reptilian creatures distantly related to dragons.
The deeper regions contain creatures that have never been properly documented.
✦ LOST TO THE WATER ✦
THE SUNKEN RUINS
✦ ───── ✦
Throughout the Marshlands are the remains of ancient civilizations.
Stone walls, broken towers, statues, and temples can sometimes be seen beneath the water.
Many structures are almost completely covered by roots and vegetation.
ANCIENT DISCOVERIES
WEAPONS
JEWELRY
ARTIFACTS
INSCRIPTIONS
✦ THE LOST CITY ✦
VEYLORA
✦
One of the largest ruins in the Marshlands is the ancient city of Veylora.
Once a thriving civilization, most of the city now lies beneath the wetlands.
Only portions of its towers and temples remain above the water.
The cause of Veylora's destruction is unknown.
Ⅰ
Magical Disaster
Some believe the city was destroyed by an unknown magical catastrophe.
Ⅱ
The Marsh
Others believe the wetlands slowly swallowed the civilization.
Ⅲ
Water Magic
Ancient inscriptions suggest Veylora possessed advanced water magic.
✦ ANCIENT POWER ✦
MARSHLAND MAGIC
✦ ───── ✦
Magic within the Marshlands is strongly connected to water, plants, spirits, and illusion.
✦ Healing
✦ Herbal Magic
✦ Water Manipulation
✦ Illusions
✦ Mist Manipulation
✦ Spirit Communication
✦ Divination
✦ Protective Wards
Certain magical practitioners travel into the Marshlands to gather rare ingredients.
The local communities closely control access to many of the most powerful magical plants.
✦ OUTSIDERS IN THE WETLANDS ✦
THE HUNTERS
✦ ───── ✦
The Marshlands have a long history of conflict with outside hunters.
Rare plants, magical creatures, valuable materials, and demi-human traits have attracted hunters from surrounding kingdoms for centuries.
⚠
Many Marshland communities maintain hidden entrances and concealed pathways specifically to protect themselves from hunters.
Travelers who enter the wetlands without permission may find themselves watched long before they realize anyone is nearby.
✦ BEYOND THE KNOWN WETLANDS ✦
THE DEEP MARSH
✦ ───── ✦
The deepest section of the wetlands is known simply as the Deep Marsh.
It is largely unexplored.
THE TREES
Grow enormous.
THE WATERWAYS
Become darker.
THE MIST
Becomes thicker.
THE SOUNDS
Become unfamiliar.
“Even experienced Marshland travelers avoid going too deep.”
✦ THE WAY OF THE WETLANDS ✦
MARSHLAND CULTURE
✦
The people of the wetlands generally value community and respect for nature.
FAMILY
COMMUNITY
NATURE
PATIENCE
RESPECT
SELF-SUFFICIENCY
PROTECTION
They believe the land should be respected rather than conquered.
Taking only what is needed is considered an important tradition.
Many communities leave small offerings of food, flowers, or herbs near ancient trees and waterways.
✦ SURVIVAL TRADITION ✦
RULES OF THE MARSHLANDS
✦ ───── ✦
01 — Never drink from unfamiliar water.
02 — Never follow strange lights into the fog.
03 — Never take more plants than you need.
04 — Never disturb ancient ruins.
05 — Never wander away from a marked path during heavy mist.
06 — Never assume still water is empty.
ABOVE ALL
If the entire marsh suddenly becomes silent,
stop moving.
Something has changed.
And whatever caused it may already know you're there.
🌿
Because in Aetheria…
The Marshlands
remember everything.
✦ ───── ✦
Beneath the mist, beneath the roots, beneath the dark water…
Something ancient is still listening.
🌿 ✦ 🌙 ✦ 🌫️