Bliotothra

What crazed God thought it was okay to allow such a place as this to exist..? - Expedition Leader, Blackwright

Bliotothra Marshlands
Statistics
Alignment	CE
Size	4 Hexes appox.
Qualities	• Swamp • Marsh • Bog
Danger	Deadly
Demographics
Races	• Serpentfolk and Lizardfolk • Grippli and Boggard • Treant, Leshy, and Vegepygmy • Troll and Giant • Hag • Ooze • Fey • Naturally Enhanced Vermin, Serpents, Marsupials, and Birds of Prey

Details

Bliotothra (/blaɪˈtɑˑθrə/) is the name given to one of the most lethal environments known of the continent of Etera. It is notorious for being extremely dangerous to all except the native fauna as it harbours some of the deadliest flora known to intelligent kind.

Flora and Environment

Bliotothra is classed as a Marshland, Swamp, or Mire, depending on who you ask. It is a dank, dark, and densely packed wetland with a largely diverse range of flora. Almost every plant in the marshlands is poisonous or venomous to a degree.

Due to the very advanced nature of the plant life in Bliotothra, it is not uncommon to see treants, vegepygmy, leshies, and other intelligent flora. Unfortunately, all manner of intelligent life here is afflicted with evil intent much like the landscape around it.

Legend says that in the deepest parts of Bliotothra lies a magical orchid that glistens like the sun. While they are typically native to deserts, those who manage to get a glimpse of it either die or are sent out of the swamp very soon after. It seems that the flower moves location, as those who are suicidal enough to come back to find it never end up doing so.

A swamp treant poised to strike.

On the ground, Bliotothra mainly consists of boggy, stagnant waters that have absorbed the toxicity from the plants around it. No water in this land is safe to drink, and those creatures that somehow survived in this place have changed as a result of it. What little land there is to walk here is soft, mushy, and difficult to tread. One best be careful of large expanses of seemingly flat, sturdy land, as there is a high possibility that the ground before them is actually a sinkhole, or worse.

If one manages to somehow make it through Bliotothra's heavy natural defences they will be greatly rewarded, as the natural materials in this land are highly sought after by alchemists, collectors, researches, and criminals alike. From untapped troves of Living Steel deep in the soil to the poisons and toxins in the plants, the whole environment is ripe for the picking.

Local Intelligent Life

Intelligent Flora

The main residents of Bliotothra are the various intelligent flora that roams it. Treants, vegepygmy, leshies, and all other manners of awakened flora form pocket communities all throughout the land. Due to their nature of being plants, it's not often that they stay in one place in particular, and it's never noticeable if they had indeed taken a residency for any amount of time.

The Serpent and Lizardfolk

As is the nature of many bogs and swamps, Serpent and Lizardfolk make up the majority of permanent residencies in Bliotothra. In the same way that the flora is unforgiving, these folk are extremely xenophobic and dangerous, only seeming to be aware and okay with the other native residents of the land. Upon first migrating to these lands, the Serpent and Lizardfolk were quick to form a strong relationship with the Flora, intelligent and otherwise, and have made quick use to develop poisons from their toxins. As a result, these folk have developed to be more dextrous and cunning that brutish and strong, with a preference for shooting their prey or delivering a calculated strike from the shadows.

The Grippli and Boggards

A typical treetop civilisation of the Grippli or Boggard.

While not nearly as large in physical size, there exist larger communities of frog folk made up of Grippli and Boggards. The Boggards are the true natives to Bliotothra and have tree-built communities in the canopies of the trees in the entire land. The Boggards are truly vicious and vigilant creatures, making sure to protect everything in the land like a tyrannical kingdom. The Grippli are not as militant as their toad cousins and are, in fact, the kindest and most docile race in the area. The Grippli are finicky individuals who are particular about who they connect with, and that extends to any intruders looking to stake a claim in the Marshland. While they urge them to leave every time, it's not uncommon for a small group of Gripli to help facilitate that and protect people who agree to leave. A lot of Grippli heroes and adventurers also come from Bliotothra directly. They live relatively close to the Boggards, preferring to fill the spaces in the treetops that they haven't already. Due to their kind-hearted nature, the other intelligent life looks to them with disdain, but they're aware that they have been here as long as the Boggards, who have agreed a very long time ago never to war with their cousins despite their kindness.

Transient Occupants

One of the more temporary residents getting her fill.

While not considered permanent residents of Bliotothra, there are various Trolls, Giants, Fey, Oozes, and Hags that live within the confines of the land. Hags make great use of the natural resources for their rituals and to form covens; swamp trolls and giants lure unsuspecting people into the land to devour them; Oozes consuming everything indiscriminately until they're disposed of or move on; and the fey comes and go as they please, pestering anyone and anything to sate their curiosity. Most of these temporary occupants are a lot more powerful and dangerous than the permanent residents, and they do well to ensure a symbiotic relationship to ensure everyone wins.

Fauna

The fauna of the Bliotothra Marshlands is typical for what you'd expect in such a land, albeit much larger and much more dangerous. Due to the amount of poison, danger, and evil that permeates through the land, most simple creatures have evolved to live in such a cruel environment and are much more challenging to face especially if unprepared.

Snakes, alligators, crocodiles, and other reptiles make their home on the floor of Bliotothra, consuming large prey by easily overwhelming them with their natural strength. All kinds of reptiles have evolved to be much larger, hardier, and stronger than what's typically expected, and it's rare to find one that doesn't have venom glands.

A very well developed alligator.

Vermin such as mosquitoes, flies, gnats, and spiders take up the tree and air space. While they're not known to swarm in large groups, the individual vermin is much larger than what one would typically expect to encounter. While not so worrisome as a swarm, those who are easily spooked by the creatures will have a hard time dealing with such a thing.

Considering the large population of reptile, there aren't a lot of mammals or fish in the Bliotothra Marshlands. Most of these faunae take to eating humans or animals that wander into the land but due to the poisonous water supply and lack of resilience a lot of mammals exhibit, there aren't many evolved species to name.