Bottomless Bogs

The Bottomless Bogs were an extensive area of of cold swampland, foul mires, and smelly lakes in northwestern Vaasa.

Description
The Bogs were a swampland that had been left behind as the Great Glacier retreated northwards. They were fairly navigable so long as temperatures were low, but in the heat of the northern summer when the ice melted and the tundra became soft and muddy, the whole area became a vast sludgy soup where “the tallest horse would wet its belly,” according to a Damaran saying. More dangerously, summer also brought on the "bottomless bogs" from which the region earned its name: insidious pits of sucking mud that could entrap the unwary. Using an experienced guide while traversing the area was highly recommended.

Paths and roads through the Bogs were laid with logs to prevent travelers and caravans from getting caught in the waist-deep summer mud.

Geography
The bowl-like area of the Bogs was bordered on the east by the Lugsaas Chain of mountains, and on the west by the West Galena Mountains. Mirror Lake and the open tundra below the Great Glacier marked the northern boundary, while the south and southeast abutted the highlands of central Vaasa.

There were several open bodies of water in the Bogs, such as Lake Throm and Moloth Caldera. The Beaumaris River ran southeast from Mirror Lake through the western part of the bogs until reaching the Clefts of Razack.

The community of Moortown was located alongside the river in the southern part of the Bogs. There was also a small community called Modurt located on the western edge. Dead Man's Walk, the main trade route through Vaasa, passed through the Bogs.

Rumors & Legends
Over the centuries, many explorers lost their lives looking for mythical hot springs deep within the Bogs. The waters of these springs were said to rejuvenate and enhance the body, or even to grant wishes.

Appearances

 * Short stores
 * Realms of Shadow: Darksword