The Farsea Marshes, also referred to as the Farsea Marsh,[6] was a wetland located in a region of the Eastern Heartlands, just west of the kingdom of Cormyr.[1][7]
Description[]
Climate[]
Both the summer and winter months were particularly harsh on the residents of the marshes. The land grew dry and even hardened over during the summer, and freezing temperatures in the winter caused the water to freeze over and become largely unnavigable.[1]
Geography[]
They were located south of the Anauroch desert, west of the Stonelands, north of the Storm Horns mountain range, and east of Sunset Mountains.[1][8]
Wolover's Keep was located about 50 mi (80 km) west of the Farsea Marshes.[9]
Geographical Features[]
The Tun River originated in the marsh, flowed south towards the Dragonmere. Both the river and the marsh would flood during heavy rains,[7] which occurred often during the Spring months.[10]
Flora & Fauna[]
A variety of wild animals could be found in the marshes, including: a variety of small mammals like weasels, otters, beavers, and mountain lions; birds including ducks, egrets, and herons;[3] amphibians such as red newts, Cormyr salamanders, and redeye frogs; and a delightful variety of insects, including swarms of flies, gnats, mosquitos,[11] and massive centipedes.[3]
History[]
The region was once home to an ancient civilization lost to time. The remnants of their astonishingly resilient structures were buried beneath the wetlands.[12][7]
It originally consisted of a freshwater lake, known as Farsea Lake, that was surrounded by forest planted in rich, moist and deep soil.[13] After the rotational shift of Toril in the Year of Spreading Spring, 1038 DR,[14] the water level of Farsea Lake dropped, causing it's shores to become marshy. Insects bred uncontrolled among the remaining stagnant water,[15] and as the weather became warmer and drier in the following decades, the entire lake became merely a wetland.
This wetland eventually joined with the Marsh of Tun some time after the Spellplague in the late 14th century DR, to form the Farsea Swamp.[16]
Rumors & Legends[]
According to 14th century bards, the ancient realm that predated the marshes were the realms of two city-states that were each governed by a pair of lovers, whose romance turned sour. It was said that they each poisoned the land of the other, under the advice of an old crone, who was in fact the goddess Talona.[7]
Notable Locations[]
Known villages found in the marshes included Easthome, Coldhaven, Oakmere, Willowbank, Silverpool, and Greenroot.[17]
Inhabitants[]
Perhaps the most well-known of the marsh's inhabitants were the Marsh Drovers,[4] an welcoming people whose ancestors hailed from ancient kingdom of Anauria.[18][19] They dwelled in small villages and lived off the land, herding groups of domesticated catoblepas.[20]
The marsh was home to a particularly devious black dragon that was referred to as Forgrimmorithal.[21][22]
A variety of monstrous and deadly creatures could be found in the Farsea Marshes, including trolls, bullywugs, giant frogs, lizardfolk, and several types of hydras.[3] It was believed that no less than two gulguthydra made their lairs within the wetlands, as of the late 14th century DR. Reports stated that they were followed by a number of gazers, a form of beholderkin.[6]
Appendix[]
See Also[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 James Butler, Elizabeth T. Danforth, Jean Rabe (September 1994). “The Cormyrean Marshes”. In Karen S. Boomgarden ed. Elminster's Ecologies (TSR, Inc), p. 3. ISBN 1-5607-6917-3.
- ↑ Map included in Ed Greenwood (June 2007). Swords of Eveningstar. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 1–425. ISBN 9978-0-7869-4272-5.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 James Butler, Elizabeth T. Danforth, Jean Rabe (September 1994). “Explorer's Manual”. In Karen S. Boomgarden ed. Elminster's Ecologies (TSR, Inc), p. 20. ISBN 1-5607-6917-3.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 James Butler, Elizabeth T. Danforth, Jean Rabe (September 1994). “The Cormyrean Marshes”. In Karen S. Boomgarden ed. Elminster's Ecologies (TSR, Inc), p. 1. ISBN 1-5607-6917-3.
- ↑ Julia Martin, Eric L. Boyd (March 1996). Faiths & Avatars. (TSR, Inc.), p. 134. ISBN 978-0786903849.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 James Wyatt, Rob Heinsoo (February 2001). Monster Compendium: Monsters of Faerûn. Edited by Duane Maxwell. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 59. ISBN 0-7869-1832-2.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Ed Greenwood, Julia Martin, Jeff Grubb (1993). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 2nd edition (revised), A Grand Tour of the Realms. (TSR, Inc), p. 49. ISBN 1-5607-6617-4.
- ↑ Map included in Ed Greenwood, Sean K. Reynolds, Skip Williams, Rob Heinsoo (June 2001). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast). ISBN 0-7869-1836-5.
- ↑ Rick Swan (1991). Nightmare Keep. (TSR, Inc), p. 3. ISBN 1-5607-6147-4.
- ↑ James Butler, Elizabeth T. Danforth, Jean Rabe (September 1994). “The Cormyrean Marshes”. In Karen S. Boomgarden ed. Elminster's Ecologies (TSR, Inc), p. 3. ISBN 1-5607-6917-3.
- ↑ James Butler, Elizabeth T. Danforth, Jean Rabe (September 1994). “The Cormyrean Marshes”. In Karen S. Boomgarden ed. Elminster's Ecologies (TSR, Inc), p. 5. ISBN 1-5607-6917-3.
- ↑ James Butler, Elizabeth T. Danforth, Jean Rabe (September 1994). “The Cormyrean Marshes”. In Karen S. Boomgarden ed. Elminster's Ecologies (TSR, Inc), p. 5. ISBN 1-5607-6917-3.
- ↑ Donald J. Bingle (April 1995). “The Battle of Bones”. In Elizabeth T. Danforth ed. Elminster's Ecologies Appendix I (TSR, Inc), p. 8. ISBN 0-7869-0115-2.
- ↑ >Rick Swan (1992). The Great Glacier. (TSR, Inc), p. 7. ISBN 1-56076-324-8.
- ↑ Donald J. Bingle (April 1995). “The Battle of Bones”. In Elizabeth T. Danforth ed. Elminster's Ecologies Appendix I (TSR, Inc), p. 9. ISBN 0-7869-0115-2.
- ↑ Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 106. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
- ↑ James Butler, Elizabeth T. Danforth, Jean Rabe (September 1994). “The Cormyrean Marshes”. In Karen S. Boomgarden ed. Elminster's Ecologies (TSR, Inc), p. 4. ISBN 1-5607-6917-3.
- ↑ Reynolds, Forbeck, Jacobs, Boyd (March 2003). Races of Faerûn. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 108. ISBN 0-7869-2875-1.
- ↑ Richard Baker, Ed Bonny, Travis Stout (February 2005). Lost Empires of Faerûn. Edited by Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 112. ISBN 0-7869-3654-1.
- ↑ James Butler, Elizabeth T. Danforth, Jean Rabe (September 1994). “The Cormyrean Marshes”. In Karen S. Boomgarden ed. Elminster's Ecologies (TSR, Inc), pp. 21–23. ISBN 1-5607-6917-3.
- ↑ Nigel Findley, et al. (October 1990). Draconomicon. Edited by Mike Breault. (TSR, Inc.), p. 37. ISBN 0-8803-8876-5.
- ↑ Eric L. Boyd, Eytan Bernstein (August 2006). Dragons of Faerûn. Edited by Beth Griese, Cindi Rice, Kim Mohan. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 21–23. ISBN 0-7869-3923-0.