Hi everyone, and welcome back to the Finder’s Archives.
In this column, we take some of the lands from Magic: The Gathering and turn them into something you can use for your fantasy games.
The stats given in each entry assumes that you’re using Pathfinder or 5e for your games, but they can easily be converted over into any fantasy system. This time we head across to the Cinder Marsh.
Cinder Marsh
Cinder Marsh is the new name for the previous Sorrowfen Marsh. It is less than a few weeks old and is so named after a bloody battle that took place here, in which the marsh itself was put to the torch and hundreds of soldiers died. Peace has been negotiated between the two warring sides, but the scars of their battles, which lasted the better part of five years, are still fresh. Especially here, at the site of the last battle.
Lay of the Land
The Cinder Marsh was once teeming with wildlife, and with plenty of plant life. But when a battle broke out nearby, it spilled into the marsh, where the two sides fought for several days. Strangely for the season, the area had been dry for a couple of weeks, and someone — no one is sure who — had the idea that they could flush the enemy out by lighting parts of it on fire. It caught fire and spread extremely quickly. Within hours, the entire marsh was on fire, and the air was choked with ash. And then the swamp gasses caught fire as well, leaving it to burn. Hundreds of soldiers on either side perished in the flames and smoke. Even more wildlife died, leaving the area teeming with a mix of death, fire, and smoke. This necromantic energy penetrates almost everything in the area, leaving the living feeling queasy — that is, if they can even breathe.
Dangers
The air in the Cinder Marsh is almost impossible to breathe as the swamp gasses continue to burn, even several weeks after the battle. The pain caused by the destruction has broken down the planetary barriers and the fires are surrounded by fire spirits and mephitis, while shambling undead like burning skeletons and zombies haunt the ashen marshes.
There are also several living beings around. Soldiers that belong to either army have camped here ensuring that any corpses that they can get to are buried with the proper ceremonial honors. The two sides are trying to get along and help, especially when attacked by elementals or undead creatures, but the animosity of several years of war is not so easily ignored. And then there are the looters who are trying to get to the bodies (and hoping they’re not undead) before the soldiers can. Some are even body snatchers, carrying the corpses away for others to experiment on, though it isn’t known who they are working for. What is known is that it is dangerous work, so must be paid well.
And that concludes this week. Next week brings something different. The City of Brass.
Kim Frandsen
Latest posts by Kim Frandsen (see all)
- Finder’s Archive – Crypt of the Eternals - June 2, 2023
Keep ’em coming!
Added to the Blog Database.
https://jonbupp.wordpress.com/blog-database/for-dungeon-masters/chapter-5-adventure-environments/wilderness/swamp/