The Marsh of Desolation is a large swampy wetland at the base of the Skyfall Peninsula in Xen'drik.[1][2]
Geography[]
It lies on the western bank of the Hydra near the mouth of the river where it empties into the Thunder Sea.[1]
Powers[]
Described as festering,[2] the Marsh of Desolation possesses an aura of madness and corruption[1] It drains the will of beings who enter and consumes their minds.[2] Travelers who dare venture within suffer feelings of anxiety, fear, and even panic. When, or if, they fall asleep, they have nightmares of a most disturbing and realistic nature. Every day they spend within its borders will cause their mental state to deteriorate ever further, making it harder and harder to resist its effects. Their minds would only heal after they'd escaped the marsh.[1]
Flora & Fauna[]
The marsh is rife with swamp-dwelling predators, many of which hunt and consume one another. The apex predator, or close to it, is the hydra. A particular nine-headed pyrohydra makes its lair in an area of flammable natural gas pockets, and when it breathes fire, it ignites them, creating an inferno to roast its prey.[3]
Tigers with gray fur and green stripes and webbed paws are also known to hunt in the Marsh of Desolation, as a result of Xen'drik's magical nature displacing animal populations.[4]
Notable Locations[]
At the center of the marsh stands the Temple of Sondar Thaj, a place built by dragons.[1][5]
Rumors & Legends[]
The place is reputed to be tainted by an unknown evil lying deep within the marsh,[2] such as some cursed or corrupted artifact or being dwelling inside the temple.[5]
According to legend, the fabled Crown of Sondar Thaj lies within the namesake temple. This is a relic of the war fought between the dragons and the fiends of Khyber during the Age of Demons.[5][6]
Appendix[]
Appearances[]
Adventures[]
- Secrets of Xen'drik: "Dreary Marsh" (suggested adaptation)
Novels[]
- In the Claws of the Tiger (mentioned only)
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Keith Baker, Jason Bulmahn, & Amber Scott (2006). Secrets of Xen'drik. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 108. ISBN 0-7869-3916-8.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 James Wyatt, Keith Baker, Luke Johnson, Steven Brown (2006). Player's Guide to Eberron. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 153. ISBN 0-7869-3912-5.
- ↑ Keith Baker, Jason Bulmahn, & Amber Scott (2006). Secrets of Xen'drik. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 62. ISBN 0-7869-3916-8.
- ↑ Keith Baker, Jason Bulmahn, & Amber Scott (2006). Secrets of Xen'drik. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 58. ISBN 0-7869-3916-8.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 James Wyatt, Keith Baker, Luke Johnson, Steven Brown (2006). Player's Guide to Eberron. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 155. ISBN 0-7869-3912-5.
- ↑ James Wyatt, Keith Baker, Luke Johnson, Steven Brown (2006). Player's Guide to Eberron. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 31. ISBN 0-7869-3912-5.