Nehru Swamps

A maze of marshland, rivers, lakes, thick rooted trees, stinking bogs and hidden groves. The Nehru Swamps is generally a perilous and treacherous region of Verh'Un. One can easily wander off the few paths there are, to be lost forever in the murky waters.

Humans, and many other humanoids, have long made the Nehru Swamps their home. A difficult place to settle, though rewarding for those who know the lands. As the swamp embodies threachery and deception itself, the human inhabitants of Nehru have festered an inherent distrust of anything they haven't encountered before.

No matter where in the swamps one ventures, there are toxic gases, swaths of quicks and monstrous creatures making travel immensely dangerous. Nobody sane travels alone.

## North

In the north, the swamps are frozen. The waters are covered with ice, while most trees struggle to survive the frigid conditions. Life is rare within these regions, though what can be found has been hardened by the freezing temperatures. There are no paths, and only few humanoids dare to settle in the treacherous land. Which appears to be land could be grassy mud, drowning all who step within. While any ice could be too thin to walk on, plunging those who wander onto it into frozen doom.

Few human settlements dot the watery and wooded landscape. Entire towns and cities built on top of water using wooden supports. The poor living conditions of the inhabitants have made them hungry for better living standards, quick to take what they can to ease their difficult lives.

It borders the Corille Wastes, from which packs of undead mindlessly wander into the frozen swamps, and the Nolrë Mountains, from which the Mountain Dwarves stand guard on their mountain peaks.

## Middle

The largest area of Nehru spans from the Kahniran plains and savanna's, to the far east coast of Verh'Un. The land is fractured here, broken up in many large islands by large swaths of deep water. The waters are covered in many tiny islands, especially near the coast of the land, while the waters also hide many shallow regions upon which many a ship has stranded over countless centuries. Despite the temperature of this area being pleasantly balanced, there are many natural hazards hidden between the trees and waters.

It is here where the people of Nehru have established to most definitive presence. They have become experts at their native environment, and while they are confident in their skill and feel at home within the swamps, they have learned the aweful truth of survival. Trust nothing but what you know, as almost everything is a mask hiding something sinister or bountiful.

Several permanent settlements can be found, including a sizeable capitol city. The largest part of the population spend their time in nomadic fleets of fishing ships, however, who navigate the perilous waters in search for the most bountiful schools of fish. They travel from settlement to settlement, following wherever the fish go. This is not without danger, as many monsters lurk in the deep.

While most avoid swimming entirely and fear the waters, the warrior elite dive straight into the deep to combat any threat, and have learned to fight efficiently underwater. They know how to use the terrain to their advantage, even against surface invaders, employing the guerilla tactics their monstrous adversaries use.

## South

In the south, the swamps are near tropical, with lush, giant trees and plantgrowth having sprouted out from the shallow waters. It is a natural maze of roots and branches, impossible to navigate without an able guide. It is home to all manners of primitive tribes of humanoids, trying to survive the harsh nature.

The lush tropical environment provides plenty of food, warmth and space for a varied and crowded ecosystem, where all manners of creatures and monstrosities thrive. This is especially so for the waters, feared and avoided by all tree dwelling beings.

The Orcs of the Varhkin Clans have claimed a great deal of the southern Nehru Swamps region, so much as to completely drive out any other significant humanoid factions from the area. While technically still part of the swamp biome and climate, politically they have been recognized as a marauder nation, and a significant threat to the swamp inhabitants.

The southern area borders the Wilds, blending smoothly into the tropical jungle. The Wilds are even more lively and hazardous to civilized life than the south regions of Nehru, and any who venture too far south are never heard from again. Goblins, Hobgoblins, Kobolds and all other manner of monstrous races sometimes emerge from the Wilds to raid any settlements they can find, as well as having a permanent presence in most of the south, and even central regions of Nehru.

## Vassal of Kahniran

The Nehru Swamps have already been conquered by the Kahniran Empire, desert soldiers holding a strong presence in every settlement. Most inhabitants aren't pleased with this, but have come to accept it. The vassalization has brought positive things as well, however. Slaves for mundane work, new exotic food and works of art, and supplies when times are hard. Despite this, Military equipment is frequently stolen and rebel activity is higher here than in any other region of the Kahniran Empire.

The war started in year 48 of the Third Era. The Kahniran invaders had superior numbers, training and technology, but had immense difficulty adjusting to the exotic climate. More soldiers were killed by disease, hidden monsters and the swamp waters themselves than the defending Nehru inhabitants. The defenders wisely led the invaders astray, always using the terrain to their advantage. No ground was won on either side.

However, sorcerers of the Kahniran Empire soon joined the conflict, researching spells and magic to improve the way their foot soldiers could cross the swamps. They began a complex arcane ritual within a hidden grove, which rumoured would give them the power to bend the swamp to the will of the sorcerers, allowing them to lead armies safely through the treacherous terrain. To stop this ritual, the leaders of Nehru devoted all their forces to attack. They met the solid defenses of the Kahniran Empire. The conflict lasted for weeks, thousands dying in the face of battle. Eventually, attrition had drained the nation of it's strength, and the Nehru leaders agreed to surrender and become vassalized to prevent more needless loss of life. After 20 years of war, in year 68 of the Third Era, the Kahniran Empire emerged victorious.

## Plague

Recently, an unknown plague has struck the Nehru Swamps. It is rampant especially in the poor districts of the towns and cities, loss of life highest since the war. None know where the disease originates from, though rampant disease is not uncommon within the murky swamps.

Medicine is prioritized for those with political power and wealth, as well as anyone with official Kahniran Empire citizen status. This has emboldened the rebels to strike more aggressively, taking any oppertunity to steal valuable medical supplies and research. Their strikes have been highly rewarding and have saved numerous lives, at the risk of exposing their operations.