Jibaro Wetlands

The rivers and lakes sandwiched between the dwarven princedom of Gautlan, the Kingdom of Oront and the Azan Empire are a no man's land that technically belongs to Azan, but with few traces of civilization still remaining.

And that is because these wetlands are home to a species of siren, called the "**Jibaro**" who live in the murky waters. These sirens use their otherworldly voices and seducing moves to lure knights, travellers, and dwarf mercenaries into their lakes, drowning them and stealing their gold and jewelry.

Some fools, not realising the true danger that lurks in these lands, purposefully venture into these lakes and rivers. They claim that if they slay a siren, they'll be able to loot all the gold they were able to scavenge at the bottom of the waterbed.

## History

The Jibaro Wetlands have been a province of Azan Empire ever since it began expanding out of its original borders. Being generally fertile and home to many rivers and lakes, it was seen as an attractive place of settlement, although the Azaneese did wonder as to why there were no other human inhabitants in the region.

Unfortunately for them, they soon found out. Deep within the murky waters of the region a species of siren could be found, called "Jibaro", meaning "Swamp Demon" in a Dwarven dialect of Gautlan. These sirens were profficient in seducing wanderers (specifically men), luring them into the hazardous waters and then drowning them. The naked form of a Jibaro was seldom seen, as those sirens made a habit of wearing the gold of slain warriors as some sort of trophy.

The Azaneese called them greedy beasts that were only satiated by gold. The mad hermits that roamed the wetlands would claim otherwise; the Jibaro were not appealed by the shiny gold of the Azaneese, but were rather resentful and plummeted in hatred since much of their habitat was destroyed in order to make way for new villages and forts.

Nevertheless, Azan did hire mercenaries from Ampleazzo, Furlaniya and Gautlan in order to deal with this menace. This effort proved fruitless, however, as like a wild weed, the Sirens would retreat back to the marshes whenever one of them was slain and would resurface whenever opportunity once again arose. This made dealing with the Jibaro very difficult, as eliminating them or effectively culling their numbers was almost impossible. Because of that, Azan abandoned all efforts of colonizing the area, with the many forts and towns there still lying in ruin.

Nowadays, the province is mostly used as a buffer zone between Azan proper and its provinces, with merchants and armies still using the roads that were built more than a millenium ago.

## Locals

The only inhabitants of the wetlands are a group of swamp dellers that refused to leave their homes all that time ago, instead clinging to their huts and queer customs. These people are by tradition known as fishermen and brickmakers, making their living excavating and firing clay. Scattered only around a couple of small hamlets, they have been minding their business and living in almost total recluse for generations. They are led by a mad elderly woman called Veska and it is said that the brickmakers offer sacrifices and tribute to the Jibaro in order to be left alone. Others say that they worship the sirens as dieties, although both claims are disputed to this day. Apart from humans, dwarves can also be found in these villages, perhaps descendants of the first dwarven mercenaries that made their way to this land.

## The Jibaro

The Jibaro are a species of siren that are native to these wetlands. Although there were records of them before the Azaneese expansion, attacks on humans and cattle were generally rare. Their appearance resembles that of a female woman, with long, black hair flowing down their shoulders along with pale skin. Very few encounters have been thoroughly recorded, but those we are aware of have stated that the Jibaro communicate in a strange language that's not coherent to humans, and sounds more like a series of long hisses and shrieks, opposite of the sweet mellow song they use to lure in travellers.

Making a habit of adorning the jewelry worn by their victims, many foolhardy warriors have fallen victim to the Jibaro in an effort to kill them and claim their gold. These sirens are not to be underestimated, as their sharp teeth and claws can easily deal a fatal blow, and their otherworldly shrieks that come in times of desperation can turn someone mad.

The Jibaro are not alone in haunting these wetlands however, as many monsters, such as leechmen, eerie will-o-wisps and giant armored turtles can be found deep in the more uncharted regions of the region.