Marshes of Drache

**Nation**

These eastern wetlands consist of a hodgepodge of races, cultures, and ethnicities; from necroswampers and goblins to ogres and various beastfolk. The population is approximately 2% Ogre, 12% Araknea, 18% Beastmen, 18% Lizardfolk, 25% Human, 22% Goblin, and 3% Undead, although these exact numbers can vary. It's often seen as a savage mess by outsiders. There is no official nation of the marshes, but there are small, barbaric groups and monstrous races that do call this place home.

**Culture**

There is no single culture amongst all the groups in the Marshes of Drache. However there are some cultural trends common to most groups. There is a sense of connection towards nature, a sense of not wasting resources and a desire for strong offspring.

**Religion**

Many gods of war, the hunt, or nature of similar flavors unique to small settlements or groups of people.

**Origin**

After the collapse of the Drache Empire in the year 1200, this land quickly became an anarchic husk of what it used to be. After thousands of years the last vestiges of its former civilizations have long vanished.

**Diplomacy**

Many are right to see this place as lawless. Few ever interact with the region due to the lack of infrastructure and its deadly inhabitants. Aside from that, the Marshes are buffered by mountains and the Duchy of Komjátina to the North. To the west are the Cannibal Cults and the Necroswampers. For these reasons, land annexation by neighboring powers(Treant Empire and Uruzataar Khanate) is next to impossible. Annexation from the shore has been tried, but monsoons and typhoons make resupplies and availability of help inconsistent at best. Settlers have tried to fend for themselves but either they become absorbed by a friendly tribe or killed by warbands. The occasional adventurer shows up on behalf of a noble, usually to secure an endemic species that they fancy or to explore the mysteries of the untamed swamps.

**Geography**

The Marshes of Drache is a long stretch of wetland, filled with woody shrubs and trees endemic to the region. The trees are sparser compared to the shrubs. There are some hills to the west and the elevation is higher towards the mountains.

**Economy**

There is no standard coin in this region, and the barter system is used for trade. Even then trade is uncommon as tribes tend to keep to themselves.

**Organization**

The marshes of Drache are split up into many small self governing tribes, settlements, and individuals. There are no borders in these marshes as those lines could change on any given day. The most notable groups are detailed below.

#### **The Lizardfolk**

Lizardfolk make their homes near the water's edge or within the waters themselves in dugouts. They live together in congregations but lack any real tribal structure, only that the biggest and the strongest of them rule over the rest. Natives know to look out for dugouts or eyes popping out of the water as tell tale signs of lizardfolk living nearby. Otherwise they may die a violent death involving drowning, and plenty of bones breaking as they tumble around in a death roll.

#### **The Beastmen**

Beastmen can be found in human like settlements scattered across the marshes. They live in tribes governed by either tribe elders or a warlord. Beastmen tribes governed by warlords tend to attack and raid oncoming traffic to their settlements while tribes governed by elders prefer to engage in trade. There is no currency however, and exchanges are made with goods. The natives know which of these settlements to go to for trade and which ones to steer clear from.

#### **The Ogres**

Ogres are found in caves all throughout the region, although they are normally seen in pairs or by themselves. Despite these low numbers fighting an ogre is no easy task. With regenerative capabilities, intellect and brute force at their side it would be best for most travelers to leave ogres alone. Best hope that the one you encounter also doesn't use magic.

#### **The Goblins**

Bands of goblins are a common sight in the Marshes of Drache. Despite limited communication between tribes and races in these marshes, everyone seems to have the same idea on actively killing any goblin they see on sight. Goblins have a high fecundity rate and any group of goblins left to their own devices will quickly skyrocket in number. While small bands may be an annoyance, large numbers of goblins are a problem. Large bands of goblins tend to contain a greater variety of goblins which complicates things even more. These can go from bramblebird cavalry to a handful of goblin mages who tend to have an affinity for permanence magic.

**The Araknea**

The Araknea are native to the Marshes. Living in differnet tribes, with their homes built as giant spider webs in the trees. Natives of the marshes know to steer clear of a Araknea settlement, as it would most likely mean that they would get caught and eaten.

**Human Tribes**

Small human tribes migrate around the swamps seasonally. Rough, rugged, and uncivilized, these humans are wary of almost all foreign life, having grown up surrounded by enemies.

## **Ruk**

Races: 60% Human, 30% Lizardfolk, 10% Assorted Others Government: Dictatorship, with the successor being chosen by the current dictator Capital: Ruk

While the war is raging between the vampires and necroswampers, entire villages are destroyed by the battling forces. From the rubble, a charismatic lizardfolk named Ssaal rises up, gathering refugees from destroyed villages and leading them North. They eventually stop at the lake in the Northern Drache Swamps, Lake Srrezi, and they form a settlement named Ruk. It is composed primarily of humans, with humans being about 60% of the population, but lizardfolk make up another 30% and act as the main element of the militia and so are a dominant minority. The remaining 10% come from a hodgepodge of races. The city is currently held together mainly by the charisma of Ssaal, though there is tension between lizardfolk and humans. The humans believe that they should hold more power because they make up a majority, and the lizardfolk believe that they deserve more power because they keep the city safe. The city is mostly a dictatorship, but a benevolent one. Ruk isn't known by most of the world due to it being so deep in the swamp and so young, but it has begun trying to send diplomatic envoys to Seem.

**Orginisation**

**Religion**

**Origin**

**Economy**

**Diplomacy**

**Nation**

**Culture**

**Geography**