Mere of Dead Men

## The Mere of Dead Men

The Mere of Dead Men (or Merdelain, meaning "Slow Marching Court" in Elvish) is a swampy area located along the Sword Coast North. The name "Mere of Dead Men" referred to the thousands of dwarves, elves, and humans of the Fallen Kingdom who were slain here during the invasion of an orc army. The Mere was located along the Sword Coast on the Sea of Swords between Neverwinter and Waterdeep. The High Road skirted its eastern edges on its way through the foothills of the Sword Mountains to the east. The nearest significant settlement was Leilon to the north.

## Description

The Mere of Dead Men was a cold saltwater swamp roughly 100 miles
(160 km) long by 30 miles (48 km) wide along the shore. It was a
desolate place full of monsters and few members of the civilized races. The swamp constantly grew over time, swallowing homes and property
located close to its boundaries. It was believed that the eastern boundary of the Mere was magically bound to the High Road (perhaps via a *wish* spell from the Mere's creator), since attempts to reroute the road were futile and only caused the expansion of the swamp.

The Mere itself was full of trees, vines, quicksand, and hidden
islands, and it was generally covered in fog, making visibility very
poor. The bones of fallen creatures were clearly visible throughout the
Mere. The water was deep enough that it could be navigated on a
flat-bottomed boat, but the dark water and hidden obstructions made that
 choice dangerous.
Inside the Mere were the flooded ruins of a number of castles and
 settlements. Many of the castles had strange wards that would either
strengthen certain magic or negate it

## Common Knowledge

### Local Knowledge

Those who regularly trek to the Mere of Dead Men usually know the following:

* The Mere is inhabited by many dangerous animals as well as dangerous humanoids such as Lizardmen, Bullywugs and even undead.
* Reports of a Black Dragon living in the area state it has incredible speed of movement, having been alleged to have been spotted on the other size of the mere minutes after taking flight from the opposite end.

### Regional Knowledge

People from the outlying area around the Mere can also be expected to know that:

* The area was once lush green lands before the mere took over. Ruins and castles still stand within the swamp, some likely still hold great treasure if somebody is foolish enough to search more it.
* The Order of the Gauntlet is known to patrol the area from time to time, making sure the dangerous creatures within don't take to leaving.

### Global Knowledge

The Mere is not really known beyond the regional level other than as a murky swamp best avoided.

## Involvement

### The Lost Mine of Phandelver (Campaign)

The Mere of Dead Men is mentioned during the campaign as Rahris Brandchet, a active member of the Order of the Gauntlet, came to Phandalin after patrolling the mere, still covered in the greenish swamp mud.

Later in the campaign, Rahris told the Party he had lost an ally in the Mere of Dead Men recently, a cleric of Silvanus who was killed by a Bullywug ambush. He gave them the cleric's spell-casting focus, a beaded bracelet, in hopes it's fading magic can aid them in their adventures.

## Notable People and Places

### People

There are no notable people associated with the Mere of Dead Men at this time.