Umber Marshes
The Umber Marshes are so named for their rust-brown color, which they get from vast amounts of submerged iron. More than one dwarf has commented, “If you could only drain it, what a beautiful mine you’d have.” These wetlands consists of almost impassable bogs, swamps, and mudflats, run through with shallow streams that drain south into the River Lapendrar and from there into the Wizards’ Reach. Both Aglarond and Thay claim the territory, though neither country really wants the waterlogged lands. Since they form the first line of defense between two nations that have traditionally been at war, many conflicts have played out here, the muck running crimson with the blood of armies. The most effective troops in this miserable land are Thay’s undead hordes. However, the dampness causes zombies to rot at an accelerated pace, and undead foot soldiers fare no better than the living when traversing the muck.
The Umber Marshes are also home to dangerous creatures, including monstrous vermin, poisonous snakes, hydras, shambling mounds, and trolls. Yet those threats seem minor compared to the clouds of biting insects that follow every red-blooded creature passing through the place. These pests are sources of disease as well as discomfort, and more than one noble warrior has met an ignoble end by such insignificant creatures.
Recently, the shambling mounds of the Umber Marshes have either found a leader or developed some sort of collective intelligence. At first, they lined up about a mile from the marshes’ southern border, gazing out toward the River Lapendrar beyond. Now they have formed a second line looking up and out at the Watchwall, and some have been spotted as far west as Glarondar. Some of Thay’s zulkirs, including Szass Tam, believe the shambling mounds are the reconstituted remains of thousands of undead soldiers lost in the marshes, and they hope to advantage of this. If they can magically wrest control of these creatures, they can turn what was once a natural barrier into a terrible weapon against the people of Aglarond.
