Sinking Lands

The Sinking Lands

Ruler: The Margrave
Religion: Mixed (Beryn and Ravana)

The Sinking Lands consists of thick swamp, and small pockets of stable islands. Scattered throughout the swamp are ancient buildings that remain half-buried or completely submerged. The buildings were once elegant, though time and the weather have worn most away. Long, fluted columns jut from the swamp, fallen arches and statues of historical figures dot the landscape, their significance forgotten.

The region is split into four territories, divided by the rivers that cut through the region. Control of each region changes almost monthly, as undead and demon compete for dominance. Those who gain control use threats, cunning, and raw power to hold the land. The ruler of the Sinking Lands has not been contested in ages however – The Margrave holds the reigns of power, a powerful undead knight known as a Death Lord. The Margrave rules his domain with a charred, iron fist. Scattered through the four territories are a number of camps, villages surrounded by walls of bamboo and stone. Each village is patrolled by undead or demon, the villagers kept as food, sport, or ‘recruits’ for the conflicts between those in power. The villagers constantly struggle to survive, while their rulers scour bordering territories and bring in fresh slaves to fill the villages.

The villages are filled with sorrow, though hope remains, as the pirates of the Roan Islands perform raids, attempting to free as many as possible. The battles between the rulers of the Sinking Lands and the Roan Islands is intense, and war bands from the Chey Sart also come in regularly to reclaim those stolen from them – and to take as many demons and monsters down as possible.

Religion

The undead and demons of this region revere Beryn as the Dark Lord of Shadow and Ravana as the Mother of Demons. The fact that Beryn was destroyed means little, as the undead work towards re-summoning him. The people brought in carry their beliefs with them.

Prejudices

The demons and undead despise those who live outside their borders, constantly besieged by the mortals who cover the landscape like ants. The region is a chaotic place, with bloody politics and constant battles for control, all under the watchful eye of the Margrave. Among the mortal prisoners, the demons and undead reward the cruel, attempting to turn the prisoners against themselves, but the attacks and constant circulation of prisoners prevents this from truly happening.

Common Names

Prisoners come from all over the Southern Wilds, and rarely from the middle and northen regions of Kith Kanaan. As such, there are no truly ‘common names’ in the Sinking Lands. Instead, people bring in the names they had from where they come from. Very few are born in the Sinking Lands.