Lowmarsh

Population: ~230

Demographics: 80% Human (mostly Flan), 15% Half-Elf, 5% Elf (wild)

Exports: Salt, smoked fish, herbal tonics, pickled goods, beeswax, wine, honey.

Location: At the confluence of the Zumkend River (E–W) and Griffsward River (N–S), where runoff from Mount Rantaloch and the Griff Mountains feeds the marshy valley.

Notable Traits: Humid, mossy, perpetually misted. Riverboats moor at tall docks, and the whole town seems on wood pilings even if only a few feet above the ground.

Places to Go

The Stilted Eel

A ramshackle inn-tavern built on stilts over the reed-choked marsh edge. Its main hall smells of fried fish, ale, and river smoke. Lanterns hang from ropes between beams, and the planks sway gently with each heavy step.

Signature Dish: Smoked pike stew with marsh-onion dumplings. Special Drink: “Eel’s Breath”—a briny spirit distilled with herbs from the marsh, potent enough to make one’s eyes water. Proprietor: Mara Kinlow, a sharp-tongued woman with an ex-ferryman’s sense of humor and a missing left thumb from a boating mishap. Knows everyone’s business.

Dockside Goods / Market

There are a dozen or so tent stalls put up through the field near the docks for trade – everything from a bait shop, tackle supplier, and small outfitter for riverfolk to other farmer’s market items. Nets, lanterns, waterproof satchels, and rope are available in the subn-bleached canvas and leather tarps. A faint vinegar smell from nearby pickle barrels from the Falor Pickleworks draws a small following. Honey, wine, and wax is available from members of the Riverbreeze Apiary and Vineyards.

Owner: Reeve Jannic Falor, a level 2 Ranger (Flan human). Acts as the River Reeve and self-styled “dockwarden.” Deputies: Torn & Pell, level 1 Rangers—often found patrolling the riverbanks or in the marsh lanes. Side Enterprise: The Falor Pickleworks, where his wife Helna Falor produces jars of pickled cucumbers, onions, peppers, and eggs—renowned all across western Tenh. Local Role: Keeps the rivers safe from lizardfolk and smugglers, occasionally hunting beasts with the help of Old Seryl. Rumor: Jannic keeps a ledger of every “unofficial” trade he allows through the river checkpoints.

Riverbreeze Apiary & Vineyards

To the northeast lies along the coast several acres of black soil gently sloping towards the raised rocky coast. Large swaths of wildflowers and some more organized floral patches dot 4-5 acre plot filling the air in spring with a perfumed scent. Between the large patches are wicker mounds for bees carefully managed and tended to ensure a crop of honey at the end of summer. Besides honey which is sold up and down the river, beeswax is extracted and processed for a variety of needs – some say they have clients in the capital of Neverond Nevrend but none know who.

East of the floral forest is a small orchard of figs and apples and on the promontory a shrine giving thanks for the land and the good harvests of field and flower.

Northern still, the land gently rolls into neat fences of grapes trimmed to almost unnatural precision and causes many a weary walker to stop and admire the labor of the vineyard. Almost 10 acres of grapes keeps several dozen hands busy throughout the year to handle fruit and prepare wine. Barrels and flasks are sold along the river and known for a hundred miles around even begrudgingly admitted to be ‘palatable’ by several grey elves further to the south and west as far as Celene.

The Silverleaf Remedies

A neat, dry-aired herbalist’s shop with rows of stoppered jars and bundles of drying reeds. The air hums faintly with astringent scents.

Proprietor: Bren Talvarn, a 30-something male human herbalist and healer. Educated, pragmatic, and a bit sardonic about “superstitions.” Formerly trained with apothecaries in Calbut before settling here for quiet work. Provides mid-tier herbalism services—can craft up to Tiers III–IV potions and poultices (using the Herbalism Guide system). Specialties: Marsh-onion tonics (resist disease), willowbark poultices (healing), and rare swamp-thistle tinctures (stabilizing effect). Relationship: Employs Old Seryl to fetch rare plants deep in the marsh where leeches and vipers abound. Hook: Keeps a small locked cabinet labeled “Blackroot,” only opened for dire need—or for the right price.

The Riverbend Caravanserai

A newer addition (5 years old) along the east bank, built on firmer ground near the ferry junction. Offers travelers stable lodging, cart storage, and open-air stalls. The inn’s interior is simple but well kept.

Proprietor: Dovan Leth, a gregarious man of 40 with a wide belly and a knack for negotiation. Former river merchant who saw opportunity when trade with Zumkergrod grew. Maintains discreet connections with boatmen and salt traders. Guests: Traders from the Pale, Nyrond, and the Griff foothills frequently stay here. Local Color: A carved post in the center of the courtyard marks flood heights from years past—each notch tells a story.

The Brinemarsh

Southwest of the village lie shallow marsh pools where underground brine seeps up and evaporates. Workers scrape the crystals into wooden flats for drying.

Overseer: Helna Falor manages these with a handful of laborers. Product: “Lowmarsh White,” a clean and flaky salt prized in the Duchy’s markets. Hazard: At high tide, strange phosphorescent eels are seen writhing near the seep holes—believed by locals to be omens of foul weather.

People to See

Name	Role	Description	Notes
Mara Kinlow	Proprietor of The Stilted Eel	Gruff, practical woman missing a thumb; laughs loudly, drinks harder.	Knows all gossip, sometimes hosts smugglers discreetly.
Reeve Jannic Falor	River Reeve & Dockside Goods owner	Stalwart Flan ranger who keeps the river lanes safe.	Has informal authority, trusted by most locals.
Helna Falor	Pickle-maker & Salt overseer	Industrious wife of Jannic; beloved for her pickled eggs and practical advice.	Stronger-willed than her husband.
Old Seryl	Wild Elf ranger from Phostwood	Tall, silver-eyed, wary. Deeply connected to the marsh spirits.	Tolerates humans; respects Bren and Jannic.
Bren Talvarn	Herbalist & Healer	Educated human with analytical demeanor, skeptical of superstition.	Supplies healing poultices and rare tinctures.
Dovan Leth	Caravanserai Proprietor	Jolly merchant with deep pockets and deeper connections.	Sometimes arranges discreet cargo runs.
Deputies Torn & Pell	Junior River Rangers	Young, loyal, a little reckless.	Occasionally act as marsh guides for visitors.

The Silent Bough (Wild Elf Outriders)

Among the reeds and willow-grown marshes north of Lowmarsh, a small band of wild elves lives in secrecy, loosely following the leadership of Seryl. The locals think of Seryl as a lone wanderer, but Bren Talvarn (the herbalist) has glimpsed faint signs: tracks that disappear, bowstrings drying over campfires that no human could have reached, and voices like birdsong carried on mist.

Most villagers dismiss such tales — but Bren and Jannic Falor know better.

Number: 4–5 elves total, including Seryl. Race/Class: Wild (Wood) Elves — Rangers and Druids (Levels 2–4). Age Range: 100–180 years (youth to early adulthood for elves). Disposition: Wary, proud, and deeply tied to the marsh as their new home. They left the Phostwood over a dispute that cost Seryl’s brother’s life. Disgraced, they were exiled over a misunderstanding and labeled Seryl “the Branchless” meaning he has no family there.

The trees in the marsh remind them of home and they have taken the surname ‘Envinyamar’ or “those with new homes”. They see humans as careless stewards of a delicate land but see Bren and Jannic as promising and try to encourage the old Flan ways.

The Envinyamar

Name	Role	Description
Seryl ‘the Branchless’	Ranger, elder of the band	Silver-haired, pale green eyes, soft-spoken but unyielding. Scarred forearms — old burns from circumstances surrounding his exile from the Phostwood.
Lethien	Druidess of the marsh	Quiet, veiled in woven reeds. Believed to speak with the marsh egrets and the spirits of drowned things. Has traded once with Bren — for salt, not gold.
Faranel	Younger ranger	Thin, sunburned, fascinated by human tools and the shipwright work to the east. Keeps watch along the river channel.
Tiriel	Scout and archer	Cynical, distrustful of humans. Uses black-fletched arrows that the Reeve has found embedded in lizardmen carcasses.
Calith	Adolescent, spirit-touched	Rarely seen, sometimes glimpsed by children at the edge of the reeds.

Homestead: A concealed camp amid willow roots on a mound in the center of the marsh woods, camouflaged with living vines.

Relationship to the Village

• Bren Talvarn (Herbalist) – The only human who’s knowingly interacted with them. He trades information about herbs and weather for rare marsh ingredients.
• Reeve Jannic Falor – Aware of Seryl’s companions but keeps their secret, knowing they help keep the riverbanks free of beasts and bandits. Discreetly works with them through Bren.
• Local View: “Old Seryl’s ghosts.” The villagers believe Seryl’s “kin” are spirits who walk when the fog is thickest. Children dare each other to stay out until they hear the whispering flutes.