Baelmarsh: Difference between revisions

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=== The Lurathi – Keepers of the Unforgotten ===

The Lurathi are a **strange and solemn people**, their forms reminiscent of **great, tusked beasts**, their faces long and narrow, their curved tusks arching toward their foreheads like spirals of polished ivory. Their skin is thick, ridged like the roots of ancient trees, marked with **lines that grow deeper with age**, like the growth rings of a felled trunk.

The Lurathi are a strange and solemn people, their forms reminiscent of great, tusked beasts, their faces long and narrow, their curved tusks arching toward their foreheads like spirals of polished ivory. Their skin is thick, ridged like the roots of ancient trees, marked with lines that grow deeper with age, like the growth rings of a felled trunk.

No one knows when the Lurathi first came to Baelmarsh—perhaps they have always been here. They **do not build cities, nor do they carve their names into stone**. Instead, they carry their history **within themselves**, their memories passed down through word and ritual. It is said that **a Lurathi never forgets**, that they can recall the **footsteps of their ancestors as clearly as their own.**

No one knows when the Lurathi first came to Baelmarsh—perhaps they have always been here. They do not build cities, nor do they carve their names into stone. Instead, they carry their history within themselves, their memories passed down through word and ritual. It is said that a Lurathi never forgets, that they can recall the footsteps of their ancestors as clearly as their own.

They live in **hollows of drowned trees, upon the ruins of cities long gone**, tending to places that no longer have names. To them, nothing is lost—only waiting to be found again.

They live in hollows of drowned trees, upon the ruins of cities long gone, tending to places that no longer have names. To them, nothing is lost—only waiting to be found again.

It is said that if you ask a Lurathi the name of a ruin, they can tell you not only what it was, but **the color of its banners, the sound of its streets, and the words of the last prayer spoken within its walls.**

It is said that if you ask a Lurathi the name of a ruin, they can tell you not only what it was, but the color of its banners, the sound of its streets, and the words of the last prayer spoken within its walls.

=== The Siltborn – Those Who Linger ===

The Siltborn are not a people. They are a fate.

No one is born a Siltborn—they **become**.

No one is born a Siltborn—they become.

There are those who enter Baelmarsh and **forget to leave**. Perhaps they linger too long in a place that remembers too much. Perhaps they listen to a whisper **they should not have heard.** Whatever the reason, the marsh claims them—not as corpses, but as something else.

There are those who enter Baelmarsh and forget to leave. Perhaps they linger too long in a place that remembers too much. Perhaps they listen to a whisper they should not have heard. Whatever the reason, the marsh claims them—not as corpses, but as something else.

A Siltborn does not decay. Their skin turns cold and gray, their eyes take on the **milky sheen of waterlogged bone.** They no longer hunger, nor do they tire. Their voices are soft and thick, as though spoken from beneath the water’s surface.

A Siltborn does not decay. Their skin turns cold and gray, their eyes take on the milky sheen of waterlogged bone. They no longer hunger, nor do they tire. Their voices are soft and thick, as though spoken from beneath the water’s surface.

They do not attack, nor do they flee. They simply **wander.**

They do not attack, nor do they flee. They simply wander.

Some say the Siltborn are not truly aware—that they are **shadows of the past**, half-formed memories wearing flesh. Others claim they are still alive, just... **stretched thin**, caught between what was and what is.

Some say the Siltborn are not truly aware—that they are shadows of the past, half-formed memories wearing flesh. Others claim they are still alive, just... stretched thin, caught between what was and what is.

It is said that a Siltborn can **lead you to things thought lost—but at the cost of something you will not realize you have given.**

It is said that a Siltborn can lead you to things thought lost—but at the cost of something you will not realize you have given.

---

|Notable Settlements=~~Though~~ Baelmarsh ~~has few permanent cities~~, ~~there are~~ places ~~where people linger~~.

|Notable Settlements=Most who pass through Baelmarsh find only ruins—half-sunken villages, temples smothered in moss, roads leading nowhere. Yet some places still endure, not because they thrive, but because they have not yet been forgotten.

* Blackwater Rest – A settlement built atop a ~~series~~ of ~~half-submerged ruins~~, ~~where~~ travelers ~~stop only to leave again~~.

=== Blackwater Rest – The Wayfarer's Refuge ===

* Harrowmere – ~~A gathering~~ of ~~floating dwellings~~, home to the ~~Driftborn and their ever-~~moving ~~way of life~~.

A settlement that should have drowned long ago, yet still stands, its buildings half-built atop the ruins of something older. Blackwater Rest is a waystation for those traveling through Baelmarsh, built upon wooden piers and the remnants of past lives. Its walkways are lined with lanterns that never go out, fueled by something other than oil.

* The Weeping Hold – A fortress, ~~long abandoned~~ yet ~~perfectly intact~~. No one ~~knows~~ who ~~built it—or why~~.

Here, travelers trade stories rather than coin, exchanging what they know for the knowledge of others. The Lurathi pass through often, muttering forgotten names under their breath, while the occasional Siltborn lingers at the edge of the docks, listening but never speaking.

It is said that if you sleep in Blackwater Rest, you may dream of the past—not your own, but of someone who walked the same streets long before you.

=== Harrowmere – The Floating Village ===

Built upon clusters of vast, interwoven roots, Harrowmere drifts lazily across the mire, its movement dictated by forces unseen. It is home to the Lurathi, who do not anchor themselves to any single place. Instead, the village shifts as they will it, following the slow currents of history rather than the water.

Harrowmere is more shrine than village, its people tending to great carved stones depicting things that no longer exist—cities that have fallen, people who have vanished, prayers that were never answered. The Lurathi say that the moment Harrowmere stops moving, it will be claimed by the past, its purpose fulfilled, its memory fading into the marsh.

No one knows how long Harrowmere has drifted. Some say it has been there forever.

=== The Weeping Hold – The Unfinished Fortress ===

A fortress that was never completed, its walls half-built, its gates still awaiting their final ironwork. It should not exist—no records speak of its construction, no kingdom lays claim to its foundations. Yet the stone stands firm, untouched by time, as if frozen in the moment before it could serve its purpose.

At night, faint echoes ring through its empty halls—the hammering of unseen craftsmen, the murmurs of voices speaking plans that were never carried out. Some believe that if the Weeping Hold were ever finished, it would finally be allowed to crumble.

Yet none dare lay the final stone.

=== Dirgefen – The Silent Pilgrimage ===

A ruin, yet a city.

Dirgefen is drowned beneath the marsh, its towers rising like jagged bones from the black water. No one lives here, yet it is never empty—figures walk its flooded streets, their lanterns bobbing in the mist. They do not speak, nor do they acknowledge those who watch from afar.

The Lurathi claim they are pilgrims, returning to a city that refuses to be forgotten. Others believe they are echoes, memories retracing the same paths over and over, unable to break free from the past.

No one who has entered Dirgefen has ever been found again.

|Cultural Significance=Baelmarsh is a land of unanswered questions, a place where history is preserved but never explained. To scholars, it is a realm of forbidden knowledge—to mystics, a place where the past speaks.

=== Rituals and Beliefs ===

* The Still-Watch – At dusk, travelers stop moving, listening to the marsh as it echoes with distant voices.

* The Bone Offering – Some leave tokens of the dead in the marsh, believing that Baelon will keep their memories intact.

|Mythology and Legends=Baelmarsh is a place of lost things, and many who enter do so in search of something forgotten.

@@ Line 41: / Line 41: @@
 === The Lurathi – Keepers of the Unforgotten ===
-The Lurathi are a **strange and solemn people**, their forms reminiscent of **great, tusked beasts**, their faces long and narrow, their curved tusks arching toward their foreheads like spirals of polished ivory. Their skin is thick, ridged like the roots of ancient trees, marked with **lines that grow deeper with age**, like the growth rings of a felled trunk.
+The Lurathi are a strange and solemn people, their forms reminiscent of great, tusked beasts, their faces long and narrow, their curved tusks arching toward their foreheads like spirals of polished ivory. Their skin is thick, ridged like the roots of ancient trees, marked with lines that grow deeper with age, like the growth rings of a felled trunk.
-No one knows when the Lurathi first came to Baelmarsh—perhaps they have always been here. They **do not build cities, nor do they carve their names into stone**. Instead, they carry their history **within themselves**, their memories passed down through word and ritual. It is said that **a Lurathi never forgets**, that they can recall the **footsteps of their ancestors as clearly as their own.**
+No one knows when the Lurathi first came to Baelmarsh—perhaps they have always been here. They do not build cities, nor do they carve their names into stone. Instead, they carry their history within themselves, their memories passed down through word and ritual. It is said that a Lurathi never forgets, that they can recall the footsteps of their ancestors as clearly as their own.
-They live in **hollows of drowned trees, upon the ruins of cities long gone**, tending to places that no longer have names. To them, nothing is lost—only waiting to be found again.
+They live in hollows of drowned trees, upon the ruins of cities long gone, tending to places that no longer have names. To them, nothing is lost—only waiting to be found again.
-It is said that if you ask a Lurathi the name of a ruin, they can tell you not only what it was, but **the color of its banners, the sound of its streets, and the words of the last prayer spoken within its walls.**
+It is said that if you ask a Lurathi the name of a ruin, they can tell you not only what it was, but the color of its banners, the sound of its streets, and the words of the last prayer spoken within its walls.
 === The Siltborn – Those Who Linger ===
 The Siltborn are not a people. They are a fate.
-No one is born a Siltborn—they **become**.
+No one is born a Siltborn—they become.
-There are those who enter Baelmarsh and **forget to leave**. Perhaps they linger too long in a place that remembers too much. Perhaps they listen to a whisper **they should not have heard.** Whatever the reason, the marsh claims them—not as corpses, but as something else.
+There are those who enter Baelmarsh and forget to leave. Perhaps they linger too long in a place that remembers too much. Perhaps they listen to a whisper they should not have heard. Whatever the reason, the marsh claims them—not as corpses, but as something else.
-A Siltborn does not decay. Their skin turns cold and gray, their eyes take on the **milky sheen of waterlogged bone.** They no longer hunger, nor do they tire. Their voices are soft and thick, as though spoken from beneath the water’s surface.
+A Siltborn does not decay. Their skin turns cold and gray, their eyes take on the milky sheen of waterlogged bone. They no longer hunger, nor do they tire. Their voices are soft and thick, as though spoken from beneath the water’s surface.
-They do not attack, nor do they flee. They simply **wander.**
+They do not attack, nor do they flee. They simply wander.
-Some say the Siltborn are not truly aware—that they are **shadows of the past**, half-formed memories wearing flesh. Others claim they are still alive, just... **stretched thin**, caught between what was and what is.
+Some say the Siltborn are not truly aware—that they are shadows of the past, half-formed memories wearing flesh. Others claim they are still alive, just... stretched thin, caught between what was and what is.
-It is said that a Siltborn can **lead you to things thought lost—but at the cost of something you will not realize you have given.**
+It is said that a Siltborn can lead you to things thought lost—but at the cost of something you will not realize you have given.
 ---
-|Notable Settlements=Though Baelmarsh has few permanent cities, there are places where people linger.
+|Notable Settlements=Most who pass through Baelmarsh find only ruins—half-sunken villages, temples smothered in moss, roads leading nowhere. Yet some places still endure, not because they thrive, but because they have not yet been forgotten.
-* Blackwater Rest – A settlement built atop a series of half-submerged ruins, where travelers stop only to leave again.
+=== Blackwater Rest – The Wayfarer's Refuge ===
-* Harrowmere – A gathering of floating dwellings, home to the Driftborn and their ever-moving way of life.
+A settlement that should have drowned long ago, yet still stands, its buildings half-built atop the ruins of something older. Blackwater Rest is a waystation for those traveling through Baelmarsh, built upon wooden piers and the remnants of past lives. Its walkways are lined with lanterns that never go out, fueled by something other than oil.
-* The Weeping Hold – A fortress, long abandoned yet perfectly intact. No one knows who built it—or why.
+Here, travelers trade stories rather than coin, exchanging what they know for the knowledge of others. The Lurathi pass through often, muttering forgotten names under their breath, while the occasional Siltborn lingers at the edge of the docks, listening but never speaking.
+It is said that if you sleep in Blackwater Rest, you may dream of the past—not your own, but of someone who walked the same streets long before you.
+=== Harrowmere – The Floating Village ===
+Built upon clusters of vast, interwoven roots, Harrowmere drifts lazily across the mire, its movement dictated by forces unseen. It is home to the Lurathi, who do not anchor themselves to any single place. Instead, the village shifts as they will it, following the slow currents of history rather than the water.
+Harrowmere is more shrine than village, its people tending to great carved stones depicting things that no longer exist—cities that have fallen, people who have vanished, prayers that were never answered. The Lurathi say that the moment Harrowmere stops moving, it will be claimed by the past, its purpose fulfilled, its memory fading into the marsh.
+No one knows how long Harrowmere has drifted. Some say it has been there forever.
+=== The Weeping Hold – The Unfinished Fortress ===
+A fortress that was never completed, its walls half-built, its gates still awaiting their final ironwork. It should not exist—no records speak of its construction, no kingdom lays claim to its foundations. Yet the stone stands firm, untouched by time, as if frozen in the moment before it could serve its purpose.
+At night, faint echoes ring through its empty halls—the hammering of unseen craftsmen, the murmurs of voices speaking plans that were never carried out. Some believe that if the Weeping Hold were ever finished, it would finally be allowed to crumble.
+Yet none dare lay the final stone.
+=== Dirgefen – The Silent Pilgrimage ===
+A ruin, yet a city.
+Dirgefen is drowned beneath the marsh, its towers rising like jagged bones from the black water. No one lives here, yet it is never empty—figures walk its flooded streets, their lanterns bobbing in the mist. They do not speak, nor do they acknowledge those who watch from afar.
+The Lurathi claim they are pilgrims, returning to a city that refuses to be forgotten. Others believe they are echoes, memories retracing the same paths over and over, unable to break free from the past.
+No one who has entered Dirgefen has ever been found again.
 |Cultural Significance=Baelmarsh is a land of unanswered questions, a place where history is preserved but never explained. To scholars, it is a realm of forbidden knowledge—to mystics, a place where the past speaks.
 === Rituals and Beliefs ===
-* The Still-Watch – At dusk, travelers stop moving, listening to the marsh as it echoes with distant voices.
+* The Still-Watch – At dusk, travelers stop moving, listening to the marsh as it echoes with distant voices.
 * The Bone Offering – Some leave tokens of the dead in the marsh, believing that Baelon will keep their memories intact.
 |Mythology and Legends=Baelmarsh is a place of lost things, and many who enter do so in search of something forgotten.