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The
Mere of Dead Men - a fireside tale told by Torstag Elveneyes
Part two –
Plants and animal
Plant species such as cattails, rushes, ferns, and reeds flourish in
its shallow waters, other species include the common marsh-reed and
cattail, as well as swamp grass and several rare species of water
lily, some of which provide components for spells, and magical or
healing potions. Mugglewort and firegrass can also be found in the
Mere.
The sturdy gray willow and marsh oak help to form solid islands amid
the soft, muddy terrain. Other trees include gall oak, and a number
of dangerous carnivorous species, such as thornslinger and black
willow. All of these plants seem somehow twisted and dark, often
diseased, hung with trailing moss and embraced by the region’s
pervasive mists
Many animal species live and thrive in the marshes. The region is
alive with amphibians such as the red newt, salamanders, and redeye
frog, from which a potent paralytic can be extracted.
The songs of the numerous frog species fill the air at sunset, and
in many areas can be near-deafening. The frogs feed on the clouds of
flies, gnats, dragonflies, and other species that swarm in huge
numbers, especially in spring and summer. The presence of massive
clouds of stinging flies, gnats, and mosquitoes is one feature I
could do without. In addition, many insects carry diseases, for
which the mere is justifiably infamous. The disease problem can be
avoided by making an effective insect repellent from the bark of the
gray willow, however, and I advise you to obtain large quantities
before venturing too deeply into the Mere.
The Mere’s mundane animal species are all of unnatural mien and
appearance. Black squirrels and other rodents scurry along the
branches of trees, or fight for possession of the few bits of solid
ground.
Poisonous snakes are a constant danger, as are the lynx and swamp
panther, which hunt here without apparent fear of man. Even normally
shy species such as raccoon, fox, and otter behave in an aggressive
manner n the Mere, sometimes attacking humans with deadly ferocity.
Many of these animals are diseased, carrying such dreaded ailments
as rabies and swamp fever.
Many bird species make their homes in the Mere, although the more
colorful songbirds seem to prefer the milder climate of the
Chelimber Marshes just south of Daggerford. Waterfowl like loons and
ducks are seen often, and wading birds such as egrets, herons, and
avocets are quite common also.
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