Zulrogg
Despite existing in an otherworldly domain of death, the vast, tropical swamps of Zulrogg teem with life. The cycle of life, death, and rebirth thrives in harmony with others from the twisting vine-choked trees to the animals and even the people of the province. Primal and ancestral spirits drift back and forth through the veil, offering their guidance to those who seek it.
Despite the treacherous swamp being rife with dangers of all varieties, it also provides everything needed for survival to the people of the province. Bogborns have formed with unbreakable bonds with various bog beasts (natural and supernatural) and enjoy rich and fulfilling lives that are intertwined with the wilds and are led by the wisdom of the spirit priests revered by this society.
Provincial Folklore
Spirit Beasts
Great wild spirits that are worshipped by the people of the province. Each one takes the form of a different creature of Zulrogg's swamps, jungles, and shorelines and is said to possess the wisdom of all the ancestors who favored that particular spirit.
Some spirits are more benevolent than others, but all have a place in the guisance of Zulrogg's inhabitants from humble fishermen to wise spirit priests.
The society is based upon the reverence of and communication with these Spirit Beasts. They make regular offerings to different spirits for different aspects of life.
This deep connection to mortals makes the spirits vulnerable and malevolent ritualists seek to capture them or kill them to siphon their essence or power for themselves.
Everblooms
There are countless of flowers, herbs, fruits, and other flora in Zulrogg that are used in rites, rituals, and medical practices. The supremely rare Everbloom is held in the highest esteem for its immense magical properties. They radiate primal essence of rebirth, new life, and youth. Appearing in different colors, Everblooms can only be found in remote locations at certain times under specific circumstances, and seeking them out requires the guidance of a Spirit Beast. If carefully harvested and stored without any damage to the petals, the most skilled spirit priest can utilize the flowers to create mixtures that perform miracles of healing, bring back the dead, and even grant immortal youth. This power is not taken lightly by the poeple of Zulrogg, and these concoctions are only given to those who have proven themselves in the eyes of the province's spirits.
Noteworthy Folk
Tazri Swampcaller
A bogborn spirit priest that's a member of the Crescent Court. She eschews any political authority and leads Zulrogg by example and spiritual guidance. She was personally chosen by the great Hydra Spirit to be its speaker and has received many heads' worth of wisdom and is widely considered to be one of the most insightful beings in Druskenvald. She spends much of her nights teaching the youth how to better commune with the spirits and discover which Spirit Beast they should choose to favor (a profound rite of passage for every member of Zulrogg society). Tazri has lived for centuries, extending her life with Everbloom concoctions until she can find a suitable replacement too become the next speaker of the Hydra Spirit. It's difficult to place her age as she can appear incredibly youthful one moment and truly ancient the next. She also has an eccentric passion for collecting. She knows the swamp never gives without purpose, so she takes any trinket or debris she finds and adds it to the stitched sack that holds her collection. It is said that these odds and ends become the most powerful reagents in her rituals.
Sister Gizzard
Loves nothing more in the world than her "children" that consists of countless grotesque carrion birds that she commands in huge flocks through the skies of Druskenvald. They are the eyes and ears for the Coven of the Midnight Moon and can devour the flesh off a victim's bones in seconds.
Her witchcraft specializes in rot, decay, and disease, and perfectly prepares any creature for consumption- including supernatural beings, spirits, or gods. She is feared by all her sisters and even her mother, since she fully absorbs and claims the power of whatever entity she eats. In Zulrogg, her hungry eyes are set on the mightiest Spirit Beasts, and she hopes to eventually make a meal out of each of them to take the full primal power of the province herself.
Location Location Location
Gurash'atal
The largest of the stilted cities in Zulrogg. Built atop murky water and throughout the mossy trees. There are wooden streets and structures connected by an elaborate network of walkways and rope bridges. Long-necked reptilian swamp beasts ferry travelers to different parts of the city, and great saber-toothed felines serve as mounts that can easily climb up and down the city's various levels and leap between treetop platforms.
There are shrines dedicated to numerous Spirit Beasts all over Gurash'atal where offerings can be made to earn their favor and even receive mystical blessings.
Swampstalker Lodge draws visitors to see the greatest trophies of Zulrogg's long line of legendary hunters and learn tracking, hunting, and trapping from the masters. The trading post run by the enigmatic Trader Senj has everything one needs for an expedition into the wilds.
Sunken Temple of Rakan'Zahl
Built millennia ago by lost civilization, this ancient stone temple slowly sank into the swamp until it was completely swallowed by its stagnant waters. However, the chambers within have not been flooded, and those who find the temple's hidden entrance can discover a labyrinthian network of hallways, ritual rooms, and grottos overtaken by the flora and fauna of the bog.
A cult that worships the malevolent Bloodbat spirit have taken their practice of malign rites to the damp stone chambers and seek to use the temple's secret knowledge to help their patron become a god that rules all Spirit Beasts. They work toward a monumental ritual that would drain the blood and life essence of every person in the province to initiate and fuel this ascension to godhood.