(Area Overview) Purpureus Mire

[Keiko]

The signs erected by previous travelers exist for very good reason. Death is blatantly written through its dreary purples and dark grays that envelop the swamp. The trees are devoid of foliage, the trunks have become a lifeless aged gray, making them utterly useless as raw material. Violet-colored toadstools are abundant, emitting a cloud of toxic spores if disturbed in any way. Some of the wicked ones are known to use these mushrooms for deadly concoctions. The waters are a viscous purple, bubbling with fumes that is sure to make someone sick. If one were to fall in, do not at all costs let any of the waters enter your systems. Ingesting but a single drop will cause the deadly poison to spread from the inside within minutes. Food that falls in will become inedible globs of mush within seconds, but apples curiously turn a sickly indigo-violet color if they were doused with the water. Escape must be made with haste, as it can poison the unfortunate ones via skin contact.

The boggy terrain is the safest part of the marsh, but a haven from dangers it is not. Sinking into the ground is not uncommon, and requires an observant eye to spot the unsafe points. If you find yourself stuck, stay calm and carefully pry yourself from the ground. Panicking will likely make you sink further. To the treasure hunters, one may find some curious oddities if they decide the dig up the boggy dirt, but it is mostly made up of corpses and skeletons that fell victim. Preserved foodstuffs will more than likely have fermented into a more toxic concoction that makes it unsafe for consumption.

In spite of the dangers, adventurers have one particular reason for visiting such a dangerous swamp. Magical amethysts thrive in this dangerous marsh, growing on the rockfaces scattered in the waters. These gems can be used as material for special jewelry once cleansed from the toxic air. They are oddly high in number, but it is because harvesting them is next to impossible. Because they grow in the middle of the swampy waters, safely getting within reach is a large obstacle. Trying to pry them from the rocks also holds the risk of shattering them, or having them plunge into the bottom of the marsh. Travelers who do manage to harvest them, have often been killed before they could take them out of the swamp.

Due to the chances of poisoning being incredibly high, its danger rating is Hazardous, and must only be walked upon by the well-traveled and well-prepared. Antitoxins are a must.

Rumors
It is said the “Bewitching Apple Peddler” takes residence in this toxic ground, occasionally leaving her hut to sell her apples. She dresses like a traditional witch of old, but her hair is a strikingly apple red, tied into two spiral pigtails. If she offers you an apple, it is best you decline.