The Bronze Lands of Towerth are a realm of rugged highlands, ancient forests, sprawling marshes, and endless bogland. Across Marcia there is a common saying that the Bronze Lands possess “a bog for every man, woman, and child.” Whether true or not, any traveller who sets foot within Towerth soon understands why the phrase endures so stubbornly. Waterlogged earth, mist-covered wetlands, and treacherous marshes dominate much of the landscape, shaping both the character of the land and the resilience of its people.

Despite the harsh terrain, the Bronze Lands are remarkably rich in natural produce. Rhubarb, asparagus, and an extraordinary variety of mushrooms account for much of the region’s exports, with Towerthian fungi especially prized throughout northern Marcia. Yet visitors unfamiliar with the local wilderness are strongly advised to forage with extreme caution, for many mushrooms differ only in the smallest of details.

The celebrated fried egg mushroom, for instance, is perfectly edible and highly sought after in northern cuisine. However, its slightly smaller counterpart—the deadly poscerein mushroom—is lethally poisonous. Countless travellers and inexperienced gatherers have mistaken one for the other, often with fatal consequences.

In recent years, the dangers of the Bronze Lands have only grown worse with the spread of the venomous exqoatl frogs. These creatures are not native to Marcia, originating instead from the southern lands of Poala and Mersyff. Their arrival in the north is blamed upon a disastrous flood in 3001 S.M.R., when a black-market shipment carrying the frogs was swept into the wild before it could be recovered.

Over the decade since, vast swarms of exqoatl frogs have migrated steadily northward into the marshes and wetlands of Towerth, where the damp terrain proved ideal for their survival. Their venom has claimed many lives, and repeated attempts to eradicate them have met little success. Like the bogs themselves, the creatures have become an enduring and deeply unwelcome part of the Bronze Lands.