Area description:
Woody swamp area with very high groundwater level and a dark history

Key Locations:

The Lumberyard: A once-bustling workplace alongside the worker’s tents, now overrun by undead.

The Prison: A decaying prison that houses a dangerous predator.

The Bog: A treacherous and mysterious environment filled with dangers.

The Abandoned Village: Half sunken ruins of a small village, now infested by the creatures
of the bog.

Location background:

Many stories are being told about the old bog. None of them pleasant. While people still dared to enter it, workers would tell of unusually aggressive animals and the perpetually bad weather that never seemed to leave. After a particularly bad storm that flooded much of the lumberyard and the lower levels of the prison, the bog was declared cursed and thus shunned, leaving the regular population to fend for themselves. In recent years, the stories told about the bog have grown much wilder. A horde of seemingly undead has taken hold of the lumber mill and something far worse has nested in the old prison. Few Adventurers dare to go there. Fewer still return. Those that do speak in hushed tones of an 8 legged monster within the old brick walls, the smell of rot and the gurgling screams of the abandoned shambling peasants that will only succumb to the most devastating of blows.

The bog’s secret:

In a time long past, a battle raged in the forest that should one day become the bog. Many were slain and it is said that the winning side fell into an unnatural bloodlust, killing their enemies to the man. The blood seeping into the (back then regular) forest floor, turned it mucky. It attracted a being... witch, demon. It nested there, making the bog more inhospitable. Due to their need for expansion, humans came to cut wood and condemn their worst there. They encounter this being and haggled with it. A deal was struck. The body and soul of one young man in love every new moon they dare disturb the bog. After years of uneasy peace, a sacrifice was deemed inadequate and the bog turned on the humans. The soldiers rose back from the muck, biting, clawing and infecting the villagers. Some time later, an arachnogora nested in the prison. The master of the bog prepares to abandon this place and is slowly calling all remaining undead back into the murky depths where their souls will nourish it.

Now one can encounter fresh undead who still hold semblance to the person they once were. Holding tools, congregating in places once important to them... but more and more follow the soldiers into the mucky waters, their souls being lost forever and their bodies eternally enslaved by the master of the old bog.

Adventure hooks:

The Abbot's Plea: The party is approached by a desperate abbot who seeks their help to cleanse the nearby lumberyard of undead creatures.

Players may be approached by the abbot of a nearby town, begging them to bring peace to the tormented souls that dwell in the lumberyard and the surrounding woods. Undead will be slow but undeterrable, take increased fire damage but reduced damage to blunt or bladed weapons. Magic will do regular damage. The size of the horde is around 100 but it is widely dispersed with the largest groups reaching not more than 10. Loud noises attract them to the player location quickly though.

The Trophy Hunter: A cunning and potentially treacherous character.

The second plot revolves around the prison. Players meet a trophy hunter that has seen, hunted
and killed many weird beasts, as his collection of trophies shows. He tells of the Arachnid he
suspects in the prison, belonging to a rare subspecies that had been thought extinct. He knows it will
be too much for him alone and asks that you aid him in killing it, claiming the trophy. The man can
potentially betray the group depending on how he is treated, using them as bait for the
arachnogora. If he is treated well, he will aid in the fight normally, even warn the party of traps and
lend insight into potential weaknesses of the boss. If the party is however mocking or mistreating
of the man, he will not hesitate to stab players in the back when least they expect it.

The Missing Brother: A young woman seeks the party's aid in finding her missing brother,
who worked at the lumberyard.

The third questline involves the players encountering a young woman, searching for her
brother who worked at the lumberyard but did not return with the others. She suspects he might have been killed and needs you to find proof. Players will enter the area, trying to avoid the shamblers and reach the old tents that workers used, find clues and slowly unravel the story that not only will reveal the truth behind the mans disappearance but also the truth behind the bog itself.

Creatures:

Undead villagers: Found wandering the entirety of the bog in small groups. Slow but relentless,
vulnerable to fire damage, resistant to blunt and slicing damage. Heavily decomposed.
May crowd players

Undead workers: Found mostly in and around the old lumbermill. Early stages of decomposition.
Some still wielding tools of their past life which they may clumsily use as weapons.

Undead soldiers: Few of these high level undead can be found roaming the bog, fighters
from a time long past. They are heavily armored, but are little more than skeletons.
Immune to pierce, immune to slash. Resistant to blunt and fire. These foes will take teamwork
to take down.

Wildlife: The bog is teeming with wildlife, though none of it remains natural. All animals here
are hyper aggressive and will attempt to chase the party.

Schools of leeches: Single leeches have banded together in the hunt for blood.
They will attempt to submerge players and drain them.

Barghests: Wolves once were a part of the forest’s ecosystem here. These beasts however have long been corrupted. Undead but fast.
Allegators: Unnaturally large and fast in water, they will even attempt to chase the party on land, though they are at a disadvantage there.

The Boss:

Arachnogora: A powerful and dangerous giant spider with poisonous attacks and excellent senses.
Nested in the abandoned prison, it’s webs might trap you and alert the new warden of the prison
to your presence. Resistant to most types of damage. Vulnerable to fire. Hardened carapace
with vulnerable eyes. Should be considered a boss creature.

Challenges and Rewards:

Combat: Engage in challenging battles against undead and the arachnogora.

Exploration: Navigate the treacherous terrain of the bog and explore hidden locations.

Potential Rewards:

Treasure: Valuable items and magic artifacts.

Experience: Level up your characters and gain new abilities.

Reputation: Gain the respect of the locals and other adventurers.

Knowledge: Learn about the dark history of the bog and its inhabitants.