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Now that he had explored the crystal cave thoroughly, the man was dejected that he didn’t find what he was looking for. He resolved to move onto the next one, though he knew he would be going somewhere he dreaded. After some time traveling, he reached his destination and his fears were realized. Nothing but reeds and trees with water all over. In front of him lied the fantasy swamp.
Yet another fantasy environment, the swamp is known for being difficult to traverse due to how sticky the water is. It’s actually a common environment, appearing all over the world but no matter where it is, you can expect to encounter the same things.
The swamp is host to abundant wildlife, the least of which includes a ton of insects. Indeed, the marsh is heaven for these pesky bugs! But there’s a great deal of plants and critters who reside there.
How exactly does a fantasy swamp fit in the story? It serves two different functions. One is to act as an area in which the hero and his allies must navigate as part of their journey, overcoming the many obstacles the marsh offers. The second is that it can house secrets that may prove crucial to victory.
Believe it or not, this is the twenty-first article in the series covering the various types of fantasy environments. As always, if you want to read more, mosey on over to our blog page and see what we have there! It won’t take you much time before you come across one that piques your interest!
Grab some boots, for we’re about to wade into the murky waters of the swamp and see what it has to offer!
At its core, a swamp is a mixture of forest and water. The water itself is usually stationery though occasionally that water may flow into a river or stream if it gets too much rain in a short period of time. Over time, the water loses its clearness and becomes murky, filled with dirt and sand and other things.
The trees found in the marsh depends on the climate. Tropical climes feature palm trees whereas temperate areas have cypress trees. This adds to the different varieties of swamps one might see on his travels.
Where can you find a fantasy swamp? You find them mostly in warm places, like the tropics though some exist in moderately cooler areas. There’s one place they’re not found and that would be in polar/tundra areas. It’s simply too cold for the water to not become ice.
The overall size of the swamp varies. You can have one that’s quite tiny — maybe taking up several acres at least — and is easy to get through without any issues. Alternatively, a swamp can be so gigantic that it takes days to cross and that’s if you don’t run into any trouble at all!
Regardless of its location and size, getting from one side to another isn’t easy. For starters, you have to wade through thick and cloudy water which is time-consuming. It’s a heavy slog and it wears you out! There’s no way anyone can run through the marsh!
The height of the water determines how long it’ll take for people to move through the swamp. At foot-level, it’ll only slow them down a bit. When it’s knee-high, it’ll take considerably more effort to press on which means it’ll take more time. If it’s chest-high, there’s no way they’ll make it to the other side in a short amount of time. By the time they make it there, they’ll be so exhausted they need to take a long break before they have the strength to continue!
Last but not the least, the water is filthy. In many cases, it takes a brownish-greenish appearance which makes it tough to see to the bottom. The dirt and sand and other materials that float on the surface eventually glides down to the bottom, becoming mud. Since it’s impossible to see the bottom, it only takes a step or two before you feel all that mud on the bottom of your boots!
The fantasy swamp is a vibrant ecosystem, featuring wildlife not found anywhere else. Indigenous species like frogs and lizards consider the swamp their home and they flee when unwanted guests arrive. Plants such as moss also thrive here.
There are two creatures that reign supreme in the swamp: crocodiles and alligators. These toothy swimmers conceal themselves in the dirty water and silently wait until the opportune time to strike. When they move, they move so fast their prey has no time to flee before it’s too late.
In fantasy, these beasts are the most powerful creatures in the swamp and pose a threat to the hero and his allies. They must either avoid battling them or if they’re forced to, it’s usually a long and arduous fight, for they have high hit points and they can lay waste to multiple people in just a matter of seconds.
While alligators and crocodiles are the kingpins of the fantasy swamp, many fellow lizards can be found all over. They can be geckos or salamanders or any other kind. Many of them will flee, for they’re too small though larger variants will fight, using their long forked tongues or sharp claws. Even though they’re not as powerful as alligators and crocodiles, these lizards still pack a punch and their fangs drip with poison.
One plant you can expect to see in a fantasy swamp is moss. It grows on trees and you can also see it on other large plants like gigantic mushrooms. Moss can grow to the point where it’s all over a tree or larger plant and is usually green-colored.
Another plant that appears all over the swamp is reeds. These tall grass-like plants grow all over the swamp and they’re easy to bend when someone is walking through. However, they quick snap back which can hurt a little bit
Let’s not forget about the abundant insects that live in the swamp. The marsh is paradise for these pesky bugs, for they’re practically all over! Besides the flies that you just can’t get rid of, you have mosquitoes that constantly attack you. Dragonflies aren’t much of a nuisance though they can be annoying at times. And there’s even more than the ones mentioned here!
A swamp has two purposes in the story. While they overlap significantly, there’s times where one is more prominent than the other. The role it plays is heavily reliant on how you structure your story.
The first, and the one you see the most, purpose is to act as a place where the hero and his friends must trek through as part of their journey. The swamp is filled with dangers that they must either confront or find a way around to avoid getting into battle.
One fact they cannot escape is the constant barrage of insects attacking them. The gnats, mosquitoes, and flies bombard them which drains their patience and affects their ability to focus. Their inability to concentrate only compounds the dangers of the marsh.
Besides the insects, the hero and his allies have to contend with the vicious denizens of the swamp, who’d love to sink their teeth into their bodies. There’s alligators and crocodiles but there’s also snakes and lizards. The hero must either find a way around or if he has no other choice, he’ll have to fight those standing in his way.
The swamp tests their patience and determination to press forward. It only hardens their resolve to keep going on. As such, it appears in usually either the early or mid part of the story where it’s one of many environments that test their mettle and leads to the hero and his allies becoming closer friends.
The second purpose a fantasy swamp serves is to hold secrets that may well be instrumental in victory. This doesn’t appear often and that’s because most works depict the marsh as a place to pass through without ever coming back.
Think about it, the swamp is an excellent place to hide secrets. Not many people venture through such an environment. Throw in all the dangerous creatures prowling about and cloudy water that make moving through difficult and you have everything you need to hide something.
So what secrets can a swamp have? It’s a great place to hide treasure, some of which may contain powers that both sides want. It can also hide the path to an ancient civilization where a great power is slumbering, waiting to be awaken.
These are just two examples of how you can repurpose a swamp to play a major role in the story, becoming one of the most important settings in the tale. This is a clever way to use something that only appears in one part of the story and make it take center stage where it can span multiple chapters!
To put it all together, a fantasy swamp is an inhospitable environment that only a few seldom venture to. Many people will choose to take a longer route if it means they avoid walking through the muddiness of the marsh.
Its appearance is not welcoming. It’s a gloomy place overrun with overgrown vegetation and water that stays still for extended periods of time. Furthermore, it’s found all over the world, appearing in many different climates with the exception of the polar/tundra.
The denizens that call the swamp home are definitely not kind to travelers. Those who decide to go through must deal with nasty beasts like alligators and snakes. And the plants are equally nasty.
All those illustrate why the swamp plays the role it does in the story. It’s a place where the hero must overcome the many dangers of the marsh as he and his friends journey from one area to another. But it has a secondary role, one that doesn’t get much use unfortunately. Having it hide something that can help determine which side wins is a great way to turn what’s essentially an one-stop only place into a central setting of a tale.
Does a fantasy swamp have a place in your world? Yes! The marsh is a darker, grimier environment and it deserves to stand alongside its fellow environments in shaping the world that your tale takes place in.
And you can take advantage of everything it has to offer in your story. Who knows? You just might make it one of the most memorable parts of your tale, one your audience will want to come back to!
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Sunfire
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