The Mistmarsh is an area of wet ground, grassland, shallow streams, and strange hazards that rests in a bowl-shaped depression in the middle of the Cairn Hills. The marsh is over sixty miles across at its narrowest point. It has no clear border, as it is surrounded by a fringe area of drier grassland. It is named for the harmless mist that lingers from two hours before sunrise to until mid-morning, and again from several hours after sunset; the mist limits visibility and also seems to muffle sound.

Since the Greyhawk Wars, the lizardfolk of the Mistmarsh have become more active, often creeping out of the swamp to raid isolated homesteads. Rumormongers speak of a power struggle among the lizardfolk, while other doomsayers darkly mutter that they have fallen under the orcish warlord Turrosh Mak’s sway.

Undead, particularly ghouls, are becoming more of a menace for those searching the Mistmarsh’s fringes for a rare species of duck said to produce the most tender and sweetest meat in all the Flanaess.

Rumors and Tales:
1. A stone statue of a robed man, half-sunk in a mangaroo swamp, is that of a powerful wizard
petrified by the cockatrice of the Mistmarsh. If he could be retrieved for a stone to flesh spell to be cast, he would richly reward his rescuers.

2. There are some tar pits in the Mistmarsh, close by a lizard man settlement, which yield a superb golden-brown tar that is unequalled at treating wood for boats. Anyone carrying some back to Hardby would get a high price for it.

3. There is a rare species of duck in the Mistmarsh that yields the sweetest and richest duck meat in all the Flanaess. Bringing back a couple of live pairs for breeding would fetch a pretty penny.

4. Swamp lyrannikin (see the Monstrous Compendium pages in this box) have woken in the Mistmarsh. One is said to have had its slumber disturbed by a potent evil magical item that has greatly enhanced its natural powers, making it resistant to fire and edged weapons.

5. A spirit naga dwells in the central Mistmarsh where it guards a magical portal to the Vast Swamp. Perhaps the Scarlet Brotherhood may know of this and seek to use the portal themselves

6. Ghouls infest certain areas of the Mistmarsh, although they travel from place to place (this is well known and true). However, lately they have been seen stalking some unknown prey using tactics well abover their usual intelligence. and some have even been seen with hand weapons, including long swords. This suggests someone or something is organizing or controlling the ghouls. Needless to say, that agency would most likely be evil