The Pokelocken

The Pokelocken is a peculiar wooded marsh (or, perhaps, bog - there is some debate about its classification among such scholars that make such fine distinctions) located at the mouth of the Sorle River. The Pokelocken is nestled at the southernmost tip of Ostrassa along the coast, and extends directly into the sea. Most of this boggy swamp is brackish, but the forest-like vegetation thins out as the water becomes saltier nearer to the ocean.

As fascinating as the physical characteristics of this famed region are, many find the magical elements more interesting. The Pokelocken is said to be home to one of the oldest and most powerful founts of magic - some speculate that it may predate or outmatch even the Erekenheld. Folk tales and legends describe the Pokelocken as a place that is more unsettling than hostile: it is said to be full of strange creatures, creatures that though alive appear to be made of inanimate substances like stone or earth. Though none are known to be aggressive, such creatures do blur the line between what is alive and is not in a most unnerving manner.

Another interesting feature of the Pokelocken is that it seems to affect the evolutionary process in a stronger and more unpredictable manner than most other magickal locales. There have long been tales of strange, presumably sentient, hominids with odd features and abilities that lurk the outer edges of society (the Web-Footed Elf of Susselfen may be one such creature), and magicologists have begun to speculate that they not only exist, but also reveal how magick modifies corporeal forms. Such monstrous beings, who likely live a sad and lonely existence, have been sighted moving amongst the wood and water of this ancient swamp than anywhere else.

See Also:
Wee Monsters of the Pokelocken
The Woman in the Weeds