TANGLEWOOD

[sup]the sanctuary for wayward souls[/sup]

THE MARSH: From the border to about a quarter of a mile in stretch perilous wetlands swarmed with every danger imaginable. Cypress roots and vines strangle the boggy earth, and it's difficult to keep oneself dry while traveling. Not an inch of sunshine manages to trickle through the dense canopy, and plenty of bramble thickets and ferns provide shelter for creatures hiding in wait. Where the swamp grows closer to the shoreline, the sea level drastically lowers, forming a murky lake home to plenty of mutated fish to catch as well as the elusive alligator or snapping turtle. The lake, despite being polluted with archaic garbage, provides the source for many of the flooded areas throughout the marsh, yet fails to be a trustworthy water source for the wildlife. The animals who drink the contaminated water either die of poisoning or produce offspring with sickly and bizarre mutations, many of which can be spotted throughout territory. However, many smaller ponds near the town have been purified by Tanglers recently, allowing for more drinkable water to be readily available. Along with the marsh's natural defenses, members of Tanglewood have been taught to rig snares and nets in the undergrowth, trapping invaders unfortunate enough to step into their traps. Occasionally, the marsh proves to be a rather scenic place, with countless lily pads, idle ponds, and willow trees found beyond the eerie groves and clustered ferns.

THE FOREST: The further in one travels, the steeper the ground becomes, until the marsh drains and allows the dense undergrowth to open into a boreal forest, a woodland mixed with interwoven oaks, birches, and spruces, along with dozens of other trees. The forest is not too gloomy compared to the rest of territory, yet still manages to cause bristling hackles at every warbling chirp or ominous hoot. Throughout the year, wilted grass and bracken cover the forest floor, broken only by slick moss. Decaying stumps and logs constantly block abandoned trails, creating dead ends that lead to nowhere, and after a while, the forest has grown into a pointless labyrinth. Sometimes it appears as if the forest is seemingly rearranging its clearings and features every time one turns their back, leaving strangers disorientated and even more. Small brooks and ponds uncontaminated by the marsh's pollution are often stumbled across and serve as the few landmarks to help navigate. Tanglers who have lived in the area long enough have typically learned their way around the forest, leading it to be a useful spot for hidden bases and stashes of valuables. The hollows and clearing bordering the edge of the woodland are where various herbs are most abundant, labeling Tanglewood as a hotspot for medical supplies. From here, the forest splits into a field filled with undisturbed insects and cowering prey. The grass is tall enough to engulf a grown wolf, and it too has numerous traps hidden among the waving sea of green, along with broken glass and other shards of shrapnel. On occasion, corpses stripped of any tissue can be found locked in place as if attempting to escape a rapid danger.

THE SHORE: Although the forest is safe from floods thanks to being nestled on a hill, the earth slopes back down into the swamp, though the water is no longer congested with mangroves and duckweed. The marsh opens up into an estuary teeming with catfish and razor grass lurking in the saline water; this is where the swamp merges with the nearby coast. Because of the sudden mix of salt and fresh water, dangerous currents are known to drag creatures under the surface and sweep them out to sea. The expanse of wading water has accumulated a shoreline of silt and dark pebbles at the delta's end, where crustaceans and water fowl are commonly hunted. Many Tanglers gather to escape from the humidity and swim for a while in the clean, clear waters. Tanglers made an effort to clean up this area to allow for a public beach to be opened; the old docks were also repaired and repainted, forming a perfect place to fish for more food.

THE JUNKYARD: A distance away from the abandoned town Tanglewood calls home, a scrapyard has survived the ages. Rusted machinery overgrown with ivy and broken household appliances make their city here, piling up into the sky and casting long shadows on the bare soil. No trees grow in the lot, and the entire junkyard has been fenced off with barbed wire. Fortunately, portions off the fence have degraded with time, allowing for the chain-link to be lifted up and slipped under with minimal scratches. It is here where members scavenge and loot for spare parts or man-made materials, although many are irreparable. No prey ever dares to step foot in the junkyard, allowing rats and crows free reign over the garbage.

THE FARM: On the opposite side of town from the junkyard lies a decrepit barn encircled by a field of rye and wheat that managed to thrive even without human caretakers. In stark contrast to the scrap heap that makes up the junkyard, the farm is abundant with mice and grasshoppers, often attracting visiting birds of prey along with the competing mutated wildlife. Yet the fellow predators don't just hunt after rodents -- they're after the remaining population of livestock still clinging to the farm. Escaping the after effects of radiation thanks to an untouched watering hole, the surviving farm animals broke down their pens and stables, and now freely roam the ranch, although they seem to be too afraid to venture any further. Taking advantage of the unprotected livestock, Tanglewood has claimed the farm as a food supply as well as for possible trade goods. The remaining creatures on the farm, either incapable or unwilling to communicate, can be found throughout the farm: goats, cattle, sheep, chickens, pigs, domesticated rabbits, and turkeys.

THE CRATER: Towards the darkest corners of territory, a massive crater has practically dented the earth from a speculated source. Whatever it was, nothing has ever grown there since, and only skeletons of charred and slanted trees still stand, nearly uprooted by the impact's blast. Fine dust is whipped into dust devils, and lone burnt bodies can be spotted on the horizon after all these years, still waiting to be rescued. It is advised to never travel to the crater alone, or at all even, for radiation is believed to still pulsated throughout the air there. Strangely enough, while one theory suggests that it was a human nuclear bomb that caused the crater, it itself is far too small and controlled to be explained by that disaster. Some delusional creatures preach that the moon was yanked down from the atmosphere and crashed into the land as punishment for mankind's sins, while others just try to forget that the crater ever existed at all. Recently, Tanglers worked to build a small mausoleum in this area to honor the dead. However, shortly afterward some angry spirits rose from cracks in the earth, leaving the shrine's fate unknown for the time being.

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