Well, the Dead Marshes have a rather dark back story. There was a time when it was a normal, perhaps even fertile area. But then came the wars. Armies from different sides converged here. The fighting was brutal and unrelenting. So many people died that the land couldn't handle it. It became waterlogged as the water sources were disrupted by the destruction. The dead bodies seeped into the ground and the water, creating a toxic and spooky environment. Legends grew around it, with tales of strange noises and apparitions that are said to be the souls of the dead soldiers still trapped in this desolate place.