Blood Marsh

"The rot of organic life assaults the senses as fetid earth gives way beneath each step. Murky water bubbles along the sunken trails and strange, violent creatures lurk just beyond light's reach. Below the layers of silt and grime of this unwelcoming marshland lays an ancient ruin of great power...and even greater mystery. Welcome to the Blood Marsh."

The Blood Marsh is an area of fetid swamps outside Westmarch, stretching into the western reaches of Khanduras.

Lore
Life is harsh in the Blood Marsh, and this is represented by the hierarchy of the creatures that live there. It is a massive, swampy stretch of land with many caverns, split by rivers and tributaries often utilized for passage and trade. It is a hotbed of blood magic, and venomous creatures can be found in the marsh.

History
In ancient times, the Blood Marsh hosted Corvus, a city inhabited by nephalem. With the dampening of their powers by Inarius's tampering with the Worldstone, the city fell into decline. In time, the marsh's secrets were forgotten.

In recent times, the marsh has taken a turn for the worse. These effects are demonstrated in changes in the marsh's flora and fauna. The bogans have recently grown more aggressive, defending their territory with increasingly insidious traps and fortifying their hovels with crudely constructed watch towers and palisades. Furthermore, what was once a verdant wetland has quickly evolved into a repugnant quagmire that grows less habitable by the day. Shortly after the defense of Bastion's Keep, rumors began to circulate of a powerful force in the area. As the marsh was a hotbed for blood magic, it was feared what this force might be able to exploit this primal power. Further adverse effects were observed due to the coming of Malthael and the Reapers.

The Nephalem entered the Blood Marsh to deal with Adria. The ruins reacted to their presence, as per their nephalem birthright.

In-game
The marsh appears as a zone in of Diablo III.

Monsters

 * Bogan Brutes
 * Bogan Trappers
 * Boggits
 * Maggot Broods
 * Terror Bats

Quests

 * "The Witch"

Development
Blood is the central theme of the Blood Marsh from a development point of view, including that of bloodlines. The developers conceived a festering swampland containing ruins, with ruins of an ancient civilization. This developed into the Blood Marsh, with the environment representing its blood motifs.