Editing Shattered Sun (section)

====''A Cradle of Life and Death''====
There is nothing alive in the City besides its now-established ecosystem of fungi and insects. Other creatures may survive there for only a paltry week before the spores in the air begin to take effect. The kinder ones merely causes intense hallucinations while the more common (and deadlier) ones cause tenacious mushrooms to take root in the victim's lungs, and from there devour it from the inside out.

The insects seem to swarm constantly in the dank coldness, biting and stinging anyone who draws near to their domain, causing infections and disease unknown to even the best physicians of the Cities. The insects are only held at bay by Light, be it from a Shard or even a fire, something so alien to them it overcomes even their hunger and drives them off in their hordes. The ground is uneven and contains otherwise invisible, gaping sink-holes that can swallow horses whole, with muck and slime so thick that men have broken bones being dragged out by their friends. 

If not for the steel machines still within intact factories and the chance of a large sum of gold held throughout the City's bank, as well as the promise of knowledge from before the Awakening, no-one would dare to enter the swamp and face the wrath of its ever expanding, tainted grasp. But, there still exist a few who dare to go where others have died before in search of glory, riches, knowledge, perhaps even more...

And the Rotting Swamp will gladly welcome their corpses.