Froggy Bottom Bog (Part 1) · 2:12pm Nov 16th, 2014
collage used for the Froggy Bottom Bog adventure in my Stalliongrad campaign
Xenith hesitated, but relented as the silence stretched out. “I learned the brewing of potions and remedies both mundane and magical from my grandparents. In their youth, they had been adventurers of sorts, prying into all the forbidden places -- even delving into the Everfree Forest in search of the Hut of Zecora and braving Lookout Plateau that rises above the dark fumes of Froggy Bottom Bog along the vilest stretch of the Ponytomic -- searching out old recipes and lore of zebra-kind that had been over a century lost. It is from them that I learned the ways and tales of the zebra people… or as much as I know of them.”
Equestrian Wasteland expanded headcanon time. 
In previous blogs, I have made mention of Froggy Bottom Bog, and I promised a future blog dedicated to this area. The blog below is primarily designed as a source of inspiration and ideas for GMs and players of Fallout: Equestria tabletop roleplaying games (such as the one I helped design here.) Froggy Bottom Bog is open for anyone who wants to use it for adventures or campaigns, character backstory, or even a story setting. Enjoy!
Because of the length of this, I'm splitting Froggy Bottom Bog into two posts. The first is a general look at the area. The second will talk about the people, places and monsters of Froggy Bottom Bog. Enjoy!
art by Teschke
From The Wasteland Survival Guide (Revised and Expanded Edition):
When asked about the most dangerous parts of the Equestrian Wasteland, most ponies would speak of the massively irradiated and taint-filled Splendid Valley, or the radiation hot-zone of Whitetail Woods. Others would recall the nightmare that the Everfree Forest had been before the fires or pink-shrouded, pre-fall Canterlot. But no list of the wasteland’s places-best-avoided would be complete without at least a mention of Froggy Bottom Bog.
Froggy Bottom Bog
pre-war image of southwestern Froggy Bottom Bog
Geography
Froggy Bottom Bog is the collective name for a massive wetland stretching from one corner of the Everfree Forest up to the northern branch of the Ponytomic. The wetland can be divided into five regions. Moonshine Bayou forms the northern region where the northern Ponytomic flows. To the southeast is the volcanically active Fire Geyser Swamp. The southwestern region is Froggy Bottom, a massive bog fed by the wild storms the roll out from the Everfree Forest. These distinct regions are interconnected by sprawling swamplands. Rising up in the center of the wetlands is Lookout Plateau.
pre-war image of ponies seeking refuge from a hydra on the cliffs of Lookout Plateau
History
Froggy Bottom Bog has always been treacherous, its few inhabitants isolated from the rest of Equestria. The region only boasted a single town with a noticeable population. Most who lived within the area did so in insular clusters of homes or family estates. For many generations even before the war, the more secluded pockets of population were attributed with aggressive segregation and inbreeding.
One town, situated in the bayou along the bank of the Ponytomic, engaged in sporadic trade with paddleboats traveling the northern arm of the river between Baltimare and Stalliongrad, as well as infrequent merchants who dared the journey from the villages beyond Froggy Bottom Bog’s southern border. In the prosperous years before and during the war, the town expanded, building a large boardwalk to accommodate visiting river travelers. Pre-war records indicate the boardwalk was named Moon Crescent Boardwalk, but was more commonly called Moonshine Boardwalk thanks to the town’s thriving business in homebrew liquors. While the original name of the town has been lost, the ponies who currently live in the area have named it Moon-walk, a name taken from largely-faded lettering on a riverside storefront.
pre-war ponies of delivering goods to the town now known as Moon-walk
During the war, Froggy Bottom Bog became a haven for corporations who wanted to avoid public examination or governmental oversight. Industry within Froggy Bottom Bog was effectively unregulated. In addition, the lack of population made it appealing as a testing ground for potentially dangerous R&D, and a dumping ground for industrial waste. Companies which built facilities in the area include Ironshod, which located its mine-manufacturing factory within the bayou, and New Futures, which used the area for testing alternative energy reactors. Additionally, we now know that after the Equestrian government began to outlaw drugs imported from the zebra lands, several chemical companies built facilities within the swamp that were being used to cultivate and manufacture these drugs.
In the latter third of the war, Froggy Bottom Bog became home to one of three Social Re-Adjustment Camps, detainment facilities for zebra prisoners-of-war.
Due to the lack of population and what was deemed unsuitable terrain, no Stables were built within the wetlands. If there were evacuation plans for the population, they have been lost to history. However, no evacuation ever occurred. During the apocalypse, Froggy Bottom Bog avoided direct attack, but still suffered from the continent-wide fallout.
a chimera stalks my camerapony in Fire Geyser Swamp
The Dark Fumes
The predominant feature of the wasteland swamp is the unnatural fog that envelops the wetlands like a thick mist. Little is understood about the exact nature of the fog, but its effects are clearly supernatural. Some believe that the fog comes from the vents in Fire Geyser Swamp, or that they first formed from the smoke that came from the Good Pony incinerator chimneys. Or that maybe it is the swamp’s immune system manifested in response to the radiation storms that followed in the wake of the apocalypse. No one is certain. Fortunately, the fog is neither poisonous nor necromantic.
However, it not only truncates normal visibility, but muffles and distorts sound (and according to one hellhound, accentuates smell). Magical senses become unreliable at distances beyond normal sight, and both E.F.S. and S.A.T.S. cannot be relied on, often failing to track actual targets and even giving phantom information.
More alarming is that the fog seems to distort travel and prevent proper navigation. Maps of the swamp are useless under most conditions because paths cannot be counted on to lead to predictable locations. Teleportation within the fog is entirely random. And once inside the fog, any attempt to leave is thwarted. Travelers will find themselves unable to leave the fog-shrouded wetlands, even those who attempt to follow the Ponytomic or fly directly upwards.
art by Calamityb31
Getting In and Getting Out
Entering Froggy Bottom Bog is easy. There are several land routes, as well as travel along the northern Ponytomic. There are only two reliable ways out of Froggy Bottom Bog.
If someone knows how to read the fog-affected currents of the Ponytomic, it is possible to navigate in and out of the swamplands by boat. Individuals who can manage this are exceptionally rare, but one such individual – and earth pony named Tubar who owns a salvaged paddleboat – offers folks passage on his ship for a reasonable price.
Where the Ponytomic carves around the north-western edge of Lookout Plateau, a large lighthouse has been constructed above the river. This lighthouse was built by a platoon of the Lunar Engineer Corps from Stable 16 in Baltimare. The lighthouse uses a bulb crafted by a dragon and infused with draconic magic. When lit, the light from the lighthouse provides a navigational anchor in defiance of the fog, making travel within the swamp (and even out of it) predictable. Unfortunately, some of the more unsavory locals have a habit of sabotaging the lighthouse.
Ooh, I want more!
Pretty cool. I had a feeling that this was your version of Point Lookout, I just didn't realize it actually was the real deal until you mentioned Tubar and his boat. I like this headcanon.
Now there's an interesting place.
Fog that seems to try to keep you in the bog. Land untouched by direct attack on Equestria, but still suffering from second hand effects of the war. With the mine factory, alternative energy research labs and all the drug chemical plants, it must be a scavengers delight....Well that's if you can find the places and navigate your way back out that is.
hi hi
When lost in the fog, one wonders where you might end up if you just close your eyes and don't watch where you're going. Is it possible to be misdirected when you've got no destination?
Fascinating stuff. Definitely looking forward to more.
Wait a minute? From how this talks about the smog and the general fact that ponies live there, it sounds like the smog mostly only active to prevent deliberate attempts of leaving the place. While hindering all advantages of teleporting, E.F.S. and S.A.T.S., it doesn't sound like the effect is born of ill intent, but from some kind of intention of simply keeping them from re-entering the wasteland that surrounds it.
Certainly is an interesting place to read about. It certainly is an odd place to figure out. You might almost think their was some sort of intelligence behind the fog.
2598705 Well considering it can even misdirect with actual paths, it sounds like simple misdirection by senses aren't it's only trick. Sounds like it might even be able of warping space inside itself.
Sounds like its possible that you could find yourself walking a path only after walking it one way for a while, only to find yourself walking in the opposite direction on the same path without turning around or find yourself walking back into town from the opposite end from where you tried to walk out of wetlands.
Question, by Volcanic do you mean this is geothermal or is it from flamable swamp gas?
Just curious.
2598824
"Trying to walk out," implies that one has a destination in mind, what I meant was about having no direction. Might also be interesting to see what happens when you try to go the direction the fog is trying to direct you.
Okay so I get it ponies can't get out easily but why would flying upward not be possible?
Weather anomalies? Disorientation? Effects of gas? Clouds wield hammers?
"built"
All I can say is, now someone needs to make a supplement for the PnP, for a pre-made campaign based on Point Lookout.
Or write a story.
Point is, we've been given the pieces, let's get out there!
yay
If Tubar's story ended anything like Tobar's did, I'm guessing that the party in this game were eventually forced to go repair/defend the lighthouse in order to escape the Bog.
I would love to write a story about the campaign I'm planning,too bad I'm likely never getting around tot hat.
I'm planning the campaign to have a serious HP Lovecraft feeling. The place is called Froggy Bottom Bog. I'm sure the frogs got mutated.