South of Cogspit, the Murky Lakes occupy depressions where sediment from the Shasalassere Mountains collects. The water here is perpetually clouded—you can't see six inches below the surface. The murk protects the abundant fish population from aerial predators but makes fishing complicated.
The locals have developed specialized techniques involving baited nets and patience. The murk also hides the fish from the Shasalassere mermaids, who hunt primarily by sight and vibration. Whether the mermaids have actually colonized Murky Lakes is unclear—no one has seen them there, but no one can see much of anything there.
Travelers are advised to treat Murky Lakes as potentially mermaid-infested until proven otherwise. The murk that protects fish would equally hide approaching threats.