Though doubted in its existence, many daredevil explorers have spread hushed tales of a very peculiar clearing in the already plenty peculiar Everfree forest. It's said one may come across a grand lake, where a thick haze obscures the senses and, regardless of when you entered, a starless, inky black night will blanket the normally beautiful Equestrian sky. Not even the moon is safe from this eternal night. Some speculate it to be a leftover mistake from Nightmare Moon's madness, which the ruling sisters would rather forget than fix. This seems to be the most likely theory, as the waters that cover this great clearing seems to have... dark spirits lingering on in it's murky depths. 

While no precise measurements exist and speculations wildly differ, many still believe walking around the lake's perimeter to be the safest route to continue on past it, as the lurking terrors in the foggy mire aren't worth the time saved. Of course, that is to believe this abomination even exists. Explorers are notorious for fluffing their stories of intrigue and wonder with just that...

Some do swear by it, though. Those who claimed to have seen it. They can only speak of it in whispers, which is partly why it has the name 'Marianna’s Silence.' The name truly comes from the lake itself though, and the whole area that surrounds it. The usually alive, watching Everfree is eerily quiet in this region. Her waters are completely flat, assuming you aren't paddling a canoe through it, and even then, you'll only see the ripples on the murky surface. The water is like ink, and not even a vague reflection would show if you were to look into it... but you know what they say about voids.

The haunting quiet will snuff out your screams when you see ripples in the flat water that obviously didn't come from you, or when you hear an odd scratching on the bottom surface of your canoe.

Coverart done by my dear friend, Fig.