The tales of the leechkin date back millenia, but only a few of the elder leeches can still recall those days.
As they remember it, Polaqu belonged to the leeches, and they fought the dry races incessantly to defend their homes. In the end, a powerful rite performed by the dry magi brought salt into the world. The leeches greatly feared this new matter, and were pushed back to their most ancient fortresses in the swamps. As the dry races fought among themselves, the elder leeches patiently awaited the time to pounce. Scouts were sent to the battlefields to observe the battles and learn the tactics of their enemies. After many years, the leech tribes decided to reclaim the settlements that bordered their swamps. None of the dry races had expected the primitive and feral leeches to strike, and many villages near the marshlands were lost.
After the initial successes however, the leechkin tide was halted by their own tactical sense. The wisest of the elder leeches knew that a few swampland settlements were of no importance to the dry race leaders. However, if the leeches were seen as a clear and present threat, they would probably be destroyed outright. With this in mind, the offensive was halted though not all leeches agreed with this. Some argued that the delay would enable the dry races to gather knowledge of the leechkin ways, as the leeches themselves had done. As it were, the elders were adamant in their decision and no attacks have been reported since.
==The Present Situation
Today, the leeches serve either as explorers in a war-torn world, or savege mercenaries. Either role serves the purposes of the leechkin, as they continue to learn the ways of their enemies and sharpen their skills in battle against the dry races. For those who possess arcane skills, the goal of banishing salt from Polaqu remains the unattainable prize.