Slacking Off

 I have everything I need now in terms of format and copy/paste material. I am going to let the ideas simmer until the New Year.

Happy Holidays, shield brothers and sisters.

Area: The North Road

 The North Road was created to make it possible to travel overland from Vesban to the port of Alliri. Without the road, people have to follow the Valtass to the sea and then sail West. A well-maintained land road serviced by carriages  made getting to and from Alliri from the heartlands of Tassia much easier.

In the High Age, and the early Age of Man, Tassia's outriders, the Wayknights, teamed up with peasant rangers and elves to protect the region.

Today, however, the North Road has become increasingly dangerous. The curse is placed on the woodland often create false trails near road bends that leave people into dark and dangerous places. Savage creatures like ax beaks have been released from the old fairy trods to pray upon man. And it is rumored that the dead do not rest in the old cemeteries and necropoli along the road.

When people started fleeing the woodland during the crusades, and then again when the wilderness became twisted in the last couple of generations, it became the policy of the way nights to burn all abandoned houses, because red caps, gremlins, or bogarts infest any building left derelict for more than a few months.

Houses burned by the way nights became referred to as North road torches, because they could be seen almost every night during the early days of the crusades. It is a phrase that signifies despair, the belief that man is marching towards extinction.

The North Road  follows south from Alliri through Hex 0101, 0202, 0203, & 0204 them extends another 240 miles to Vesban.

Random Encounters on the North Road

d4+d6	Day Encounters	d4+d6	Night Encounters
2	Bell & Hammer patrol (1d4+2 Bell & Hammer Witch Hunters)	2	2d6 Hate-Breed (use Orcs in standard OSR games
3	2d4 Axe Beaks	3	2d4 Axe Beaks
4	Patrol of 2d10 soldiers from Alliri	4	1d4+1 Smokies* hunting an Ogre
5	Extreme Weather	5	Extreme Weather
6	Coach with 1d3 armed guards escorting 1d3 nobles or wealthy merchants	6	Armed campsite with 2d3 guards and 1d3 nobles or merchants
7	Wandering madman	7	Wandering madman
8	2d10 Common Travelers (1 in 6 chance of being under attack by boggarts	8	2d10 wolves
9	Roll on special encounters	9	Roll on special encounters
10	2d6 Red Talon Cultists	10	2d3 Red Talon Cultists

Special Encounters

d12	Special Encounters
1	A lost child, nearly starwved weeps by the roadside. Roll a d6 1-3 her parents are looking for her and a searching party will be encountered within 1d3 hours. On a 4-5 it is a fey trick, and the child is a biggart in disguise. On a 6 the child is a ghost and will lead the PCs to the site of a tragedy and a rich treasure.
2	A weary Crusader carries a coffin with the corpse of an elf maid chained to his back as penance looks for the secret to redemption or final death.
3	Broken Wagon surrounded by corpses, a trail leads to where hate breed (1-3 on 1d6) red talon cultists (4-5 on 1d6), or mourners (6 on 1d6) torment and plan to sacrifice 1d4 women and children
4	Ghostly House*
5	Evoral the Torch*
6	1d3 Bell & Hammer Witch Hunters ambushed by 2d4 smokies*. 1d3 additional witch hunters lie dead
7	2d3 Red Talon Cultists leading 1d3 soldiers away to be sacrificed.
8	The White Hart leads the PCs to a door to fairyland
9	1d4 Bell & Hammer Witch Hunters in a ranged battle with 2d4 Red Talon Cultists.
10	A Tzwa Bloodketter hunts an exhausted commoner who fled an attack on a nearby village.
11	A Procession of 3d8 unearthly beautiful elves and Sidhe walk across the road, using Mondas as a shortcut between trods. They will enslave or kill the PCs if they draw attention to themselves.
12	The Glatisant stalks nearby, hunting the prey set for it by a powerful fae prince. There is a 1-in-29 chance it's prey is a PC based on some Crusade-era grudge on their ancestors. Otherwise it will ignore the PCs unless provoked.

*Indicates an encounter to be expanded on later.

Encounter: The Crusader's Shrine

Location: Hex 0204

Discovery Order: First

Along the North-Road about 20 miles South of the Lazy Cockatrice Inn there is a shrine by the side of the road. It is not much more than a conical pile of irregular stones mortared together. A pair of small rusted hatches face the road. One is about 3' off the ground, and is square with many decorative holes. The other just 1' above the ground, and wide. A rusted shield from the era of the goblin wars, enameled black leans against one side, and an enchanted sword in a rotted leather sheath on another.

This is the home of Aarden Dale, a crusader. Dale was one of the many crusaders that the Sidhe cursed with immortality during the pogroms against the Fair Folk. His eternity has no been a kind one.

Aarden was torn to pieces by a dragon around a century ago (he's bad at keeping track of time.) Everything from the ribcage down was simply burned away. He lost his left arm while serving as a coachman-archer for the great-grandfather of the Cockatrices' landlord. His arm was ripped off by axe-beaks.

Aarden was enshrined where he saved the coachman's life, and has lived as a holy hermit ever since, contemplating the folly of Man, and considering the Confessions of Laren.

The landlords of the Lazy Cockatrice occasionally slide simple food in for him through the lower grate to soothe the pain of his hunger. He collects rainwater for drinking and washing by way of a funnel in the top of the shrine. He occasionally allows himself to become dormant from lack of food, but always awakens eventually.

Aside form the tiny chamber in which he resides, the shrine sits atop a maze of narrow tunnels and latrine pits. They have led to rich soil, and a profusion of flowers and wild vegetables grow around the immediate area of the shrine.

What Aarden Wants:

• To still feel helpful.
• Fine foods.
• His lost arm.
• To apologize to the Sidhe.

What Aarden does Not Want:

• To leave the safety of his shrine.
• To isk taking more damage.
• To let other people get hurt.
• To help witch hunters.

What Ellse:

• Aarden knows some magicaal secrets of interest to the Queen of Birds.
• He will teach protectice spells to a Mage of good heart.
• He will trade auguries for stories of current events and an offering of sweets.

Further Hooks

• The Axe-beaks that stole his arm carried it off to somewhere cold and dry, and left it there. Aarden can still feel it, and would like it back.
• Aarden sometimes has visions. He would rather not share them.
• Aarden's religious counsel might be enough to help recover from Madness every bot as effectively as a Confessor... if someone were willing to do some labors for him.

Deathtrap Lite Mechanics

Aarden Dale

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HD 7 Arm -3 Dam 1d8 ×1 CLOSE 

Mor: unshakeable AL +3; Stength+1; Intellect: +2, Charisma +1

Close Combat: Expert; Recall Arcane Lore: Expert 

Survival: Trained, Weave a Spelll Trained

Recall Crusader Lore: Expert, Leadership Trained

You want to talk to a mad old fool like me? Your situation must be dire indeed! I will see if my stories have some kind of value to you...

---

Aarden is a lonely man who is fond of coversation and telling stories and can train a peititioner in swordsmanship.

Immobile: Aarden cannot walk under his own power. nor even use a wheelchair to get around. He can crawl a few feet each round if necessary. 

Immortal: No mater how greivous the wound, Aarden cannot die. Wounds that would kill him cannot be cured wxcept by way of trollblood oil.

Incorruptible: aarden cannot be affected by corruption effects when he casts spells. Any tiem he might gain corruption, it isntead causes a wild magic effect.

Spells: If using simple or classical spellcasting Aarden knows the following spells: blessing, conjure servitor, sanctum, warding, augury, blessed light, cure wounds..

Old-School Mechanics

Aarden Dale: AC 13 [6]; HD 7; Atk: shortsword (1d6); ThAC0: 17 [+2]; SA: Spells; SQ: Immortal; SV: C 3 D 11 P 12 W 14 B 16 S 15; Mov: 5' (0'); AL L; ML: 11; Int 12; XP: ; TT: none

Immortal: No mater how greivous the wound, Aarden cannot die. Whenever he drops to 0hp, he returns to 1hp at the sunrise.

Spells: Aarden cast spells as a 4th level Cleric. He has the following spells prepared: bless, cure light wounds, sanctuary, augury

Faction: The Red Talon Cult

 The queen of birds is an ancient fairy who lives on the southern face of Mount Hornugg. In the high age she was a beautiful Sidhe who teamed the kites, eagles, and ospreys of the region. They told her everything that came and went in the area for miles below her rookery.

She trained a order of rangers in the arts of falconry, listening to the language of birds, and would inform The druids with the closest relationship to her of dangers moving through the woodland.. in return, the people send fifth sons to be her disciples and learn the arts, who would ate her in regular Dragon Hunt for the heart and blood of the creatures.

She also took sacrifice of goblins, bogarts, and red caps to feed her own special breed of enchanted osprey, the Wherries.

In time, the reverence at the locals gave to her allowed her to ascend the status of a Petty regional goddess.

When the crusade began it's indiscriminate purges of Faye folk, followers of the queen of birds for some of the first targeted. Her druids, her rangers, several local falconers, and village Wise women were put to the sword in the name of breaking her influence. Once the magic that gave her Divinity was weakened, 38 crusaders went up the mountainside to finish the job. To a man the worries through them off the cliffs or Hawks tore out their eyes while they were in the middle of a climb. Sending all of them to grizzly deaths. The queen of birds retreated to higher peaks and was not heard from again for three generations.

The grief and mourning over The mortals who loved her twisted her into a fearsome unsealy hag. Noble birds of prey that once served her were replaced by cruel mutations, scavengers such as the condors and Ravens of the region.

She watched from on high as the people at the base of the Hornugg that once loved her dwindled, eventually leaving only a handful of die hard followers, as the rest were forced to head to the cities to find work and sustenance.

In fact, The villages you once watched over were all but forgotten by the king of tassia for years. When he did remember, he sent a mix of inquisitors and armed tax collectors to ensure that these wayward peasants paid their back taxes and had not kept the old ways. And militarized Abby was established to ensure that the people heard the words the confessors, and continued to honor the state.

The brutality with which they were treated finally inspired the wicked old hagged to come down from her roost. She lured the most and bittered and he'll treated amongst the villagers and offered to teach them her arts once again. This time, however, she taught them very different skills. The ability to warp the woods. To conjure fogs and move and shadow. The ability to conjure crows to tear out the eyes of their enemies.

She lain with some of the men and hatched a brood of herpes, which are cultists can call down. Soon, his cult of the red talon Purge the abbey, the taxman, and the witch hunters who followed them. They went higher into the mountains, taking their families with them and formed a cult that has since waged a guerrilla War on the cult of the confessor, and the crown.

In the intervening decades, the people of the mountain have mixed with herpes and dark fairies drawn to the queen of birds. The people there have become more hatebreed than human. They occasionally kidnap people from villages that have remained loyal to the crown for sacrifice to the queen and her Wherries. They offer protection and magical aid to those who give them sacrifice. And occasionally serve as mercenaries in house and guild warfare, at the price of gold, blood, and silence.

The activities of the cult of the red talent have served as a pretext for the bell and Hammer to move into the region. However, they have done little to actually Purge The cult, preferring instead to Target political enemies of the crown on the other side of the mountains.

Deathtrap Lite Style

Red Talon Cultist

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HD 3 Arm +1 Dam 1d6 ×1 CLOSE or 1d6 x1 FAR 

Mor: +1 AL -2; Intellect: +1

Ranged Combat: Trained; Recall Arcane Lore: Expert

Survival: Expert Perform Cantrip: Expert Stealth: Trained

Weave a Spell: Trained

The Queen of Birds demands eyes and tongues in pay for what the Godless have done. Those who trespass on our land cannot see our secrets, and cannot tell others what they have seen.

---

Red Talon Cultists are twisted by the Queen of Birds' magic, and by their own interbreeding with harpies and other monsters of the wilderness. They wear armor of hardened bark, branches twisted into sinew, and layers of feathers. They know few spells, but are usually served by raven familiars. They are armed with heavy stone knives and hunting bows.

• Old School Magic: If you are using Old-School Magic, the cultists know the following spells: 1st level: Conjure Familiar, Entanglement, Phantasm Minor; 2nd Level: Call of Beaks and Talons, Speech of Beasts.

• Simple Spells: If you are using simple spells, they know Bird Person, and Conjure Familiar.

• Free-Form Magic: If you are using free form magic, Cultists of the Red Talon have +2 when casting spells to control birds, move stealthily, or manipulate plants and animals. They are at -2 for all other forms of magic.

New Spell: Call of Beaks and Talons: Conjures a swarm of spectral ravens that attack up to three NEAR targets who are CLOSE to one another. Targets must roll: Reflexes + DEX or take 2d3 damage. If they are wounded by this damage, it is an injury to the eyes of the appropriate severity.

Old-School Style

Red Talon Cultist: AC 8; HD 3; Atk: Stone knife (1d6) or shortbow (1d6); SA: Spells; SV: MU 3; Mov: 120' (30'); AL C; ML: 8; Int 14; XP: 50; TT: P, Q

Spells: Red Talon Cultists cast spells as 3rd level Magic Users. They have the following spells prepared: darkness, entanglement, call of beaks and talons;

New Spell:

Call of Beaks and Talons

Level: 2
Duration: 1 round
Range: 30'

The caster creates a 30' cone of clawing, pecking phantasmal crows. 

• All creatures caught in the cone must make a Save vs. Death or take 2d3 damage.
• Creatures that take 5 or more damage must also Save vs. Death a second time or be temporarily blinded.
• If using material components, this spell requires a raven's skull stuffed with noxious herbs and feathers. The herbs and feathers are consumed by the casting of the spell.

Modern Hex Map

 

This version of my campaign map is made in Campaign Cartographer 3. I scaled up the hexes to 24 mile hexes. It took me around 3 hours to get it right as I am still figuring out the software. Obviously, none of the objects are built to scale. Further refinements will be forthcoming as the project evolves.

Classic Style Hex Map

 Here is version 1 of the hex map for this  exercise.

Faction: The Bell and Hammer

 

The Bell and Hammer is a force of brutal faerie-slayers and witch-hunters charge with hunting down mourners (people who hold to the faiths of the old gods), hate-breed, necromancers, and the faerie folk that have begun repopulating the woodlands. At least, that is what they are in theory.

In practice they are the Crown's Brute Squad. The Bell and Hammer has license to target anyone suspected of having truck with dark powers, and extract information any way they need to. The Commander of the Bell and Hammer, Heinrich Sprenger, has secret orders to keep a constant pressure on the region. To be brutal enough and choose the targets of their inquisition selectively to cause the most discontent with the local lords.

They make a show of keeping villagers paranoid by bringing to light minor offenders in prominent places in the village, and spectacles when they catch wealthy guildmasters of minor Northern nobles dabbling in illegal magics or having truck with dangerous spirits.

Faction: The Crown of Tassia

Crest of the House of Brand
Royal Family of Tassia
sable a water wheel argent, per bend azure
a castle of three towers argent

Tassia was once ground zero for the goblin wars. Much of the nation is covered in sprawling, dark forests deciduous forests. Most of the settlements are built along wide, slow Rivers that ru to the sea in the north. The capital, Varnic, is a mighty fortress city built on the mountain pass that serves as the easiest road in and out of the nation from the South, and the head of the mightiest of those rivers.

In the High Age, Tassia's forests were once full of elves and fairy folk, just as the mountains that form the boundaries of Tassia once had several mighty dwarf strongholds that paid tribute to the human Kings of Tassia.

Humanity carved out vast farmlands along the river banks, and cleared roadways to several lakes and mountain passes The people made offerings of gold, friendship, and occasionally of servants chosen by lottery to keep in good relationships with the elves. Several of the most potent fae creatures in the woodland were worshiped as lesser gods, and offered their own sacrifices.

The darkest, most tangled parts of the wood were prime breeding grounds for the goblin folk and other wicked creatures. More often than not, when the goblins grew in large numbers, the elves would cut them down before they became a problem. Humanity rarely had to deal with that threat. A service worth the odd comely maiden and coffer of gold.