So, we return with the next part of the Gygax 75 Challenge - making a campaign setting from scratch over 5 weeks.
The second section is about creating "the surrounding area", the starter point for the game - launching point of (hopefully) many years of adventures!
Remember, you can play along at home - visit Ray Otus' itch.io store and download the workbook (for free!) to get started!
Now, at first I admit I went overboard. As a naval sandbox, I wanted to make an area that was large enough to provide enough area to sail around, hiding all sorts of trouble and fun. However, to keep with rough nautical conventions, that means using a scale where one hex is 12 miles*. That ends up covering a lot of ground, and it means that the "dead spots" on the map with no content are truly dead. I plan to fill those in with a fairly comprehensive set of encounter tables, but the little I did will serve as a good basis for future steps.
I used the free version of Hexographer v2 to create the maps - it's a great resource, super easy to use, and free!
However, the advice given is to start much smaller - make a 1-mile hexmap of the "starter" location. This ended up working out great, as it meant I could reasonably start players without a ship, but with opportunities to earn enough to buy a small vessel and start sailing relatively quickly. It also serves as a base for furture exploration; being in the centre of the map, and near several small island chains as well as one major island (which I will come back to in a later post), the starter map seems like a good compromise.
Which brings us to the island of New Rook.
One Settlement of a Significant Size
Peridot
The largest town on New Rook, Peridot was the first city settled on the island. Originally formed by a large group of Pesha refugees, Peridot has developed into a bustling, cosmopolitan city that is constantly growing.
The Pesha brought many elements of their culture, but as others arrive, more cultures, Gods and traditions all syncretize to form a new safe haven, away from the horrors of the Empire's war machine. Anything you could desire can be found here, for the right price. Artisans, smiths and mages all offer their wares in the town square, and new talent appears on a daily basis.
A South-Asian inspired sense of architecture, lots of bright colours, painted frescoes, beautiful temples.
Two Other Settlements
Pearl
Pearl is a small fishing village on the coast. After settling there, the Pasha found themselves facing aggression from a shoal of Sea Elves, moving through the undersea caravanserai just off the coast; the Elves assumed they were from the Empire, having faced off against their ships in the past. After some diplomacy, an alliance was formed; the Sea Elves provided the bounties of the sea, while the Pearlers provided wrought metal and the land-bound crafts they could provide. The population is now spread between the village and the sea, whether on boats or small floating caravans.
Very rustic, classic fishing village aesthetics, nets everywhere
Basos
More of a temporary refuge, Basos is a city built by Guanas, for Guanas. These lizardfolk have settled on smaller islands further north, but have created a small foothold on the northern coast of New Rook. This allows them to trade with the settlers of New Rook, and keep an eye on them to make sure they are not going to push north in a surge of expansionism.
The city mostly consists of small clay-adobe buildings, with complex solarium windows installed to catch the sun during the day and retain heat at night. The areas closest to the beach are designed around natural basking spots; even the trading areas have large raised platforms to better catch the sun at midday.
One Major Terrain Feature
Lake Pyrite
The large lake in the centre of New Rook drains out to the sea in two small rivers, creating natural waterways from one end of the island to the other. As of yet, no work has been done to create a ferry system, or to remove the heavy jungle around the lake. This is partially due to the towns only being settled in the last few decades, and partially because said jungle contains a number of small bandit groups who raid the outlying villages.
One Mysterious Site To Explore
The Isle of the Black Towers
Just off the south-western coast of New Rook, The Isle stands apart from New Rook, and the locals like it that way. Generally held to be either haunted or just plain evil, this island is covered in thick jungle, which sways silently in the wind. Hidden amongst the jungle are various strange flora, and seemingly no animal life, even after a decade of the Storm being clear of the Isle.
The Isle is named for the two cyclopean black basalt towers that can be seen from the mainland of New Rook; over 100 feet tall and perfectly cylindrical, they cut an imposing shadow as the sun sets.
One (Main) Dungeon Entrance
The Northern Tower
The north-most tower on The Isle of the Black Towers has an entrance around half-way up its height. Some have tried to enter, but so far none have returned from their expeditions. Well, one supposedly did, but Old Jim doesn't talk much anymore.
Extra Credit
Create a Random Encounter Table
Join me next week for Section 3: The Dungeon!
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