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Let’s Make a Hexcrawl Setting
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<blockquote data-quote="Daztur" data-source="post: 5905123" data-attributes="member: 55680"><p>Verdant ice, I like it <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /> Of course with how this setting has developed the climate is not going to make much sense from a scientific point of view, so its good to have magical things like this to explain how scrambled the climate is (although I guess it resembles California more than anything else, at least kind of...).</p><p></p><p>Let’s provide some more backstory to Hoth Achaar (the orc fortress). Orcs in this setting seem to be quite civilized, if rather Klingon-ish, while goblins seem to be far more fae. Let’s drive a nice big wedge in between those two races so that goblins are more than low rent orcs and orcs have their own shtick.</p><p></p><p><strong>The Ten Thousand Stumps</strong></p><p>Hex 24.02</p><p></p><p>In this valley that opens out into the southern foothills of the Grey Mountains few plants grow because the landscape is dominated by thousands and thousands of petrified stumps of oak trees. The orcs of Hoth Achaar (26.01) come here periodically to perform rites to their strange gods but otherwise the stumps lie undisturbed except for the occasional goat that jumps up onto one to escape the teeth of a warg. This lonely valley is one of the few reminders left of the goblin realm that was shattered by dwarves and their orcish allies in days long past.</p><p></p><p>These days the western border of the Kingswood lies far to the east of the Draugmere Peaks and the northwestern reaches of the Shrouded Lands contain more cows than trees. It was not always so. When Bergolast (38.28) still kept the Tarrasque in thrall the Kingswood stretched near to the western coast of these lands and you could walk from Thring to the western mountains without ever stepping out from under the shade of an oak tree. In those days the goblins ruled the western forest as the vassals of the elven Bloodied King (29.07), thieved from the halls of the giants and warred with the dwarves of the north.</p><p></p><p>Tiring of constant goblin raids, the dictators of the dwarves hired orcs by the thousand and they came to the Grey Mountains, wargs slinking at their heels, and worked with the dwarves to build five great fortresses. But, as the story goes, of the five, four were finished. Of the four, three were ever manned. Of the three, two survived their first siege. Of the two only the Titan’s Skull is still in dwarven hands today. Some of these fortresses fell to goblin treachery and magic others to the warfare that broke out between orc and dwarf after the goblins were finally defeated and their oak trees laid low.</p><p></p><p>The goblins themselves are only a scattered remnant of their old strength (11.01) but they still remember what the orcs and dwarves did to their trees and they scream out their hatred in their midnight dances around oak trees and grow toadstools in twisted rings that spell out wicked runes. However, the dwarves did not profit from their victory in the goblin wars. Their western holdings were torn from their grasp by orcish rebellions that broke out after the defeat of the goblins and the exhausted dwarves were unable to prevent human and halfling colonists from pouring into what had once been the goblin forest to found what is now the Freeholds (18.07).</p><p></p><p>Hooks:</p><p>-What turned the stumps here to stone?</p><p>-How did the orcs and dwarves wipe out the goblins so effectively?</p><p>-Why did the elves not come to the aid of their goblin vassals? Or did they?</p><p>-Why did the orcs mutiny against their dwarven employers?</p><p>-Are there any other remnants of the old goblin realm in the northwestern bits of the shrouded lands?</p><p>-What exactly is the connection between goblins and oak trees anyway?</p><p></p><p><strong>The Ruins of Hoth Akhbir</strong></p><p>Hex 02.05</p><p></p><p>While at the zenith of their power, before the goblin wars, the dwarven dictators order the construction of five great fortresses (26.01) but only one (33.00) remains in dwarven hands today. The construction of Hoth Akhbr was especially ambitious for it sought to extend dwarven power all the way to the western coast. Maybe it would have done so, but its construction was never completed.</p><p></p><p>While the orcish and dwarven work crews were still hard at work raising the stones of the towers of Hoth Akhbir ever higher, a stone giant war band fell upon the work site, heaving great blocks of stone at the surprised engineers. It was all the work of Najir Dum. This goblin hero had acquired an enchanted flute of elven make and used it to draw the gnomish children out of the walls of the castle of the Mountain King. When their parents came wailing to him asking for their children back, Najir Dum said that he would be happy to oblige if they would steal the harp of the Mountain King in return.</p><p></p><p>The gnomes sniveled and screamed but in the end they agreed and the great golden harp passed into Najir Dum’s hands. Then, riding on the back of a great bat, he took the harp southwards and secreted it within the half-built walls of Hoth Akhbir. Najir Dum made sure that the Mountain King learned of where he harp could be found and that was the end for many dwarves, orcs and gnomes (once the giants learned of the gnomes role in the theft their wrath was terrible).</p><p></p><p>This is only one of the many stories the goblins still tell of the cunning of Najir Dum but they are not the only ones who remember the fate of Hoth Akhbir. The dwarven monastery (03.04) was later built out of its fallen stones and even today the dwarven brothers come here to drag away more of its stones.</p><p></p><p>Hooks:</p><p>-Is there anything left in Hoth Akhbir that would make exploring it worthwhile for adventurers?</p><p>-What was so special about the harp? Where is it now?</p><p>-Where was the hall of the Mountain King? Does the stone giant kingdom still exist?</p><p>-What are the other stories about Najir Dum? Did the stone giants ever learn that a goblin had tricked them?</p><p>-Where did Najir Dum get a giant bat?</p><p>-Does anything live in the ruins today?</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Daztur, post: 5905123, member: 55680"] Verdant ice, I like it :) Of course with how this setting has developed the climate is not going to make much sense from a scientific point of view, so its good to have magical things like this to explain how scrambled the climate is (although I guess it resembles California more than anything else, at least kind of...). Let’s provide some more backstory to Hoth Achaar (the orc fortress). Orcs in this setting seem to be quite civilized, if rather Klingon-ish, while goblins seem to be far more fae. Let’s drive a nice big wedge in between those two races so that goblins are more than low rent orcs and orcs have their own shtick. [b]The Ten Thousand Stumps[/b] Hex 24.02 In this valley that opens out into the southern foothills of the Grey Mountains few plants grow because the landscape is dominated by thousands and thousands of petrified stumps of oak trees. The orcs of Hoth Achaar (26.01) come here periodically to perform rites to their strange gods but otherwise the stumps lie undisturbed except for the occasional goat that jumps up onto one to escape the teeth of a warg. This lonely valley is one of the few reminders left of the goblin realm that was shattered by dwarves and their orcish allies in days long past. These days the western border of the Kingswood lies far to the east of the Draugmere Peaks and the northwestern reaches of the Shrouded Lands contain more cows than trees. It was not always so. When Bergolast (38.28) still kept the Tarrasque in thrall the Kingswood stretched near to the western coast of these lands and you could walk from Thring to the western mountains without ever stepping out from under the shade of an oak tree. In those days the goblins ruled the western forest as the vassals of the elven Bloodied King (29.07), thieved from the halls of the giants and warred with the dwarves of the north. Tiring of constant goblin raids, the dictators of the dwarves hired orcs by the thousand and they came to the Grey Mountains, wargs slinking at their heels, and worked with the dwarves to build five great fortresses. But, as the story goes, of the five, four were finished. Of the four, three were ever manned. Of the three, two survived their first siege. Of the two only the Titan’s Skull is still in dwarven hands today. Some of these fortresses fell to goblin treachery and magic others to the warfare that broke out between orc and dwarf after the goblins were finally defeated and their oak trees laid low. The goblins themselves are only a scattered remnant of their old strength (11.01) but they still remember what the orcs and dwarves did to their trees and they scream out their hatred in their midnight dances around oak trees and grow toadstools in twisted rings that spell out wicked runes. However, the dwarves did not profit from their victory in the goblin wars. Their western holdings were torn from their grasp by orcish rebellions that broke out after the defeat of the goblins and the exhausted dwarves were unable to prevent human and halfling colonists from pouring into what had once been the goblin forest to found what is now the Freeholds (18.07). Hooks: -What turned the stumps here to stone? -How did the orcs and dwarves wipe out the goblins so effectively? -Why did the elves not come to the aid of their goblin vassals? Or did they? -Why did the orcs mutiny against their dwarven employers? -Are there any other remnants of the old goblin realm in the northwestern bits of the shrouded lands? -What exactly is the connection between goblins and oak trees anyway? [b]The Ruins of Hoth Akhbir[/b] Hex 02.05 While at the zenith of their power, before the goblin wars, the dwarven dictators order the construction of five great fortresses (26.01) but only one (33.00) remains in dwarven hands today. The construction of Hoth Akhbr was especially ambitious for it sought to extend dwarven power all the way to the western coast. Maybe it would have done so, but its construction was never completed. While the orcish and dwarven work crews were still hard at work raising the stones of the towers of Hoth Akhbir ever higher, a stone giant war band fell upon the work site, heaving great blocks of stone at the surprised engineers. It was all the work of Najir Dum. This goblin hero had acquired an enchanted flute of elven make and used it to draw the gnomish children out of the walls of the castle of the Mountain King. When their parents came wailing to him asking for their children back, Najir Dum said that he would be happy to oblige if they would steal the harp of the Mountain King in return. The gnomes sniveled and screamed but in the end they agreed and the great golden harp passed into Najir Dum’s hands. Then, riding on the back of a great bat, he took the harp southwards and secreted it within the half-built walls of Hoth Akhbir. Najir Dum made sure that the Mountain King learned of where he harp could be found and that was the end for many dwarves, orcs and gnomes (once the giants learned of the gnomes role in the theft their wrath was terrible). This is only one of the many stories the goblins still tell of the cunning of Najir Dum but they are not the only ones who remember the fate of Hoth Akhbir. The dwarven monastery (03.04) was later built out of its fallen stones and even today the dwarven brothers come here to drag away more of its stones. Hooks: -Is there anything left in Hoth Akhbir that would make exploring it worthwhile for adventurers? -What was so special about the harp? Where is it now? -Where was the hall of the Mountain King? Does the stone giant kingdom still exist? -What are the other stories about Najir Dum? Did the stone giants ever learn that a goblin had tricked them? -Where did Najir Dum get a giant bat? -Does anything live in the ruins today? [/QUOTE]
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