Florencia Molina Campos
This plains hex looks east to a valley of grass, in places growing taller than a person. Rough trails interpenetrate the densely packed blades.
This field is also a meeting point for Morwenna’s goons and a party of gauchos, mounted herders from the fringes of civilization. These rough and ready cattlemen hunt game and rustle livestock from poorly defended frontier farms. They sell the animals to Morwenna’s operation, feeding the majority of her forces who don’t subsist on human flesh.
The group has 24 mounted Nomads, led by the 3rd level Ranger Facon. He has no interest in politics or respect for the law, but is bound by a rough code of frontier hospitality. He is hospitable but takes offense at any sleight by a man of equal social standing to himself (anyone who rides a horse).
The gauchos have a few muskets and pistols, but they mostly fight with lances while mounted and enormous knives on foot. Each one carries a pair of heavy wooden balls connected by a length of rope, which they throw to entangle foes. On a failed Save vs Paralysis, the target cannot move without tripping until they spend an action hacking through the cord with a heavy blade such as an ax.
The nomads have 6 spare horses, and typically bring 4D6 cows, 6D6 sheep, meat from various game animals like deer and wild hens, and the pelts of more exotic creatures like mountain lions and giant snakes.
If attacked by a superior force, the horsemen simply mount up and leave, scattering any animals they brought with them. They are superb riders and difficult to catch without a cunning plan or superhuman speed.
There are six level 1 clerics dangling from the hooks, led by the Level 7 Painwright Trofim who dangles higher than the rest. The Giantess’ forces have so far left the anchorites alone, after Trofim blew away one of Morwenna’s Ogre doppelsoldners with a Finger of Death. Attempts to kill him with rifles failed when the snipers fell to the ground writhing in pain.
The bases of the poles are piled with gifts left by the villagers from the hexes to the north, food and vinegar with the occasional article of clothing mixed in. Adventurers aligned against Morwenna can take what they like from the piles, and even parlay with Trofim for resurrection of dead characters. Those who ally with her or play her game are warned off, then blasted.
This field is also a meeting point for Morwenna’s goons and a party of gauchos, mounted herders from the fringes of civilization. These rough and ready cattlemen hunt game and rustle livestock from poorly defended frontier farms. They sell the animals to Morwenna’s operation, feeding the majority of her forces who don’t subsist on human flesh.
The group has 24 mounted Nomads, led by the 3rd level Ranger Facon. He has no interest in politics or respect for the law, but is bound by a rough code of frontier hospitality. He is hospitable but takes offense at any sleight by a man of equal social standing to himself (anyone who rides a horse).
The gauchos have a few muskets and pistols, but they mostly fight with lances while mounted and enormous knives on foot. Each one carries a pair of heavy wooden balls connected by a length of rope, which they throw to entangle foes. On a failed Save vs Paralysis, the target cannot move without tripping until they spend an action hacking through the cord with a heavy blade such as an ax.
The nomads have 6 spare horses, and typically bring 4D6 cows, 6D6 sheep, meat from various game animals like deer and wild hens, and the pelts of more exotic creatures like mountain lions and giant snakes.
If attacked by a superior force, the horsemen simply mount up and leave, scattering any animals they brought with them. They are superb riders and difficult to catch without a cunning plan or superhuman speed.
George Catlin
The hills of this hex are studded with poles, atop which dangle stylites of the Tower of Pain, the Commonwealth’s premier self-mortification cult. The devotees hang from hooks passed through their skin, contemplating the suffering endured by the order’s founder Dacian.
There are six level 1 clerics dangling from the hooks, led by the Level 7 Painwright Trofim who dangles higher than the rest. The Giantess’ forces have so far left the anchorites alone, after Trofim blew away one of Morwenna’s Ogre doppelsoldners with a Finger of Death. Attempts to kill him with rifles failed when the snipers fell to the ground writhing in pain.
The bases of the poles are piled with gifts left by the villagers from the hexes to the north, food and vinegar with the occasional article of clothing mixed in. Adventurers aligned against Morwenna can take what they like from the piles, and even parlay with Trofim for resurrection of dead characters. Those who ally with her or play her game are warned off, then blasted.
Kevin Francis Gray
The exposed stone walls of this valley are scribed with pictograms of stick figures drowning in an underground lake. At the end is a fissure in the rock, which leads into a cave.
In front of the cave is an enormous iron hand, as tall as a man and weighing a thousand pounds, forearm driven deep into the earth. The hand is covered in rust but the palm is free of tarnish.
(This holy symbol of the god Iron Hand keeps the aberrations in the cave from spilling out into the surface world. It could be dug up and moved with extraordinary effort, but this would unleash a plague of jellies on the land)
The cave entrance is narrow and descends into the earth, almost too steep to climb down. The first bend in the passage is choked with goo, just out of sight of the hand. Green Slimes, Yellow Molds, Ochre Jellies, Grey Ooze, Black Puddings, Gelatinous cubes. They slither over each other and fill all available space.
The narrow passage opens into a large gallery filled with more roiling slimes. In the middle is a shrine to Mothermonster, goddess of mindless dungeon beasts. The dozen mouths on her body drool slimes endlessly, which crawl around absorbing each other.
At the foot of the statue is 5,086 SP in coin, plus
- War Hammer +2
- Potion of Haste
- Boots of Speed
- Ring of Protection +1
- Scrolls of Improved Phantasmal Force, Color Spray and Confusion.
I like the shrine to the Mothermonster. I think it's a better idea than Juiblex in D&D. The self-mortification cult is interesting. The idea that Trofim directly opposes Morwenna’s faction and offers some resources if the players decide to work against her, certainly adds interesting choices to any hexcrawl.
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