Saturday 15 November 2014

Scarford Reef Gazeteer pt1 The Islands

So I chose a sea hex with islands so people could use it in any setting. I will probably locate them of my western coast of Exile Island. Will do bunch of sea themed stuff. One player wants to bring back his halfling pirate as now current party has similar level. One thing I found on my things to do list was horrors of the deep sea so a little taste of that here.

Had a good Marvel game tonight, Babylon Tomorrow and DnD Tuesday but as next post is number 600 I will work on my Fantasy Citadel tables, a version of my Psycho ones for fantasy settings, epecialy ruined ones in my Underland setting that is swarming with them. Found a unnamed one in my maps too doh! Will do version of this for my middle underground land and put the whole Island thing in a PDF hopefully before I go to Adelaide.

The Shallows
 The shallows are areas within a few hundred yards of beaches. Some of these things might come near a beach or even walk or crawl on land.

d12The Shallows

1 Dolphins playing
2 Sea turtle
3 Sharks
4 School of fish d4 1=herring 2=anchovies 3=barracuda 4=tuna
5 Mermaids
6 Fishmen 

7 Other sea beast men d4 1=shark men 2=catfish man wizard 3=lamprey men 4=crab men
8 Tako octopus faerie folk
9 Marine lizard men

10 Huge sting rays
11 Giant crab or lobster
12 Sea wolf, a were beast can shift from wolf to shark to man or combination
 
The Deeps

The deeps are areas between Islands where humans encounter life mostly on boats.

d12The Shallows

1 Whales playing
2  Giant man-o-war jellyfish

3 Sharks
4 School of fish d4 1=herring 2=anchovies 3=barracuda 4=tuna
5 Sea Serpent
6 Fish men 

7 Giant octopus or squid
8 Boat d4 1=merchant 2=pirate 3=cannibal outrigger 4=fishermen (1in4 fish men hybrids)
9 Boat d4 1=Pilgrims 2=refugees seeking home 3=vikings 4=reptilians in dragon boat

10 Sea leviathan resembles a tiny island, eat any who and on him, inside are whole wrecked ships
11 Giant crab or lobster
12 Sea wolf, a were beast can shift from wolf to shark to man or combination

The Dark Deeps

The dark deeps are areas on the edges of hexes and far below the surface on the floor of the sea around the sea mountains that connects all the Islands. Here are deep dark horrors unseen by humans. Sometimes they pop up to surface for a snack, or desperation or air.

 d12 The Dark Deeps

1 Giant eels
2 Giant deep sea angler fish
3 Cephalapod d4 1=Kraken, intelligent & evil 2=giant amonite 3=giant squid 4=giant octopus
4 Marine Reptile d4 1=Plesiosaur 2=Mosasaur 3=Icthyosaur 4=Archelon (turtle)
5 Dragon turtle
6 Giant albino sharks
7 Fish man village carved into a reef, will sound alarm if intruders seen
8 Fish man elite band with catfish man sorcerer or squidman priest
9 Giant invertebrates d4 1=trilobites 2=sea scorpions 3=lobsters 4=crabs
10 Undead chaos mermaids
11 Fishman giant, a priest of the old ones
12 Star spawn of the deep

Bright Island
A lighthouse built unfathomably long ago is maintained by a succession of old man. Each finds a replacement who in turn finds a replacement before he dies. Guests are common. Lower levels have many basements including a bubbling oil well. The old man might ask adventurers to clean some out. Possibly connected the the great underground labyrinth. The west coast is more craggy and lined with cliffs and reefs. There are many wrecks precariously stuck on rocks around here. The east coast beach has been sinking and waves have exposed graves of a unknown race of sea marauders. Further inland are boat shaped cairns and borrows, some with complete ships inside. Some undead have been seen prowling around, even coming out in day under dark clouds and rain. The Island is windy with clouds quickly appearing and disapearing with frequent rain.

d12 Bright Island Encounters
1 Old man hunting or fishing, friendly and invites strangers to the light house
2 Smuggler scum, wreckers, pirates, castaways or looters looking for trouble
3 Fishmen expedition looking for captives
4 Wights of the sea raiders graves looking for mayhem
5 Cannibals visiting from other island
6 Zombis from shipwrecks looking for flesh to eat
8 Predator d4 1=cave lion 2=brown bear 3=wolf 4=cave lizards
9 Herd beasts d4 1=boar 2=goats 3=iguanas 4=cattle
10 Goblins from cliff caves looking for mischief on the surface world
11 Gull man shaman attending sacred site
12 Small sea serpent prowling on surface for food

Bone Island
A harsh rocky island with a great thick thorn forest and hostile tribes of humans, beast men and humanoids. The forest is damp and boggy with sinkholes common. The weather is muggy and rains daily with seasonal variations from cool to hot. Mist is common. Besides thorn trees the Island is covered in ferns and fungus. Rich with huge bugs, worms and mosquitoes. Horses die rapidly from insect borne disease. Canibal tribes live in huge stokades with rooves which they move a mile or so every ten years. Tribes all hate each other and outsiders with moral codes that teach outsiders are abominations fit only for food. Ruined shrines, step pyramids and temples are to be found in forest, half swallowed by tree roots and water. Outsiders come here to catch slaves.

d12 Bone Island

1 Cannibal tribe or the Fang tribe with headresses and necklaces and weapons from monster teeth
2 Cannibal tribe Bone tribe dresses in warpaint with bone weapons and armour
3 Beast men 1d4 1=lizard Men 2=fish men 3=frog men 4=salamander men
4 Beast Men 1d4 1=dog men 2=goat men 3=boar men 4=crow men
5 Beast Men 1d4 1=bat men 2=lamprey men 3=crab men 4=shark men
6 Giant bugs 1d4 1=tarantula 2=scorpion 3=carnivorous beetle 4=giant scorpion
7 Herd beast d4 1=Giant rabbits 2=Wild boar 3=Goats 4=Iguana
8 Predators d4 1=Sabretooth tiger 2=wild dog pack 3=constrictor snake
9 Flyers d4 1=giant bat 2=pterodactyl 3=giant eagle 4=giant dragonfly
10 Slaver expedition of civilized scum from outside with a boat on shore
11 Humanoids  d4 1=goblins 2=hobgoblins 3=bugbears 4=gremlins
12 Others d4 1=kobolds 2=orcs 3=ogres 4=cyclops

Crown Island
Two villages with a long rivalry and history of intrigues between them. Bastion settled by merchant family driven from home city centuries ago. They are snooty and think themselves better than everyone. Dagger beach was a theives guild who settled here about a hundred years ago. The have settled as farmers but are still thieving, greedy and untrustworthy. Many other people have settled on both villages and a few farms belong to neither comunity. The moors have temperate weather with fog at night. Most avoid them as crawling with no goods and horrors by night. Old graves and monoliths from the islands unknown past are common.

d12 Crown Island
1 Common men from Bastion d4 1=shepherds 2=wood gatherers 3=farmers 4=children
2 Common men from Dagger falls d4 1=sheep rustlers 2=treasure hunters 3=thieves 4=children
4 Rich youth from one of ruling families looking for fued
5 Witch ceremony, witnesses must die
6 Witness liaison between villagers of different clans d4 1=cultists 2=lovers 3=plotters 4=traders
7 Were beasts looking to eat or infest someone
8 Wights crawled from old grave or barrow
9 Terrorbirds hungry for flesh
10 Deer herd, shy but stags might get protective
11 Doppelgangers pretend to be friendly villagers
12 Bandits, outcasts of both settlements

Raven Island
Island is rocky and covered in fog shrouded moors. Villages are both decreed and degenerate and are rivals for fish and prosperity despite being similar. Both have cultists of many sects among them and about a quarter are fish folk hybrids. The taint of fish folk blood is common.  Inland is a region where many monastaries and templars are built. Many hermit caves and grottos are in are which has ironicly atracted pilgrims. Templar clerics arrived to protect the pilgrims and now a substantial religious populace is on the island. Ruins of a old kingdom are common and monoliths from before that are easy to find. Graves from alost a thousand years are common with many run down and no longer sanctified. Undead wander at night and bandits and cults are a problem. Ravens of huge size are thieving bastards. The like to steal shiny objects and food. Crow men in the mountains include shape shifting magicians but they avoid confronting humans. Wind and rain and fog are common.

d12 Raven Island
1 Hermit prefers to be left alone d4 1=naked 2=with animal friends 3=writing a text 4=reluctant prophet
2 Monks on a walk d4 1=gathering firewood 2=contemplating 3=visiting a shrine 4=repairing graves
3 Cleric d4 1=hunting undead 2=hunting for rumoured fish men 3=visiting holy site 4=hunting cultists
4 Ghouls looking for food or hiding from sunlight
5 Giant Ravens looking for food or shiny things to steal
6 Raven men shapeshifters in disguise as d4 1=hermits 2=rogues 3=drunks 4= rich youths
7 Villagers from Flounder bay, 1in4 are hybrid fish men and will murder, kidnap and abuse strangers
8 Villagers from Squid cove, 1in4 are hybrid squid men and will murder, kidnap and abuse strangers
9 Robed cultists on processional march will hunt and kill those who see them
10 Procession of skeletons or zombies visiting graveyards then returning to own
11 Raven beastmen making blood sacrifice on monolith
12 Warg with back pelts roam at night, some strange like a one eyed one who causes fear

The Crack
A harsh over grown thick forest with tribal cannibal men, frog men, a pirate base and a reptilian citadel.  Very similar in climate and vegetation to bone Island and the cannibals here are albinos but kin to the savages of bone Island also. The skin eater time attribute their albinism to spending a aeon in the Underland and shaman still travel there to share rituals with their cousins still below. They like to wear skins of enemies to steal their strength. Their log stockade village has human skins nailed to the walls. They even speak and write in Undercommon tongue of the Underland using skin as parchment. Other small non albino tribes exist but are more secretive.

The Serpentine citadel is home to an aliance of reptilians including lizard men, serpent men, dinosaur men and dragon men. Many factions of each with different horns, frills, crests, wattles and skin colour. The citadel is so old it is nw mostly underground but still impressive. Few humans who get to see it leave though. Reptilians enslave and eat humans mostly. They trade with various reptiles of the Underland freely. Surrounding the citadel are sacred enclosures of each tribe, united by hatred of humans.

Saratogra is a pirate fort where members are given free board and medical care. Trade opportunities are good but they torture and hang suspected spies. Very good carousing here and most momen who are not pirates are prostitutes. The pirates raid savages for slaves and the albinos fetch good prices for exotic sex appeal, even though they file their teeth. Children fetch a high price. Pirates also have unsavory rituals with shrines of evil cults and demons openly in the streets. Some good temples exist but preachers are careful not to draw too much attention and use influence as healers to help negotiate recovery of pirate prisoners.

The frogmen hate everyone also and dont even bother talking to humans, preferring them only for sex, meat or to sacrifice. Their marshy village is surrounded by traps, pits. Also in flooded trenches are giant salamanders and newts and axolotls that snap at anything that moves. They too trade with Underland kinfolk. Their ritual croaks are heard for miles every full moon.

d12 The Crack
1 Frog men savages hunting
2 Skin eater tribe of cannibals wearing flailed human skins
3 Pirates looking for treasure or slaves
4 Adventures looking for treasure
5 Lizard men hunters with a pet dinosaur
6 Lizard men with serpent man wizard on holy trek
7 Dragon men hunting humans
8 Dinosaur men cavalry on patrol
9 Demented castaway been hiding here and now insane
10 Giant Invertibrates d4 1=beetle 2=scorpion 3=centipede 4=dragonfly
11 Giant reptilians d4 1=cave lizard 2=chameleon 3=iguanas 4=dinosaur
12 Giant amphibians d4 1=frog 2=fire toads 3=salamander or newt or axolotl 4=

Maiden Island
The Amazon Island where men folk are rare and mostly slaves or eunachs and compramise only 5% of the population. Most of the population prefer druidical magic that allows virgin pregnancy. Men are not even permited in the Silver Star Citadel, the holy Amazon bastion. Unicorn rider corps are all virgins and unicorns are used to assess the state of a woman's chastity and are present in courts of law and at the citadel gates. Silver star citadel is a splendid wonder with many stories and floors of museums, art and trophies. Many hybrid creatures dwell on the Island and Amazons practice sustainable hunting and the smarter monsters know it. Monster fighting is a important test for elite champions. The Amazons were once active in world affairs but too many betrayals taught them isolation is best. Many peoples hate them and see them as a threat to male dominated life. They in past sponsored female led revolts even among orcs. Among them are women elves and other rare shape shifters like winged folk who descend from angels. Elf males are tolerated and allowed in their Citadel. Intelligent birds also choose to dwell on their lands and are protected by law and have roosts granted for nesting. Beast folk in the woods and the Amazons are on good terms and often fight together.

d12 Maiden Island

1 Unicorn rider cavalry
2 Eunuch corp, patrol country side and fight fanatically for the queen with javelins and slings
3 Amazon warriors d4 1=spear phalanx maidens 2=axe maidens 3=sword maidens 4=bow maidens
4 Amazon champion and her battle sisters
5 Lion's are common and male lions are culled
6 White Deer, some with saw single saw toothed crescent horns
7 Hybrid beast d4 1=Manticore 2=Chimera 3=Lamussu 4=Sphynx
8 Hybrid Beast d4 1=Unicorn 2=Pegasi 3= Centaur 4=Shedu
9 Giant Intelligent Bird d6 1=Eagle 2=Falcon 3=Owl 4=Condor 5=Albatross 6=Raven
10 Beast folk d6 1=Lion men 2=Falcon men 3=Vulture men 4=Owl men 5=Raven men 6=Unicorn men
11 Nature spirits like d4 1=Nymph 2=Sylph 3=Dryad 4=Hag
12 Amazon magicians with servants d4 1=Priestess 2=Wizard 3=Sorceress 4=Elf 5=Winged folk 6=Witch


3 comments:

  1. I love the idea of the catfish man sorcerer - his tendrils waving about ominously and a strange croaking coming from his throat moments before the PCs are enveloped in a coating a thick stinking slime. GO FISH WIZARD!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They also hibernate in thick mucousy cocoons if that helps

      Delete
  2. It's good and I can see you put a lot of work into it. I wouldn't want to go to most of those islands but a PC should would. What kinds of treasure are you likely to find? Cursed gold with the fishmen?

    ReplyDelete

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