Hawksmire Info and exploration

Previous relevant posts

https://elfmaidsandoctopi.blogspot.com/2026/03/post-2500-new-campagn-setting.html
https://elfmaidsandoctopi.blogspot.com/2026/02/barking-alien-challenge-day27-anecdotes.html

Players have now seen 4 villages and dealt with smugglers who can move them around the coast or move them by secret, dangerous underground and wilderness routes the orcs shun.

New glasses made me able to read a novel fiirst time in maybe 5 years Hiero's Journey a super inspirational book in Appendix N and influenced Gamma World. Was last book left on my bedside reading for a few years. I used to read a book a day but since about 91 it was mostly classics and not much fiction. Comics look 30% better now too.

Chumwater pop40

Leadership - Mayor Darlia Morgangrim was voted by merchants and farmers and has deals with local goblins who also keep orcs away. They support trade with outsiders but orcs stop this
Local Cult - 60% Dagon cultist fisher folk in Mariners Guild led by Friar Eelman, who work with the local fish folk colony offshore a ruined reef city. Others are looking for alternative non-fishy faiths, but revere their ancestors. There is a ruined church in a village with an uncertain background. Fish folk help humans catch fish and gather seaweed, which provides most of the villagers' food
Traders - Weeping Dwarf Tavern, Blacksmith, General Store
Imports - Farm supplies, lumber, 
Exports - Fish, fish, folk gold, formerly beer
Notes - Empty buildings and catacombs full of goods make up lots of the town so locals can just find all kinds of items. The original inhabitants disappeared, the current population all been shipwrecked over the last 30 years. A few goblins do chores and help crafters in return for scrap and fish. Locals welcome new arivals to the island of the damned. Fisherfolk offer mariners guild membership but the mayor has some jobns you can earn a house.

Angler Harbour pop360

Leadership - Mayor Desamona Cricklebrod is supported by the village and the anglerfish cult
Local Cult - Anglerfish goddess Lampgulp worshipped in the Fishwivews guild. Males are occasionally "married" to lampgulp, and the priestesses may try flirty fishing to find eligible menfolk. Priestess Cassandra Goodlamp and her seven sister priestesses keep the town street lamps lit, burning fish oil. The cult also keeps the lighthouse beacon lit and chart whener Lampgulp might be and calculates safer sea journeys. Cultists light a lamp on boats for night travel as it scares away many marine creatures. The smugglers guild have a secret cave and is a male branch of the cult who dont want to marry their fish goddess forever. The cult has a mirror that lets them see lampgullp on a full moon, and they interpret the gestures, blinking and gulping of the goddess as an oracle. Only heretics say the god is a moron and this is a scam. They have lots of parades, sometimes in anglershish masks or mantern headpieces or candles. Anglerfish folk have a law forbidding them to come ashore for the moment due to a idol concealed in a coastal cliff sinkhole near each coastal village from an ancient pact. 
Traders - Seamans Arms (fishers and sailors), Kelpie Tavern (sealers) Bait Store, Antiques, Carpenters, Traders Shack, Boatbuilders, FIshwives Guild (process and trade fish), Smugglers Guild
Imports - Metal goods, lumber, meat and dairy, rope
Exports - Fish, pearls, seaweed, fish oil
Notes - The cult will for money, help you leave the island to another cursed island that Lampgulp also menaces. One of the more welcoming villages with fewer disappearances. Men will be inspected and judged (fail CHA roll = rejected) to see if Lampgulp fancies them. Women adventurers offered to settle with their retainers

Eadwald pop420

Leadership - Mayor Willard Hopford was elected by traders and crafters and they operate the brewery and grow hops and barley. Jolly and popular and assists in religious service.
Local Cult -  Locals worship the Lawthar Drakenweald the wizard-saint who defeated the frog god and trapped it forever in the well from a quaint chapel led by Brother Horrence Durmagernt. In fact, the frog god bound in the well sends out corrupt dreams, erases memories and promotes vicious chaos mutant frog cult has emerged and menaces the town. Catacombs under the town, haunted houses and catacombs are used by the frog cult. They also deal with frog folk and the mutant tribes of the swamp
Traders -  Croakmans Arms Inn, Marshmans Tavern, General Store, Grog Shop, Farmers market, Blacksmith (works local poor quality bog iron), Carpenter, Mason, Frog Shop (frogfolk trade their pottery, grog, marshweed and magical frogs), Bait Shop, Book Shop, Potters workshop, Assylum (for money keep your mutant and mad relatives locked up, some come here to recover trauma which the god in the well devours in their dreams) 
Imports - Metal, bonemeal, bird guano, cloth
Exports - Wood, Frog Grog, Marshweed, Grain, Eels, Frogs, Hops, Worms, Bugs
Notes - Frog folk seen here often trading or smoking pipes, relaxing. Adventurers are welcome to kill monsters and loot all the weird local wizard towers, haunted houses and dungeons. Strangers are welcome, especially adventurers. Orcs seem to have forgotten this place and shun region. They will not sleep in area in fear of bad dream frog

Greywater pop320

Leadership - Mayor Aegis Marshman helps organise the folk to fend off swamp horrors with defences rather than for his trade acumen, like other mayors. He is huge and is too busy for manners. Insulting him will get you a beating. He used to be a hermit but he drove out crime and reduced drunks and helped build walls and watch towers. He runs the weekly mutant hunts. He is actually a 1000 year old immortal ranger battling the spawn of the chaos god below
Local Cult - Mutant cultists many, tainted by the amorphous god below or might have interbread with its spawn. Locals strongly desire some kind of church but the Mayor only tolerates druids unless priests prove themselves decent sorts. Human mutants outnumber townfolk and live with the lesser spawn of the god below. Some townsfolk with hidden mutations or mutant kin help mutants and worship with them in improvised shrines in ruins and catacombs. Some people just abandon mutant children, but may be reluctant to kill mutants. Most dont realise the small spawn of the gods were never human, Pathetic small swamp mutants can be found alone or groups being idiots. Many die by accident and are as tough as a kobold but dumb as a baby. Some may grow to medium size and even live among mutants who care for them. A party may arrive during a mutant hunt or experience an attack by a horde of pathetic mutants led by robed mutant cult leaders
Traders -  Marsh Bounty Inn, Mutantwhackers Arms Tavern (people get drunk here before mutant hunts), Sea Scorpion Tavern (for crooks), Glassblowers, Blacksmaith, Boat Builder, Traders Warehouse, Fish Shop, Bait Shop, Freak Show (imprisoned mutants for educational purposes 1cp or for 1gp you can kill a small one) 
Imports -  Metal, grain, meat 
Exports - Seaweed, gelatin, weird dried fish
Notes - Fisher folk here are tough and brutal and think outsiders are weak snobs. Goblins and frog folk pass through here as long as not mutants. Saving locals wins respect and overcomes suspicion. Killing lots of mutants helps, but not just small ones. Giant fish and invertebrates from prehistoric seas impress locals, too. Locals are brooding, silent and give resentful stares mostly. The mayor over 7 foot tall, offers adventurers food and board for monster killing

Burning Hill pop400

Leadership - Mayor Lucian Ironblood, who also leads the cult and the Dwarvern mining Guild
Local Cult - The green burning god they worship demands sacrifices, so strangers, vagrants and wanderers might be charged with a crime and sacrificed into the well. About 30% of the town are Dwarfs, nasty, grumpy ones. Many humans serve dwarfs for status and benefits, so join the cult. The rest of the village hides in terror during cult rites. Non-member bunkhouses are seperate to local cult member housing. Cultists get access to forbidden mines and gather the rare green glowing burning mineral, koboldium. They do take on new workers more now as locals sacrifice orcs, which their dark burning god welcomes. Some speculate the well is full of green, flaming undead or glowing kobolds. Nomn cultists are afraid, but dont want to know how bad it is. At least orcs, goblins and mutants dont come here
Traders -  Koboild Arms Inn, The Coal Hole Tavern, The Iron Bar Tavern, Mountain Brewery, Mining Supply, Alchemist, Many dorm and bunk houses for workers. Dwarf Miners Guild, Miners Guild and several mining companies all run multiple mines.
Imports - Labour, food, drink 
Exports - Ore, metal, coal, alchemist supplies
Notes - Orcs shun this place as do goblins. Some deal with kobolds and the dwarves, which is how goblin beer comes to town. Many locals dislike the town, but need work and homes

Wolfmire pop120

Leadership - Kolos Brulden is the mayor and a cousin of the domain ruler Chrysopasia. He is also the lead werewolf of the coven pack cult. He has others take care of money and management so he can hunt and punish criminals. He shares her madness for the hunt and hopes to impress her followers so she forgives him and allows him back in Hawksmire. He might hire adventurers to stir up some monsters
Local Cult - The wolf cult worships a wolf-devil who appears at ceremonies to bless initiates with the red thirst. Cult members lord over commoners and outsiders and may try to promote conflict, such as hunting, gaming or a duel
Traders -  New Moon Inn, Lord of the Hunt Tavern, Blacksmith, Tanner, Furrier, Carpenter, Hunters Guild
Imports -  Grain, meat, metal
Exports - Fur, leather, wood

Notes - Orcs are a bit scared here, but wolf riders most of all. Strange dogs or wolves or jackals are unwelcome here and wind up killed or hunted. Locals delight in hunting, killing and torturing orcs. They nail orc skins to walls, and the orcs say it's not fair.

Swinewater pop350

Leadership - Mayor Greebus Tumorzle leads the town and the merchants guild
Local Cult - No cults, just a devil swine nobility ruling over poot peasants who are charmed daily into thralldom. The top tier dont work and indulges their whims. The crafters and shopkeepers are the next best off but never privy to the noble events. The workers and farmers live in rags and wretchedness while pigs are treated better than people. The devil swine worship hell with depictions of devils at fat pigs. Invisible imps guard certain places but the nobles have smaller gatherings in hunting lodges
Traders -  Golden Boar Inn & Brewery, The Silver Sow tavern, The Dirty Pig Sly Grogshop (for the poor), Custom Tailor, Swine Supply General store, Bakery, Feed Store, Blacksmith, Carpenter, Mason, leatherwork, Merchant Guild, The Boar House (feast hall for the rich with secret recreational dungeon) 
Imports - Anything fancy or luxury, any food
Exports - Pork, craft goods, lard, candles
Notes - Visitors are met with curiosity by nobles to see if they can bring skills to the village or might taste good. The trade with the pig-loving orcs and some walk the streets, but the other kinds are killed and fed to pigs like other troublemakers

Fever Bay pop350

Leadership - Svartyana Adderman the mayor, won the position through winning solo dances and parade float clubs. The guildhall has representatives of various industries and each competes with cultural events like sport, dance and art
Local Cult - All worship at the snake temple or local shrines to various snake sects. Snakefolk hybrids dominate the temple currently and the obvious hybrids never leave in daylight. They include demon snake cults and wizards. Not everyone is evil or knows about the hybrids in control now but everyone loves snakes and festivities. Outsiders dont enter the prehistoric stone temple with fossilised ammonites in the stonework. The cult wants power but is aware the island and the domain ruler might turn on them
Traders - Oroborus Inn, Snakecharmers Tavern, Dancing Serpent Tavern, General store, Jeweller, Mason, Rope Shop, Basketmaker, Weavers, Snake Market, Apothecary (poison antidotes a speciality), 
Imports - Rats, eggs, iron, coal, oil 
Exports - Medicine, herbs, snake wine, snakes, baskets, brass, rope, cloth, gold, gems
Notes - Visitors are welcome to join celebrations and might get offers to get drunk, dance contests, musical shows, and to snog. Most houses have pet snakes.The  Snake Eater tribe of orcs are hated. Locals wear little and carry curved knives and swords they use in dances. Frog and rat folk keep away 

Orc Wasteland pop200 each tribe

1 Warg Riders trade with humans of Wolfmire, led by Chief Karag Lorg, who worship a wolf-hunter ancestor
2 Boar Riders trade with humans of Swinewater led by Chief
Squalgor Fullboar, who worships a golden sun boar spirit
3 Red Arrows directly serve the Domain Lord led by Cheiftain Lora Gundrag. She keeps marrying orcs men and they last only a week. They worship a blood thirsty god of the hunt who like to impale victims
4 Black Arrows hate even other orcs and cover themselves in blood. Famous for ambushes and poison. Led by Skylar Ulfdan a treacherous, scheming sadist. They worship a dark demon prince and conflict with other orcs the most
5 Snake Eaters hate humans of Fever Swamp led by cheif Ulfran Baalgor. She hates human snake cultists as their poison-eating ancestor who failed against a snake wizard. Bitter and vindictive they bear grudges against other orc tribes but mostly just avoid them
6 Bone Lords were necromancers killed by other tribes years ago. Led by the orc wizard Sharmarg Voltan. Adventurers killed the evil wizard but some say he is now undead. Once he tried to take control of the domain which led to the tribes decline. Other orcs killed this tribe. They were godless necromancers and grave robbers

Notes - Orcs are tribal nomads who move their villages every season or more if in decline. As players kill them, tribes might merge or hide in the hills. Those sub bosses are probably related to a chief so will create beef if killed.

Hawksmire pop 1600

Detail this later but i seem to be adding more draconic lore

Additional Handy Tables

These are for routes avoiding the orc-controlled roads.

Highway or sea with smugglers - one hex per hour
Wasteland or sea without smugglers - one hex per two hours
Hills or forest - one hex per 4 hours

Survival and wilderness skills can reduce travel time in difficult eras.

Technically slower routes through hills and forests that avoid orcs in the wastes and roads
The coastal anticlockwise coast smuggling route, the cultists can navigate safely. Without smugglers, the trip is slower and more dangerous.

The wild way goes through hills and forests that the orcs seldom use. The secret paths are tunnels left by the dwarves long ago. Any hex on the wild way has a 1in6 chance of a secret way entrance allowing you to travel as if on a highway for a d43 hexes through tunnels and use secret way encounters. Smugglers or other local guides can reduce encounters and avoid hazards. Smugglers know which paths dont lead to dragons or dead ends. Goblins use these routes too for beer, but their knowledge might offer alternate routes.

d12 Coastal Travel
1in12 chance per hex or 1in12 per trip between towns if with Lampgulp cult smugglers
1 Boat strikes rocks

2 Fog closes in

3 Fiesty dog sharks

4 Bad weather

5 Shipwreck in progress

6 Seawolf lycanthropes (might be in a boat in human form)

7 Carnivorous nasty mermaids

8 Fish folk hunters

9 Giant squid or octopus

10 Pliesiosaur or hydra

11 Selkie or dolphins warn of danger (also roll a d10 for a second result)

12 Giant lamprey fish with glowing lure, 1in6 it is Lampgulp, the angler fish demigod monster who eats ships

d12 Coastal Exploration

1 Dead fish or half-eaten shark

2 Driftwood

3 Flotsam and jetsam

4 Wreckage from a ship washed up, possibly survivors

5 Wrecked ship or boat with dead crew, possibly submerged

6 Buried treasure or cache

7 Dead bodies (possibly zombies or skeletons)

8 Fishing nets, floats, crab or eel traps, buoys and fishing rubbish

9 Huge skeleton or corpse of a marine monster

10 Smugglers or fishermen d4 1=travelling 2=need help 3=camp 4=salvaging

11 Castal cave partly prone to tidal flooding d4 1=monster lair 2=wrecker or pirate gang 3=fish folk 4=cult

12 Underwater ruins d4 1=monster lair 2=fish folk outpost 3=undead 4=monsterous killer kelp

d12 Wild Way 
1in12 per hex or if with smugglers per inter-settlement trek through orc-free areas

1 Wolves

2 Wild boars

3 Goblin hunters

4 Bandits 1in6 cannibals

5 Carnivorous ape

6 Owlbear

7 Wild forest folk

8 Ogres

9 Lycanthropes

10 Giant

11 Treant
12 Dragon flyover

d12 Wild Way Exploration

1 Stone monoliths of wild folk of old
2 Carved wood idol or crucified orc
3 Camp of wild folk (1in6 occupied)
4 Tree carved with a face used as a shrine

5 Hunters traps or hunting grounds

6 Grazing area

7 Pool or stream or bog

8 Goblin or tribal wild folk village

9 Cave, possibly lair or deeper

10 Secret way tunnel system with a d4 paths each d3 hexes long

11 Ancient tower or rustic shack

12 Farmstead of a clan of cultists

d12 Secret Way
1in12 per hex or if with smugglers per d3 hex tunnel complex

1 Carrion worms

2 Rust monster

3 Owlbear

4 Giant lizard

5 Giant spider

6 Cave fisher

7 Evil demon cult dwarves

8 Undead dwarves (zombies)

9 Undead dwarves (ghouls)

10 Shadows

11 Wight leading skeletons

12 Dragon

d12 Secret Way Exploration

Smugglers use safer roads. If you find a way on your own, use this 
1 Partially blocked passage

2 Campsite with gnawed human bones

3 Mad loner dwarf shack

4 Graffiti on the wall, a clue?

5 Sinkhole into deeper caves

6 Huge burrows of worms or insects

7 Cobweb and spider-infested

8 Mushroom forest full of vermin and possibly goblins

9 Flooded area to cross with fish and critters

10 Trapped area

11 Graveyard or corpses from disaster or war

12 Dragon lair