Between the times when the Ocean Drank Atlantis and Rise of the Brood of Durathrax, there was an age undreamed of, Hither came the brave adventurers, sullen-eyed, swords in hand, thieves, reavers, slayers, with gigantic melancholies and gigantic mirth, to tread the jeweled thrones of Urth under their sandaled feet!
This is a hex’ed out version of Ire with some creative tensions I made before the fall of Iradrum was “canon” for ICRPG. Comes complete with towns, challenges, opportunities, tensions, rivals, extra keeps, and particular attention made to the connected nature of the economy on the island. I hope you like it and find it useful for inspiration in your own games - Deathbare.
Economy of Iradrum in a nutshell: Norburg is the capital sells trade goods, weapons, ores from the kinder mine via a treaty with the Dwarves of Stormforge to the mainland Shipshelm and Gilshelm via the Emerald Sea. Dwarves get a cut of the wealth and trade goods from the Mainland. Treaty is called the Silver Streams Treaty.
Roads connect Stormforge to Full Sails and Fairwinds which are then connected via roads to Norburg, transportation is through wagon or ship.
Fair Winds is a halfway point between Stormforge and Norburg, goods are transported and taxed via sea or via wagon depending on the time of year and urgency, Fair Winds is the safer route due to the harbor
Full Sails is a feeder town to Norburg and is considered a suburb which relieves financial burden from docking small ships at the main city at the cost of time to market
Stormforge ruled by King Bran Rockcrusher and his clan, treaty with humans led to a large portion of the clan to break off forming the Iron Resolve, who harass human trade routes, led by Tharin Rockcrusher the kings brother
Castle Wellington ruled by former adventurer Honor Wellington (lvl 10 Fighter) with Heavy Horsemen Mercenaries on patrols. Honor’s troops patrol the roads in the southern part of Iradrum, keeping the road from Full Sails and Fair Winds somewhat safe but they are spread too thin to provide real support
WildHeart Refuge is a forest sanctuary of the Elves on Iradrum, they consider themselves superior, no trespassing in the Wild Wood, and demand a heavy tax of any goods using the road, ruled by lvl 7 Elf Sato has archer patrols
Castle Resolve led by Tharin Rockrusher and small army of iron clad dwarves, The Iron Resolve, harass human trade routes, has a tenuous treaty with the Falling Axe Clan
Deathspear Keep led by Lotar Deathspear, orcish warchief of the Falling Axe Clan, raids human and dwarven trade routes due to being cut out of the Silver Streams (for being untrustworthy Orcs)
Encounters and Details:
•Along the coasts, pirate refuges, sea caves, and ship wrecks
•Throughout the forests ruins of ancient Xothyl pock mark the terrain
•Bandits strongholds are never too far from civilization
•Undead from Witchwood and Xothyl are spreading their influence, each with a roving champion
•Fair Winds Port is a good starting town, population is 250 and dwindling. Challenges are Orc Raids, Bandit Toll Roads, Iron Resolve Raids, the Witchwood Scourge, and Pirates and Smuggling. Opportunities are shipwrecks, Pirate Treasure Troves, ruined strongholds and crypts, and the source of the scourge in Witchwood.
•Full Sails Port population is 400 and growing. Challenges Bandits Toll Roads, Elven Raids on Caravans, Pirates and Smuggling, and the Undead Scourge from the lost city of Xothyl. Opportunities are shipwrecks, Pirate Treasure, Artifacts and riches from the Lost City, and bandit treasure horde
•Norburg is the source of all commerce on Iradrum, deals and negotiations are kept and made here. Population of 7000 and growing. Challenges are plenty such as the Doomvault, Bandits, pirates, smuggling, murder, kidnapping, thievery, corruption, tensions with the Dwarves, with the Elves, with the Orcs, with the towns, everyone wants something from Norburg. Brings plenty of opportunity. Settle negotiations with Elves, Orcs, or Dwarves, join or fight against the pirates, thieves guild, assassins guild, Castle Wellington is always hiring strong sword arms for patrols, caravans and ships require guards and the Martel Company is sending expeditions to a place called Hot Springs Island – adventure and riches await!
•Xothyl is a massive underground labyrinth of the dead ruled by a star-faring lich named Lazarus. He wants the city returned to prominence and to leave this planet. His champions tend to be Death Knights, his old officers. He has a Star Ship somewhere down there. All he needs is the right power source…
•Stormforge does not let anyone in. No exceptions.
•Trade is done through a corrupt “sky-dwarf” called York. York has created quite a few Steel Resolve sympathizers with his shrewd deals
•Stormforge has dug deep in the Kinder Peaks for ore and precious minerals. So deep that they discovered a black gate of some kind. Experiments with the gate have left several dwarves insane and something has come through threatening the city
•Witchwood is run by a coven of hags currently. They have a massive Yog Crystal power source which they use to corrupt the land and raise the dead. They want to corrupt from the shadows but they accidently awoke an elder god and it is a bit more ambitious. To keep it placated they have begun advancing the witchwood. Lazarus would be interested to know about the Yog Crystal. The elder god has attracted some Coal Demons who act as Champions.
Exploration is another main idea here. I recommend you either shadow this map up or don’t show it all on a VTT. Make sure you are keeping time here too, resource management in here combines with the exploration to make this fun, though you can keep the pressure in other ways, the slow burn of the resources keeps this more in the spirit of Dora the Explorer instead of DOOM.
I like all the mushrooms.