Worldbuilding - Campaign Locations (so far)

Over the first 6 episodes of Stories of the First Watch, we have encountered a number of locations.

I wanted to start the campaign in a town, as this seemed to present the most opportunities for adventure hooks for the PCs. Each of their individual motivations were conjured up from rolling on the ‘Events’ table on Tana Pigeon’s Mythic GM Emulator (by the way, check out Seasons 1 and 3 of the brilliant Me, Myself and Die! YouTube channel which makes great use of MGME). This helped me to establish the types of terrain where the initial adventures could take place. I rolled on a few random tables, many gleaned from issues of YUM DM’s excellent D12 Monthly zine, which I highly recommend for adding flavour and character to your campaign worlds. I also used Roll & Play to add flavour and plot points to the world.

So let’s take a look at what we know about the campaign world so far. I don’t have a name for the world, but I have named the general area that SFTFW takes place in ‘The Provinces’. I have envisioned it as a collection of small kingdoms that had been conquered by a greater power some time before and bonded together in a loose federation. Hopefully, the PCs will have more opportunity to explore this area, and the wider region.



Map created using Inkarnate. https://inkarnate.com

Forlond

The town where the campaign begins, this is a large settlement somewhere in The Provinces. It is ruled over by the preening, arrogant Lord Merrick. It is home to a number of merchant guilds, as well as the Grey Fellows thieves guild and another, as yet unnamed, criminal gang.

Notable locations:

• Rockside - a slum area, where Kilia lived in the attic of a bakery
• An unnamed park - this is in a more salubrious part of town, on a bend in the river. It is where the Feast of the Kestrel’s Eye takes place annually
• Lord Merrick’s palace - large compound in the centre of the town, whose perimeters are patrolled by guards constantly
• The Saint and Ogre Inn - a large drinking den, lined with long benches and frequented by ne’er-do-wells. It is run by Nella, the landlady and an associate of the Grey Fellows
• Alara’s Livery Stable - livery stable and seemingly the hangout of a rival criminal gang. It contains a well-presented office area, where Elmander met his mysterious associate.
• Forlond College of Magik - the local mage training school, where Mara has studied. Presided over by the stern but kind Gammer Verlaina.
• The Grey Fellows Safe House - a town house, where we found Kilia being trained by the High Fox.

Mistenmoor

This is a bleak, hilly moorland area a few miles to the north of Forlond. We first meet Druk’s goblin gang here.

Notable locations:

• Abandoned farmhouse. This lies in a valley in the lower reaches of Mistenmoor. The party finds Elwin here, captive of Bik’s goblins. The fate of the original inhabitants is not known.

The Shadow Woods

This is a huge, oppressive forest with an intimidating reputation. It covers the land between Mistenmoor and the Copper Hills to the north. It is home to many wild creatures, and worse. The northern reaches are managed for timber by the inhabitants of Hollow Hill

Notable locations:

• [Dire Wolf clearing] - where the party encounter the dire wolf
• River Geladris - a large fast river that flows from southwest to northeast through the forest and leads to Hollow Hill
• Wahlea - the realm of the gnomes, an underground tunnel system ruled by a queen of the same name.
• [Draco Lizard clearing] - a clearing in the mountainous northern reaches of the forest where the party encounter the Draco. It has a stagnant pond and a large rocky promontory where the lizard has made a nest.

Hollow Hill

A village just north of the Shadow Woods, home to a safe house for the Grey Fellows. We know little else of its makeup just yet.

Notable locations

• The Dwarven fort of Kharamund - the mysterious ‘Castle in the Caves’. Again, nothing else is known of this place as yet.

Copper Hills

Large, imposing range of hills a few days’ north of Hollow Hill. Home to the Shazinvar dwarfs who have been trading with Forlond.

Notable locations:

• Shazinbund - the capital fortress of the Shazinvar Dwarves. Narvi is an acolyte at the Temple of Go’Zan here.

The Southern Steppes

Briefly mentioned as the location of Elmander’s service in the Border Patrols.

Tivoli

Tivoli is a country that neighbours The Provinces, and which has a rivalry with them. Mara is originally from there, and has faced prejudice from Provincial townspeople.