Woland hexflower 14

Mythic Bastionland by Chris McDowall is a hot and fresh TTRPG that really tickles my brain and encourages me to create content. After contributing The Mouse Knight and the Feline Seer to the Mythic Bastionland TTRPG Jam #1, I’ve had the great honour to join Woland, a collaborative realm creation project for Mythic Bastionland launched by William from Half a Worm and a Bitten Apple.

For Woland, a d20 worth of creators get together to design a realm. Each creator designs one hex flower and in the end we stitch them together into a full hexmap. I’m super excited that this contribution becomes the first post on my shiny new blog!

Inspiration

The idea for the region was conceived basically 5 minutes after William contacted me:

I love the motif of woodland creatures in a dark forest. For inspiration, I will use a bit of an unusual method. I pull out my copy of Root, a superb board game by Leder Games, which embodies this motif wonderfully. Rather than copying parts of the actual lore of Root, I arrange the wonderfully evocative meeples together and see what comes up.

I’ve rolled a d20 and got hex 14. This places me next to the Barrowode and encourages me to pull in threads from that part of the realm. It’s very fitting that the town is surrounded by a forest as well.

And so the region was born:

Deeproot Forest

• Dense leaves swallow the light.
• Thick roots and underbrush make travel cumbersome.
• The trees have eyes. You always have the feeling of being watched.

Let’s take a tour through these mysterious woods!

The Woodland Vagabonds

Designers notes: The vagabond meeples are so diverse and vivid! I want to have them in my hex flower. I contemplated making them actual anthropomorphic animals but decided that it would distract from the Myths that are the centerpiece of the knights’ adventures. Instead, they are now men and women that wear animal’s masks – a bit more down to earth. In order to connect it to Barrowode, I pitted them against the local ruler. You might recognize some similarities between the abilities of the Vagabonds and the Cawler Guard.

Woodland Vagabond, Comrade of the Woods
VIG 9, CLA 13, SPI 11, 4 GD
A1 (mismatched armor assembled from wood and animal parts)
Longbow (d8, slow) or shortsword (2d6)
May use the Focus feat when fighting in a forest.

• A ragtag group of exiles, shunned by society.
• Each member wears an animal mask made from wood or animal parts.
• At odds with The Cawler of Barrowode.

Designers notes: I like the idea that there is always a chance to meet one of the vagabonds. For that, I suggest using a modified version of the Wilderness Roll based on a concept by Dreaming Dragonslayer.

Modified Wilderness Roll

1	Encounter the next Omen from a random Myth in this Realm.
2-3	Encounter the next Omen from the nearest Myth.
4-5	Encounter the Hex’s Landmark. Otherwise all clear.
6	Encounter the Woodland Vagabonds. Roll below for details.

How many Vagabonds do you encounter?

1	The whole lot of them: a warband without a leader.
2-3	A pack of six: five hunters and one musician.
4-6	Just one. Their friend is hiding in the bushes.

Animal Masks

Roll	Material	Detail	Animal
1	Wood	Painted white	Wolf
2	Cloth	Particularly dirty	Hare
3	Animal parts	Sprinkles of blood	Mouse
4	Stone	Covered with gems	Falcon
5	Tin	Numerous notches	Lizard
6	Leather	Natural color	Bear

What are the Vagabonds up to?

1	Robbing travellers. Will politely vanish into the woods if outnumbered.
2	Posing as a travelling merchant. Has some junk to offer.
3	Singing a song about a band of cunning woodland creatures.
4	Repairing their weapons in a makeshift forge.
5	Hunting a dangerous beast living deep in the woods.
6	Peacefully sipping some root tea.

Vagabond’s Hideout (Dwelling) – H9

The Hideout is well camouflaged in the treetops and will only be encountered on a 6 on the Wilderness Roll instead of a 4-6 (Mythic Bastionland, p. 18). It is automatically encountered if the Company is led by one of the Vagabonds.

When seriously threatened, the Vagabonds can muster a whole warband of warriors.

Chapel of the Salamander (Ruin) – G9

Designer’s notes: This Ruin hints at the Lizard Myth. Since it might already be present in the realm (I don’t know which Myths you have rolled) you can also place the Lizard Myth hex here and thus this location can serve as the Lizard’s lair. Now you have an additional site connected to your Myth. You’re welcome!

And yeah, after writing this I’ve read that lizards and salamanders are not related. I just don’t care though.

1: Stone gates. Relief of intertwined salamanders and praying smallfolk.

• path to 2: half-open portal
• path to 3: hole dug by animal claws in the earthen wall
• path to 4: dented iron door 

2: Former bath house, overgrown with moss. Dried up pool. Designer’s notes: Put the Lizard here if the Myth is active!

• path to 1: half-open portal
• path to 5: shut portal. Requires massive force or the key from 4 to open.

3: “City of Moles”. Wet and dark cave. Long and slow weapons are impaired. If the Company has a light source, 1d8 big moles will crawl out of the holes and attack, prioritizing the bearer of the light source. Every round, 1d8 more of their kin will join the fight.

Half-blind mole (30x)
VIG 5, CLA 2, SPI 5, 1 GD. Claws & teeth (1d4). Hates any light.

• path to 1: hole dug by animal claws in the earthen wall
• path to 5: close investigation reveals a hole that is large enough for a human to squeeze through

4:  Scorch marks and the smell of ash permeate the room. A stone head statue of a lizard gazes from the wall. In its open mouth it holds a heavy iron key which unlocks the door to room 6. The key hangs on a lever that will cause the stone head to breathe fire when lifted: everyone in the room takes 1d12 VIG loss.

• path to 1: scorched and dented iron door.
• path to 6: locked heavy iron door.

5: Ant-ridden workshop. A human sized statue of a half-human half-lizard which is half-finished. 

• path to 3: hole in the top of the room.
• path to 6: wooden door swollen with dampness. Needs a firm nudge.

6: Scaled reliquary. Contains the Helm of the Salamander (A1): Wearer can talk to (but not understand) creatures bearing scales. When struck, has a 3-in-6 chance to erupt in 1d8 blast fire damage.

• path to 4: heavy iron door, locked from the outside
• path to 5: wooden door swollen with dampness. Needs a firm nudge.

Black Bear’s Sepulcher – I10

Designer’s notes: I just adore the word “Sepulcher” and definitely wanted to add that to my part of the Realm. I saw the potential to subvert player’s expectations here. A sepulcher on a graveyard might look like a place spawning spectres and skeletons. However, should the players decide to disturb the rest of the dead they will be sprung by a big hairy bear! This ruin serves as an optional challenge for the players who will either be able to loot Ursula’s possessions or find a strong companion. Also, this is another great opportunity to connect the Deeproot Forest to Barrowode.

• A ruined crypt covered with moss and spiderwebs.
• A stone sarcophagus with ornate runes, cold to the touch. Upon closer investigation, the runes look faded, as if they are losing power.
• The lid can only be moved by the strength of five grown men. Cool air emanates from the sarcophagus before a humanoid, big angry bear roars and jumps out of the sarcophagus!

The bear is Ursula, a knight cursed to live as a black bear for the rest of eternity by The Oaken Eye (see Barrowode, K10: “The Inseparables”). The curse also causes her to fall asleep  when exposed to cold. She cannot bear it anymore and will do anything to be healed of this affliction. 

Ursula – The Black Bear
VIG 18, CLA 6, SPI 8, GD 9
Mail, helm, and plate (A3). Heavy club (2d10, slow)
Flute of Animal Harmony: when played, nearby animals will become docile and friendly. Will still react with fight or flight when threatened.
Knows all knightly feats and will Smite as often as possible.
Will fall asleep when exposed to cold.

Pond of the Forgotten Hare – G11

Designer’s notes: I like to take another opportunity to tie the realm together by pulling in an idea from William’s Lone Willow. In that part of the world there is a magic pond that has a magic mossy arc that lets you travel to the corresponding twin pond. Since it is fairly far away from the Deeproot Forest, this makes it a viable shortcut to get around the Realm.

The pond has a mossy arch in its center. 

If anyone sails through the arc: translocate to L1 (Lone Willow). There is a 1-in-6 chance to jump forward a season. When arriving in the twin pond at L1 consult the following to determine characteristics:

• Spring: The surface is covered in grass and white blossoms, the water smells of pepper and causes sorrow.
• Harvest: Aquatic termites that clearly have lungs, docile in darkness.
• Winter: Clear ice that breaks under boots, large winged fire-tinted fish.

Open Questions

• For what transgression has Ursula been cursed by The Oaken Eye?
• Who or what is the Forgotten Hare?
• How does one become one of the Woodland Vagabonds?
• What ancient culture has built the Chapel of the Salamander?