Togarmah Hex Map, Part 1

With another month coming to a close in the Year of the Gazetteer, it's time for another hex map. Each hex equals six miles.

This is probably the biggest and most detailed hex map on this blog to date, and for the sake of length, I'm breaking it up into two posts. Stay tuned for the second half tomorrow.

Click here to enlarge

001.021: The town of Novak. A major trade port, and a fiercely independent one, rebuking any attempts at control by outside forces. It has a reputation as a haven of pirates and cutthroats; common knowledge holds that one should not walk the streets without a knife. Though the town practices the custom of peace-binding weapons at the gates, single-edged blades are legally considered tools and are exempt. There is no limit on size.

002.019: This castle belongs to Lord Adrian Stojanovic, a Myrov merchant prince and a member of the League of Three Crowns. He houses his fleet of trading vessels here, and there are many guards stationed along the coast to watch for raiders.

002.024: This castle belongs to Count Aleksandr Lovric, the liege of the city of Moslavina (see hex 003.026). He largely leaves the city to govern itself, residing about a day away in his castle to watch the coasts for pirates, but he demands a tithe of their crops regardless. This has bred some discontent among the people, who feel like he should be more involved if he wishes to reap the benefits of their vasselage.

003.020: The village of Ludinica. Though small, it is important to the economy of the Myrov coast, as it supplies lumber to many ports in the area for use in ship-building, and its burgomasters have grown wealthy off the arrangement. Its most famous establishment is the Axe in the Oak, a large inn catering to travelers and those on their way to the Grand Assemblies; during off seasons, the majority of its rooms are empty. In lieu of a sign, it sits beside a large oak tree with an actual axe sticking out of it - the axe is in fact an enchanted vorpal weapon, but the burgomaster would be quite angry if such a symbol of the town went missing.

003.026: The city of Moslavina, an important trade center under the governance of Count Lovric (see hex 002.026). Owing to the Count's distance, it is largely run by the guilds, who hold many grand events and festivals to compete with one another for dominance over the city's affairs. They hold an annual jousting tournament in which each guild sponsors a champion, but each guild also strives to outcompete each other in their grand displays of wealth.

005.017: The city of Orestov, one of Togarmah's most prominent ports in the League of Three Crowns. Founded by Northmen long ago, it is rumored that as the city expanded, its West Quarter was built over a barrow where a jarl was buried with his ship and a hoard of gold and jewels.

005.024: The town of Godestch. Built at the center of a few trade routes, it holds the manor of Baroness Tadja Saricova, a wealthy woman who often hires mercenaries and travelers to do her bidding. She is known to pay well, and would be a valuable patron to any adventurer who can meet her highly exclusive standards.

006.027: The House of the Wayfarers, a convent dedicated to Meili, the god of travelers. There are few nuns who live and work here full-time, but they always keep a few beds empty to house travelers for free, as long as they will attend their lengthy sermons.

007.020: The town of Jasenik. Though it is nominally run by Lord Zelimir Bogdanov, the League of Three Crowns and its merchants have established an outpost here and exert considerable authority over the trade routes. A fountain in the center of town is regarded as a wishing well, with the locals often throwing coins in for good fortune; it has become customary for travelers to do so on the way out of town too.

009.018: The city of Budrovci, one of the several cities on the Myrov Coast controlled by the League of Three Crowns. As an important exporter of crops along the Metrisca River, it is an important economic center, and possesses thick walls to deter it against raids by pirates and bandits.

009.022: The village of Sopot, an isolated woodland community subsiding on woodcutting and mining in the mountains to the east. The people here are highly superstitious and possess many charms to ward off fairies and elves - not without good reason, as the fair folk have haunted them for generations.

009.025: This castle belongs to Lord Dragoslav Kristevski. His domain is a small one, extending largely to a few scattered forest hamlets, but he nonetheless has established himself as a stern, firm ruler. Many trees around his castle prominently display the skeletons of hanged bandits. Of course, he himself isn't opposed to paying off bandits to exert his authority, as long as they don't get in his way.

009.028: The village of Padina, a small agricultural community built atop the coastal cliffs. A series of caves along the shore below are used by a band of pirates to hide from the law and store their loot; the townspeople are sworn to keep their secret.

011.019: This castle belongs to the Order of the Hammer, a band of knights dedicated to protecting the coast from pirates. They will gladly house travelers, but anyone suspected of crimes will be turned over to the law at the first opportunity.

011.022: A cave sits along the mountainside, leading to a vast cavern where a tribe of cave orcs have made their home. They shun the light, but sometimes emerge at night to raid surrounding settlements.

011.027: The Abbey of Saint Vlastimir, a monastery devoted to Torvald. The monks here live in quiet contemplation, rarely emerging to deal with the outside world, and don't usually expect visitors.

012.030: The village of Beden. The villagers harvest wood from the nearby forests and export it on the docks to passing ships. As of late, they have been struggling financially due to competition from the nearby town of Poroi (see hex 013.031).

013.026: A ruined castle sits deep in the woods here. It is rumored that there is a fairy ring at its center, and that unwary travelers may be transported into the realm of Faerie if they enter at the wrong time.

013.031: The town of Poroi, a trade port under the control of the League of Three Crowns. Much trade going to Vardessy passes through here, and there is a sizeable community of Vardessians, descended from merchants who decided to stay. A culture of mutual distrust has arisen between them and the native Togarmans.

014.019: The village of Tovarnik, a small trading post along the road between Budrovci (see hex 009.018) and Horvatska (see hex 016.017). The village's headman is in the possession of an enchanted sword passed down from the earliest Northman settlers of the town, which has the power to burst into flames if the right incantation is uttered.

014.023: This is the dwelling of Najmila, an old hermitess said to possess the ability to see the future. It seems like everyone has known of her for generations, but her home is hard to find, hidden among the trees.

015.024: The village of Kavalara. The people here are renowned woodsmen, and often sought out as guides, though many of them are parochial sorts who refuse to leave their homes without good reason, and they fear a werewolf who has been sighted in the surrounding hills.

015.024: The village of Vorsha is built on a small island in the middle of a lake, where the native Leshes subsist on fishing and foraging. They produce fine boats, but will only sell them to outsiders who have earned their trust.

016.017: The city of Horvatska, the largest of the Myrov cities. It trades with the Northmen often, and visitng Northmen can often be found here - though it also possesses extensive defenses to protect against raids, with an impressive arsenal of cannons. Its liege, Duchess Jovanka Baselic, is quite convinced that the walls are impenetrable and scoffs at any threats - perhaps with foolhardy confidence.

016.021: The village of Brodani, which serves as a stopping point between the mines to the east and the sea to the west. To that end, it is an important stop for river travelers and has many inns to house them - though it charges steep rates and overcharges travelers the townspeople feel they can rip off.

016.028: The village of Bystrogorski, a Leshic community that reveres the lake to the south as a sacred place. Their druids often make offerings to the spirits of the waters, and it is belived that everything that falls into the lake belongs to these powerful entities - even the souls of those drowned there.

016.031: The village of Grunbaum, originally settled by Vardessians, who to this day make up most of the population. They rely on logging, but this has brought them into conflict with a tribe of elves nearby who don't take kindly to the incursions on their sacred groves.

017.026: This stone circle is an important gathering place for druids from the surrounding communities. They often meet here to perform rituals together and hold regional assemblies, nominating delegates to the Grand Assembly. These events are often marked by great fairs and markets that bring the otherwise isolated Leshic communities together.

018.011: The village of Koresk, a small fishing community on an isolated island. Cut off from the rest of Togarmah, the people here are largely Old Faith worshipers - and have been known to sacrifice castaways to the sea in exchange for bountiful catches.

018.025: A village of elves is hidden deep in the forest here, and fiercely defend it against outsiders. They revere an ancient awakened tree, who they turn to for guidance.

018.029: The village of Rasko. The villagers here are vassals of Count Simeonov (see hex 018.031) and supply cut logs down the river. This has brought them more wealth than many other Leshic villages, and they are among the most hospitable to outsiders.

018.031: The town of Murina, founded as an outpost of the League of Three Crowns, though its leader, Count Ambroz Simeonov, exerts control over the resident trading guilds and holds himself as the only rightful power in town. It holds many inns used by travelers on the way to the Grand Assemblies.

019.017: This castle belongs to Baroness Ivica Zoric, who uses it to watch for pirates. A watchtower built off the coast is used to relay messages back and forth to the castle, which sits on a hill on the mainland. The Baroness is a proud veteran of military service and has slain many pirates; even if she is getting older, she has no intentions of growing slack in her duties to protect the coasts.

020.027: The town of Vinnitsy, an important trading post between the Leshes of the forests and the more cosmopolitan people of Togarmah. It has grown into a robust trade center with many powerful guilds, but many Leshes in town lament how the youth have abandoned their traditions in integrating with the outside world.

021.021: An iron mine in the Staszci Mountains. Rumor has it that the deepest shafts here go all the way down to the World Beneath.

021.027: The village of Orovka, a small community of craftsmen and hunters. Many of them travel to Vinnitsy (see hex 020.027) for its markets, though the trails through the woods can be dangerous, and many have gotten lost.

021.029: The village of Raskazy. The town well was accidentally built over the lair of a lindwurm, and the beast's venom has lately contaminated the water, inflicting the residents with a mysterious plague that not even the local wise woman can understand the cause of.

021.032: The Abbey of Saint Dunyasha, a Marsean convent. Its nuns are skilled in the arts of healing, and many from the nearby towns travel here so that they might heal them of their ailments.

022.019: The Monastery of the Setting Sun, a Solennite monastery. Its monks are sworn to repel the undead, and it trains many paladins who go off on quests to oppose these creatures. To that end, there are also altars here devoted to Torvald and Morthanos.

022.021: The village of Ozreni, a mining community on the foothills of the Staszci Mountains. There is a large dwarven population here, with homes built both above and below ground.

022.023: An iron mine in the Staszci Mountains. This is guarded closely by the orcs at hex 023.023, who extract the iron for their forges.

022.031: The town of Pokrovka. It sees many travelers, being built at the center of several important trade routes, and is controlled by a council of guild leaders. They exert heavy taxes on all items being sold, but a few groups of smugglers have sprung up to get around this.

023.007: This island is inhabited by Aldmar Arnisson, a Northman who drifted here after his ship was lost at sea, and who has constructed a simple sod hut, living off fish and the wild sheep that roam the meadows. He is the only survivor of his expedition, and will be grateful to be brought back to the North.

023.023: The village of Kurz's Horn, an outpost of Iron Orcs who smelt iron from the mine at hex 022.023. They haven't attacked anyone in recent memory, but they have their sights on expanding their reach to the mine at hex 021.021, looking to dig their way into the caverns beneath it and attack from below.

023.027: The village of Miynala. The people here are under a pact with a nearby elf clan, and offer up their first-born child every year to ensure protection and access to trade.

024.016: The city of Kovdol, one of the great Myrov fortress-cities. It is led by Count Izchak Hadzhiev, who has one of the largest armies in the Myrov lands; however, he stretches his forces thin, and often has trouble getting supplies to them in a timely fashion.

024.019: This watchtower once guarded the road from Horvatska (see hex 016.017) to Kovdol (see hex 024.016), but has since been taken over by bandits, who outsted the guard and took up residence here. It is currently under siege by forces from Kovdol, who are camped outside the walls, but their supplies are running thin and many are considering abandoning their posts, thinking the mission is futile.

024.030: The village of Ochiyopoka. It possesses a shrine to Seidra in which is stored a sacred jewel - which, unbeknownst to anyone, is actually the eye of the demilich Karamov (see hex 030.033), with the souls of its victims stored inside.

024.032: The village of Wargienen. The people here have a proud warrior tradition in which the men of the village must hunt and skin a wolf as a rite of passage, and they have not abandoned it even to this day. They are often hired out by surrounding cities as mercenaries, known for their fearlessness in battle; many wear wolf-skin cloaks as a mark of their success.

025.025: The village of Talnov. It is led by a wise woman named Feonilla, who comes from a long line of skin-changers, passing down a closely guarded secret of shapeshifting from mother to daughter. She and her five daughters often take the forms of animals to watch over the village and the surrounding lands.

026.013: The city of Zajela, a port of the League of Three Crowns. All political matters are handled by the local League Council of merchants, and it relies of the hiring of mercenaries and privateers for its defenses.

026.015: The Drunken Boar, a roadside inn catering to travelers. It has several modest rooms available to merchants and others passing through, but the upper levels boast more luxurious apartments reserved for nobles on their way to the Grand Assemblies. Although this may seem like a plus, there is also a system of hidden passages on this level, used by the staff to steal belongings from wealthy guests.

026.017: The village of Frici, which supplies lumber to the nearby cities. Its headman, Fiebron, is a retired privateer who settled down after losing his leg in battle; he has many stories to tell about his deeds at sea, often greatly exaggerated, but some leading to treasure and points of interest.

026.029: An abandoned inn sits in the forest here, its door blowing open in the breeze. Animals avoid this place, as it fills them with an inexplicable fear - the inn is haunted by the spirit of a traveling witch who was murdered by the innkeeper, fearful of her power, and she cursed the establishment so that those who stay here would never know peace.

026.034: This castle is owned by Lord Ladomer Marko, a vassal of Countess Prohaszka (see hex 027.035). A veteran knight who demands to be treated with respect, he sees himself as his lady's loyal vanguard against outside invasion - though he often talks down to commoners and exerts heavy tolls on travelers.

027.031: The town of Stansikov, which controls the bridge over the Busada River. Although the river is of no great importance for trade, the burgomaster still charges a toll for those who wish to cross it, using it to fund the construction of a great temple to Voltan in the town square.

027.035: The town of Kanala, the largest settlement of the Stolazi mountaineers. Located on the coast, it is a major artery of trade along the Kunarya River, delivering goods into the valley beyond. It is governed by Countess Marta Prohaszka, who exerts a tight grip on her vassals in the surrounding farmland, demanding high tithes in order to keep trade flowing - which has made her unpopular among the peasantry.

028.012: The Hermit's House, an inn on the road to Venec. Contrary to its name, it is no longer the dwelling of a hermit, and has actually expanded far beyond the humble image that name would convey, but it was once owned by one, and was converted into an inn after his death. Some travelers on the road say they have seen the hermit's ghost at night, forced to wander the roads ever since his spirit was driven out of his home.

028.015: The village of Zarastin. A rustic place, its people are largely trappers, hunters, and woodsmen, trading furs along the road. Local legend holds that one should never keep pumpkins or melons growing after Midwinter, or they will sprout vines that creep into peoples' houses and suck their blood. But that's just a legend...right?

028.020: This cave is the hidden entrance to the long abandoned dwarven hold of Irul Mokbos, whose residents went mad and slaughtered each other after unearthing a cursed artifact from the mines. It is said that no one has been able to retrieve all their treasures, but the fortress is a maze of twisting passages and hidden chambers; even its entrance blends in with the rock and is hard to find unless one knows where they're looking.

028.025: The village of Krinichi. It sits on the shore of the Tolska River, which flows into the hills just south of Irul Mokbos (see hex 028.020). The village chieftain, Syroslav the Shining, is in possession of a helm of brilliance crafted by the dwarves long ago that was fished out of the river. He is a cruel man who has ordered the executions of those who opposed him, but no one dares to challenge him when the last person who did so was vaporized by a gout of fire from the man's helmet.

028.027: The village of Lymovka. The people here fear a hill giant, Breso, who lives on an island in the river and has been known to assail those who get too close to his cottage. His sheep bear fleece of copper thread, which would be worth great wealth, but he is fiercely defensive of them.

029.013: The city of Godinja, which thrives on trade along the Solka River. It has many bridges spanning the river, one of which - the West Bridge - contains a hidden passage within its masonry used by thieves to cross from one side of the city to the other unnoticed.

029.016: This gold mine has long been abandoned, thanks to poisonous vapors rising from the earth. Many of its veins are still untapped, if one is willing to brave the denizens of the mine and has protection against the fumes.

029.018: A valley through the mountains here is home to a small village of orcs. They are not friendly to outsiders, but will grant passage to a warrior strong enough to best their champion, Gnorth the Slayer, in single combat. They know the location of Irul Mokbos (see hex 028.020), but fear what lies within.

029.022: Ramshead Keep, a castle belonging to Lord Radomir Horvat, whose family established it as an outpost to defend against orcs and Zelskys. Today, a small village has sprung up around it, with many treasure hunters stopping there in search of Irul Mokbos (see hex 028.020).

029.30: The village of Uzigotny, a small Leshic settlement largely trading in wood and crafts. Secretly, one of its residents, Alesa, is a necromancer and a student of the demilich Karamov (see hex 030.033), and she intends to slowly take over the village and use it as an outpost to exert his will.

029.034: The village of Boskert, originally founded by Vardessian traders on the Kunarya River. Its people largely stick to their own traditions and are culturally more Vardessian than their Stalozi neighbors, but due to its location on the river, they have assimilated for trading purposes. Still, some things get lost in translation, and mixups by merchants are not uncommon.

030.011: The town of Janowiec, an important center of trade. In addition to its access to the sea, it is a nexus of trade routes and possesses a great market and a powerful banking guild run by the local Cult of Nehalennia that has offices to exchange wealth in many cities.

030.020: The village of Dupov, a small mining community in the Staczi Mountains. Most of the townspeople are dwarves, but they have since assimilated into human society - however, the clans have held onto their ancestral knowledge, and there are some rumors they will only share with fellow dwarves, as well as offering fairer prices in stores to their kindred.

030.033: This cave is the lair of Karamov, an ancient demilich who presides over a cult of necromancers who seek to follow in his footsteps by unlocking immortality. Many years ago, one of his gemstone eyes was stolen by a foolish thief who thought it merely to be a precious jewel, and his minions are searching the land for any sign of it.

031.023: The Zelsky village of Markin. Though its population is transient, as Zelskys are wont to wander, its location on an important road has caused several trading posts and inns to spring up - though the Zelskys are often judgmental of the softer, foolish ways of outsiders.

031.028: This stone circle is home to an elven maiden by the name of Tatharneth, and her pet unicorn. She is fiercely protective of the creature, distrusting those who would use its horn for selfish purposes, but would be willing to grant them its blessing if they prove they are trustworthy.

032.011: The Seven of Cups, an inn catering to travelers on the way to the Grand Assembly. As its name suggests, it is a favorite among gamblers and other unsavory sorts who might feel less at home in the castles and monasteries also along the route. Fights are not uncommon.

032.012: The Abbey of Saint Waldemar, a Voltanite monastery. Its abbot, Father Kasimir, is a noble in his own right and attends the Grand Assemblies every time they are held, believing participation to be a virtue of great leaders and lawgivers. In keeping with this, travelers who can provide proof they are going to a Grand Assembly are allowed to stay here.

032.017: This iron mine, owned by Baron Musil (see hex 033.014), has recently reported a strange pattern of valuables going missing when the miners leave them unattended. Ghosts, fairies, and Rat Men have all been blamed for the disappearances, but no one is brave enough to venture deeper and find out.

032.033: The village of Kisztanya, a trading post on the Kunarya River and a staunch rival of Boskert (see hex 029.034). Merchants from Boskert have been known to vandalize, sabotage, or even raid barges from here, and the people are beginning to contemplate revolt if the problem continues to go unchecked.

 033.014: This castle is owned by Baron Leopold Musil, who controls several mines in the Stasczi Mountains. He sends guard patrols through the mountains frequently to try and keep the threat of orcs under control, but recently several of the expeditions have not returned, and he grows concerned for what this bodes.

033.024: The village of Trebolzya. It is an important market for horses, who are bred and sold here by the native Zelskys. A great auction is held every summer, with visitors coming from all across Togarmah to bid.