Highlands Hex Map

With another month finished in the Year of the Gazetteer, it's time for another hex map, this one detailing a part of the Sonderlunding Highlands. Each hex equals six miles.

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002.012: The village of Kilbeggan. The headman's brother, a noted warrior, recently went into battle against the warrior women at hex 004.008 and never returned. The headman will pay a fine reward to know of his brother's whereabouts.

002.022: This castle belongs to Deryn the Red, a powerful thane who has grown wealthy thanks to the rich agriculture in this area. He is a noted sailor, and has been raising funds to an expedition to the castle at hex 002.026.

002.026: This island is continually shrouded in mist, but twice a year on the equinoxes, the mist parts just enough for an old castle on the cliffs to become visible. No one has ever seen anyone at the castle, and no one has any idea what goes on inside.

002.038: Muireall MacDubh, a reclusive sorceress, lives in this tower. She will be willing to take in anyone who finds her as an apprentice, sure that she lives so far out of the way that only a skilled magician could have known where to look.

004.008: This castle belongs to a clan of fierce warrior women who raid the surrounding areas periodically. They rely on kidnapping men to use as breeding slaves in order to reproduce. Some villages have offered men as tribute to be spared their wrath.

004.014: The village of Drumeanan. As of late, the people have abandoned the worship of their ancestors after a cult of demon worshipers took hold. The ancestors have begun to grow restless now that the people are no longer making offerings to appease their spirits.

005.010: The village of Dunheeda. After suffering several raids by the warrior women at hex 004.008, several women of the town have begun to feel it's better to join them than to beat them, and have begun training to try and impress them with their martial skills.

005.024: A stone circle sits here, tended to by the druidess Branwen. If a weapon is buried in the ground at the center of the circle and left there for a full month, it will become enchanted on the next new moon.

006.025: The village of Rathscannel. The people here largely subsist off of fishing - and one fisherman recently saw a great sea serpent capsize a boat out on the water. If it comes closer to shore, it could only mean trouble.

007.008: The village of Terenure. The village is an isolated one, and the people have grown quite insular as a result - common wisdom holds that if they venture too far into the woods, the Fair Folk will take them.

008.020: A village of elves sits in the middle of a clearing here. They are known to worship the Drihida River as sacred, and those traveling on or along the river are often attacked for disturbing the balance of nature.

009.026: A runestone sits here, one that miraculously changes its inscriptions each month to foretell the future. One who studies the runes must make a DC 20 History check; on a success, the player may ask the DM a question about what will happen before the next new moon and the DM must answer truthfully. The runes are written in Sylvan and only one who understands the language may read them.

010.031: At the center of this island is a magnetic mountain. Compasses that pass within three miles of the island will point toward it, and metal objects will begin to be attracted to it within one mile.

011.014: This castle is home to Hefin the Maneater, a hill giant. He is a keen fighter who will challenge anyone who comes to him bearing weapons to a duel, but expects honor from all competitors and will not expect any sneaky moves or magical aid. If it is discovered that his opponent is cheating, his wife, Elain, will attempt to drive the disreputable coward out by throwing rocks at them.

011.026: The village of Brihild. An outlaw with a vorpal sword has taken up residence here at the center of town, vowing that he will not leave until he has slain 50 foes or died trying. He is up to 23, and will happily take on more challengers.

013.024: The village of Lachbroder. Lately, the townspeople have reported food and valuables going missing at night - in reality, the village is built over a warren of Rat Men, who stalk the town at night, making off with anything they can find while the people sleep.

014.024: This castle belongs to Iorwerth, a thane who controls several villages in the surrounding area. However, he is secretly a kinslayer, having killed his brother, Feardorcha, while the two of them were away at war so that he could usurp his claim to the throne and blame it on an enemy. Feardorcha's ghost haunts the castle halls, trying to lead visitors toward bringing him justice.

014.026: The village of Kinnity. The town is renowned for the games held here every summer, with warriors coming from far afield to partake in contests of strength.

014.034: The village of Tullagh. The village is under the protection of a relatively reliable fairy who ensures the townsfolk's prosperity, but the village has developed a number of peculiar customs in order to appease the spirit, and many seemingly innocuous actions are shunned for provoking the wrath of the easily-angered fair folk.

015.001: This castle belongs to a clan of goblins, who guard the pass through the mountains. They will attack anyone who attempts to pass through, but their king is quite fond of riddles and will grant passage to anyone who can best him at a riddling contest.

016.020: This cave is home to Stormfather, an ancient blue dragon who has resided in these mountains for as long as anyone can remember. He is in a pitched rivalry with Embertongue (see hex 031.013) over who is the oldest being in the Highlands, though the two dragons have grown quite lazy in their old age and have no interest in battling each other directly, instead directing others through complex and often obtuse schemes to do their bidding.

016.033: This castle belongs to Tiernan O'Niall, a king who was renowned as a great warrior in his heyday, but who has grown weak in his old age. He is looking for a worthy successor to inherit his throne, promising to pass it to one who completes a quest worthy of marking them a great hero.

017.008: The dwarven fortress of Kilrudinen. The dwarves here are renowned as master craftsmen of magical treasures, but are fiercely protective of their secrets against outsiders. Many would pay a high price for the artifacts kept in their vaults, but retrieving them would not be an easy task. They are fierce rivals of the orcs at hex 020.006, and anyone who slays one of the orcs' champions will win the favor of the dwarves.

017.013: A tribe of elves live here. They revere the wild boar as their guardian animal; all of them can speak the language of boars and call them into battle, and the elders of the tribe are skin-changers who can assume the form of a boar.

018.040: A cave on the shore here is home to a nucklavee. The people in the villages nearby shun and live in fear of the creature, and there are several farmhouses around its lair that lay abandoned after it caused the crops to fail.

019.019: A barrow sits here, in which an ancient king is buried. Under the full moon, the king's spirit appears, and he may be consulted on the mysteries of the past.

019.037: The village of Kiltormer. Local rumor holds that a magic cauldron is buried not too far from town, with the power to turn anything placed in it into gold. Of course, transporting it will be the hard part.

020.001: The village of Barnacahoge. Many of the townspeople are in fact bandits who prey on travelers in the forest, using the secluded village as their base of operations.

020.006: A tribe of orcs live here. They have a long rivalry with the dwarves of Kilrudinen (see hex 017.008) after a war between the two powers long ago, and neither side has forgotten the hostilities even if everyone involved is long dead. The orcs will be happy to lend aid to any raid on the dwarves.

020.028: The village of Bunnahowen. The village is on a manhunt for a thief among them after a magic staff went missing from the town druid's shrine, and even though the village is small enough for everyone to know everyone, no one has any idea of who's responsible - because a conspiracy runs deep, with the townsfolk protecting each other against their neighbors' suspicion.

020.033: The village of Breenagh. The village is home to a druid by the name of Conchobar; although a vassal of King Tiernan (see hex 016.033), he feels that the old king is in no shape to rule, and secretly plots a takeover.

021.011: A great mountain lake sits in the middle of a valley here. If one enters the lake during Beltane or Samhain, they will be transported to the Land of the Dead - but if they do not return before the day is up, they will be trapped there.

021.040: The village of Falask. The locals warn not to go too close to a particular cape just west of the town, as kelpies live in the water and have been known to drown travelers. If one could win the favor of the creatures, however, they will guide them to wherever they seek across the sea.

022.030: The village of Iascaig. A circle of druids watches over the town; they are well-versed in the lore of the fair folk and will share their knowledge with those who come to them seeking help in dealing with such creatures.

022.036: A barrow sits deep in the woods here. Here is buried an ancient king with his treasure hoard, including a magic sword capable of cutting through stone. Of course, to plunder the tomb would be to incur the wrath of the spirits within...

023.016: This castle belongs to a clan of orcs who serve the dragon Embertongue (see hex 031.013), paying a tribute of the treasure they obtain in their raids to the dragon's hoard. The orcs all fear the dragon, even though he is too lazy to seriously pursue vengeance if they wrong him.

025.020: Fidelma, a green hag, lives in a hut here in the wilderness, brewing tea from mushrooms and bark. She is willing to place curses on the enemies of those who seek her aid - as long as they aid her in return.

027.033: A mad hermit lives alone in a cave out on the moors here. He has become deluded into thinking that he is a powerful king and that his cave is a luxurious palace, and he demands to be treated with respect.

028.006: A tribe of elves live here. They are familiar with the properties of the stone circle at hex 030.005 and know of its location.

29.008: A chalk figure of a giant with his hand extended is cut into a hillside here, only discernable when seen from above. If one digs where the giant's hand is clutching, they will find a bracelet of rock magic (see Tales from the Yawning Portal).

029.018: A tribe of elves live here. They are known for their tradition of divination, and can see the fates of those who come to them bearing sacrifices.

029.035: A stone circle sits on a windy moor here. The spirit of an outlaw who died of natural causes haunts the site, awaiting a foe who can give him a battle worthy of letting his spirit move on.

030.005: A stone circle sits atop a hill here, guarded by a pack of dire wolves. One whose blood touches the center of the circle gains the power to see through the eyes of any wolf known to them until the next full moon.

030.031: A ruined castle sits at the middle of a swamp here. It once belonged to a thane whose entire holding was lost to a flash flood, and the skeletal remains of his soldiers roam the area in search of foes to conquer.

031.002: The village of Kilmoroy. Hunters from the village came upon the stone circle at hex 030.005 and believe it to be cursed (otherwise, why would there be that many wolves there?); they urge travelers to avoid it at all costs.

031.013: This cave is home to Embertongue, an ancient red dragon who claims to be the oldest creature in the Highlands. His only rival to the title is the blue dragon Stormfather (see hex 016.020), who he considers a hated rival. The two dragons are too old and lazy to do much themselves, but they still try to one-up and sabotage each other, using others as pawns in their schemes.

031.022: A tribe of elves live here. They are hostile and cruel, known to torture lost travelers for their amusement. If any elf is among the party, however, they will show the party no harm, feeling that if one of their kind can tolerate them there has to be something of merit about them.

032.012: A tribe of goblins live in a series of caves along a canyon here. They worship the dragon Embertongue (see hex 016.020) as a god. Embertongue is unaware of their existence, but would be flattered to know of it.

033.037: The village of Drumod. A mysterious stranger who always keeps their face covered with a black hood wandered into town a month ago and has been staying there since - in reality, this stranger is a demon in disguise, and they seek to spread suspicion and distrust between neighbors in order to cause the village's downfall.

034.020: A tribe of elves live here. They know the languages of birds and use them as their spies, having them report on what they find far afield.

035.040: The village of Mogh. As of late, the tavern has become haunted by a clurichaun, who keeps drinking all the ale without paying for it. The brewers are on the verge of rioting.

036.002: The village of Kilrea. There has recently been a slew of disappearances of children, and the townspeople fear that the fairies are taking them as changelings to a cave just outside of town that leads to the land of Faerie.

037.032: The village of Currabeha. The townspeople are fearful of glowing lights that have appeared on the moors, thinking them to be fey spirits, and caution anyone not to go near them. In reality, the lights are merely lanterns being used by a band of thieves meeting at night to bury their treasure; currently, they have amassed 254 GP worth of gold and jewels, two of which are gems of brightness (the thieves are unaware of their magical properties).

038.004: A tribe of elves live here. They lay claim to the site that the stone circle at hex 039.005 is built on, and have attacked the druids traveling there to conduct rituals.

038.039: A circle of four stone arches sits on a hill here. If one goes through them in the order north, east, east, west, they will come out at the stone circle at hex 054.027.

039.005: This stone circle is the meeting place of a group of druids from the nearby settlements who meet here at night to conduct rituals. However, the elves at hex 038.004 believe the land the circle is built on to be sacred ground, and attempt to threaten the druids off of it.

039.009: A long-abandoned barrow sits beneath a grove of trees here. Twice a year, when the sun lines up with the entrance of the barrow enough to shine its light straight through it, one who enters the barrow will be transported to the land of Faerie.

040.025: A sacred tree grows here, tended to by druids and marked by a small stone circle around it. If one eats the flowers that grow on its branches, they will gain the ability to speak to animals until their next long rest.

040.033: The village of Mullach. The town's blacksmith is said to have learned his craft from the dwarves, and is capable of enchanting items for the right price.

042.003: The village of Kilcaimin. The town is on a cliff high above the water, but a series of caves on the cliffs lead to a vast complex of caverns - though getting to them is the hard part, as they are high above the open water.

042.032: This stone circle was once tended to by druids, but has now become a camp site for a marauding band of orcs. The orcs care little for the circle's sanctity, and the druids would wish to see them expelled.

042.037: This castle belongs to Maighread McNee, a thane known as a patroness of many great warriors. She will invite them to her company to drink and to celebrate their heroic deeds - often going overboard on the festivities and causing many drunken escapades.

043.025: The village of Molahiffe. A woodsman from the town recently wandered into the forests, and the people fear he has been taken by the fair folk.

043.028: The village of Rosturk. People from the surrounding settlements bring their grain here to be ground with the town water mill - however, lately a mischievous spirit has taken up residence in the mill, and a spate of accidents and mishaps have ensued.

044.010: The village of Corvoy. The people are in the debt of a night hag who lives in a hut near the town, and must provide her with a child to devour each summer, or she will cast a blight upon their crops.

044.021: This castle belongs to a powerful fey lord by the name of Carrowghast. It is half in and half out of the land of Faerie, and is invisible for most of the year, save for on the solstices and equinoxes.

045.006: This castle belongs to Felim O'Hannegan, a king who rules over many of the nearby villages. He is a cruel ruler who has been known to call for the execution of those he feels personally insulted by, and the people fear the days he comes to inspect their villages

045.017: A tribe of elves live in the swamp here. Their village is built on quicksand; as the elves have the favor of the spirits of the bog, they are not affected by its hazards and can walk on quicksand as though it were solid ground.

045.023: A tribe of orcs live here. They have made many raids against the surrounding villages, and have grown to see their battles as a kind of sport, with many seeking out trouble just for the fun of it.

047.002: The village of Connonaugh. The people here are at the mercy of raids by Northmen, but their king (see hex 045.006) has curtailed how many men-at-arms they may raise in their defense, as he fears a revolt.

047.033: A hermit druid lives in a hut here. He is in the possession of a magic loom that weaves cloth that is as strong as armor, but is fiercely defensive of it and refuses to let it be used by anyone else.

047.040: The dwarven stronghold of Rosh Dunur. The fortress is carved into the very top of a high and imposing mountain, so difficult to reach that the dwarves have been known to share their secrets of craftsmanship with anyone brave enough to seek out its gates.

048.011: This castle belongs to Fergus the Black, a bandit lord who has a small army of thieves, brigands, and mercenaries at his command and exerts a tight grip on the surrounding territories.

048.030: The village of Murrisk. The people here are reclusive forest-dwellers with little contact with the outside world, and have been known to attack strangers out of fear.

049.004: The village of Kilstrade. As of late, the people have been suffering from a plague cast on them by a sea hag who lives on a small islet off the coast in retribution for them killing her daughter out of fear of her power.

050.011: The village of Allihies. The people here are fearful of a tribe of elves living in the nearby woods and leave them offerings in the hopes that they won't cause them harm. The elves, in fact, care little about the village and wouldn't have dealt with it even without the offerings, but the people still pay tribute because they haven't had any trouble thus far and they don't want to test anything.

051.008: The barrow of an ancient king, buried with his hoard of gold and jewels, sits here. The king was fearful of grave robbers in life, and has constructed a great network of tunnels and traps to deter would-be thieves.

054.014: The village of Rossinver. The village was built atop the barrow of an ancient warrior, and his ghost still haunts the townsfolk, trying to chase them away so that they do not disturb his rest.

054.022: The village of Drishaghaun. The barrow of a great hero is located not far from here, with his enchanted sword and armor buried with him. The hero issued an ancestral oath that his equipment would only be bequeathed to one who could perform a heroic deed worthy of his legacy - and the villagers have been waiting for that successor to show themselves.

054.024: The village of Adara. Although part of the domains of Queen Mairead (see hex 062.019), it has been cut off by trade thanks to the difficulty of crossing the swamps to the north - in no small part thanks to the wisps that lead travelers astray.

054.027: A circle of four stone arches sits on a hill here. If one goes through them in the order south, west, west, east, they will come out at the stone circle at hex 038.039.

054.039: A tribe of goblins live here. They display many gruesome warnings along the path leading to their warrens, with skulls and impaled bodies lining the road - in truth, they hope this display is enough to frighten off would-be attackers, because they have few warriors.

055.041: A tribe of orcs live here. Their warriors must prove themselves by hunting a wild beast and presenting it to the chieftain. Notably, they consider humans to be "wild beasts."

056.011: A stone circle here marks a place where the fabric of the universe is thin and other worlds are close at hand. Those who spend an hour in meditation at the circle may cast contact other plane once per day.

056.016: A hermit lives on the banks of this river. He was, in fact, an outlaw from his clan who, too afraid to seek death in battle, decided to settle down as a fisherman. He does lament his cowardice and wishes that he had the strength of will to meet his fate.

057.017: A stone circle is sinking into the swamp here. It has become a sacred site to a clan of lizard men, who gather here to perform rituals - many of which involve the sacrifice of humans.

057.020: This castle belongs to Cadoc O'Flannaghan, a thane in service to Queen Mairead (see hex 062.019). Secretly, though, he is jealous of her power and plots to usurp her throne.

057.027: The village of Sona. The people here have seen a ghostly white horse (stats as a nightmare) galloping back and forth across the moors. If one could tame it, it would surely prove a mighty steed.

059.006: The village of Kilcullane. The fishermen here have seen the Salmon of Poetry (see hex 061.011) and speak of its fabled power to grant great wisdom to one who eats it. The town druid is willing to trade his bell branch (see Tasha's Cauldron of Everything) for the fish.

059.022: The village of Glenamaddy. The village idiot, Owain, is seeking to win the favor of the Queen (see hex 062.019) through a deed of great valor, and will try to talk any travelers into letting him come along. The rest of the townspeople fear that he will just get himself killed.

059.029: The village of Drumbane. It is known for its clay pits - and recently, a wizard came to town putting in an order for a great quantity of clay. In reality, he is building a golem that he intends to use to take over the town.

060.021: The village of Dromleigh. It is home to one of the largest and most prosperous markets in the Highlands, with merchants visiting from far afield to share their wares - and rumors.

060.035: The village of Luscaun. Many of the people here know secret paths through the mountains - and they sell their secrets to bandits in the area, who launch ambushes on travelers passing through.

061.011: The Salmon of Poetry can be found here, swimming in the Cynemar River. Someone who catches and eats the fish will receive great knowledge - they have Advantage on all Intelligence checks permanently.

062.007: The village of Kilinaugh. The people have been menaced by a bog body (stats of a mummy) - the preserved body of an ancient criminal who was buried in the swamp, which comes to life and stalks at night.

062.019: This castle belongs to Mairead the Fair, a queen who rules over one of the largest of the many petty kingdoms in the Highlands. She is renowned as a just and gracious ruler, and seeks out great heroes to entrust with duties in service of the kingdom.

063.027: The ruined dwarven stronghold of Stathlok. Long ago, the dwarves dug too deep in the earth and unleashed an ancient evil, and now the lower reaches of the fortress have been taken over by demonic forces.

063.036: The village of Creehenan. The townsfolk here have been known to prey on travelers, selling them trinkets and giving them advice meant to ward off the fair folk, none of which actually work.

064.041: A long-forgotten stone circle lies deep in the woods here. It is, however, still tended to by the spirits of the ancient druids to whom it was sacred, and their ghosts still haunt the site, unaware that they're dead or that centuries have passed since they were alive.

065.037: The Oak and Antler, a roadside inn of a kind uncommon in the Highlands. The innkeeper, Lachlan MacNiven, enjoys contests of strength, and will grant a free drink to anyone who can best him in an arm-wrestling match.