Green Downs Hex Map

Another month of the Year of the Gazetteer is behind us, and you know what that means. This is a smaller map than the last few; I missed being able to key one of these in a single afternoon. But there's still plenty of adventure to be found in the Green Downs - or if you'd rather use this for an unusually Amish-flavored session of Under Hill, By Water, be my guest.

Note that, due to halfling settlement patterns, the population of the Green Downs is sparse and decentralized. Every farmland hex (light green) can thus be assumed to contain multiple homesteads even if not detailed in the key.

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Each hex equals three miles.

003.004: A gang of forest bandits are camped here. They are fond of drinking and merriment and boasting of their exploits, and will allow any visitors into their revelry as long as they don't alert the law. They are knowledgeable of the surrounding woods, but will only share the locations of their trails with those they trust.

004.017: This homestead belongs to Ponto Riehl. He and his family are some of the most esteemed growers of pipeweed in the Green Downs; in addition, they are experts on herblore and knowledgeable of many remedies. Rumor holds that his wife, Lyla, is a braucher, though she does not practice her craft openly.

004.021: The village of Binnefeld. The locals are careful not to be around after dark, for they fear the fairies dwelling in the woods. There has lately been a rash of children behaving strange and disobedient, leading some to suspect babies are being stolen and replaced with changelings.

005.034: The village of Ruernafe. Long ago, the founder of the village made a deal with the naiads of the Echbur River to settle the bank of the river in exchange for a tithe of gold. However, the naiads expected the payments to continue, and the tithe has run dry. Now the naiads are plotting to drive the halflings off their land if they don't pay.

006.024: A troll lives in a hillside cave here. At night, it has been creeping out of its hole to steal sheep grazed in the pastures, but it might set its sights on other prey...

006.031: This bridge - a wooden covered bridge, like most in the Green Downs - is haunted by the ghost of a human knight who appears guarding the bridge at night. The knight does not know that he's dead and challenges all who bear arms to a duel, under the tradition of pas d'armes. Since the Hinnisch rarely carry weapons or travel after dark, he has not had a fight in some time, and is quite bored.

007.008: The village of Boddelsdorf. It is home to a guild of sawmakers renowned throughout the Green Downs who supply the town's woodcutters. However, they have been as of late targeted by the bandits from hex 003.004.

007.029: The village of Sauerley. It is the site of a major livestock market in the summer, where farmers bid on all sorts of beasts. Occasionally, more exotic creatures find their way here.

008.015: The village of Umgang. The town butcher, Michel Stoltzfus, will gladly prepare and skin any carcass for a fee, as long as the price of any hide sold at the market is split with him.

009.011: The village of Kinzers. A local halfling, Ogden Rohrer, was recently sentenced to exile after being caught stealing a valuable necklace from the headman. He is in search of work and will offer his services to anyone in need of a halfling's particular talents.

010.007: The village of Wimmelham. There are a number of statues buried in the fields that are enchanted to come to life and protect the village if it is attacked.

010.024: The village of Kupperbohre. Its burrows are built over an old abandoned dwarven mine, and the ghosts of the miners still linger in the depths, endlessly toiling away.

011.012: The village of Hartsburg. The whole town was placed under a sleeping spell after offending a tribe of elves in the nearby woods.

012.029: This homestead belongs to Rebecca Lantz. Always a gleeful hostess, she will invite any passers-by to a warm meal - regardless of whether or not they intend to linger for long.

013.017: The village of Niwerholm. A huge old tree sits in the center of town; every ten years, it grows a single golden apple.

016.026: This homestead belongs to Emma Langfus. She is a braucher, and many families in the area seek her out to heal their maladies and bless their fields.

017.001: The village of Glockenblumm. It grazes its cattle in the meadows of the hill - and lately, they have gone missing, thanks to a witch from over the hills casting a spell on them to lead them to her cottage.

017.010: The village of Harzbucke. It is famous for its glassblowing, and the markets sell many glass trinkets - including protective amulets taught to them by foreign traders that the little-traveled Hinnisch are unaware of the true properties of.

017.017: The village of Marisch. Many locals offer their services as ferrymen along the Weibraun River, and they have stories - many of them exaggerated, but not without some truth - of giant aggressive fish in the swamp.

017.032: The village of Lingel. There is a burial mound complex just outside of town, where rumor holds that treasure is buried with the bones of ancient kings - of course, no one has been brave enough to look inside.

019.023: A stone circle sits on a hill here, the stones engraved with images of owls. One who spends a long rest in meditation here will receive a vision of what is going on at that moment at any location they can name.

019.024: The village of Barick. The residents here shun violence, afraid it will anger the spirits in the hills to the north - a tradition dating back to an ancient Old Faith cult in the area that once tended to the stone circle at hex 019.023. If they are attacked, they will retreat to the town granary, which is fortified to serve as a citadel if needed.

019.035: This homestead belongs to Allowin Beiler. He is in the possession of a magic axe that can cut through any substance as though it were wood, but it is designed for woodcutting and attacks against creatures using it are made at Disadvantage. He is willing to loan it out as long as it is returned in a timely fashion.

020.004: The village of Zooksmead. The local ferrier, Bucca Unnerburrow, is capable of working magic horseshoes that allow a horse or donkey to carry twice as much weight - but is used to making them for ponies, and it will take him some time to make a set for a full-sized horse.

020.018: A coffin belonging to the vampire Sigiward von Jagergaard is buried in the riverbed here to keep the creature from rising (as a vampire cannot cross running water). If extracted from the riverbed, however, he will reanimate and seek blood.

020.030: A witch by the name of Feanan the Grim lives in this hovel. She has been known to eat the flesh of wayward children who get lost in the woods, according to local lore. Whether that's true, or just something Hinnisch parents tell to frighten their children into obedience, is anyone's guess.

022.007: The village of Hirschley. A fishing village on the shores of Hullwesser Lake, the locals have as of late been charmed by a siren who lives in the water, using her beauty to lure the gullible to drown.

023.017: Ferrymen stop at an island in the middle of the Weibraun here to camp and restock. However, they know to leave the island by nightfall, for it belongs to a tribe of elves and they are unwilling to let mortals linger there for long.

024.011: This homestead belongs to Brufo Stoltzfus. He is somewhat of a magnate in the area, owning many fields and enjoying great wealth from the harvests; many halflings believe his ways are conceited and distasteful.

025.022: The village of Duldrei. The people are wary of the ghost of a fisherman who has been seen rowing across the lake on misty nights, peering into the water as though looking for something.

025.026: The village of Kiehlwasser. It is the site of a great annual auction held on the fields every summer, where farmers from around the area come to sell crafts and antiques.

027.013: The village of Distelfink. Built at a crossroads, it is a shameful secret that the town's founder sold his soul to a demon he summoned here in order to gain power, and to this day, the veil between the Mortal Realm and Hell is weak here. The people are, understandably, skeptical of strangers, especially those making deals.

027.019: This homestead belongs to Eli Zook. A larger burrow as far as Hinnisch homes go, it is surrounded by a large hawthorn hedge to ward off evil spirits.

028.001: The village of Grieholm. Its market is open to outsiders, and many big folk come here to peruse halfling wares. Some have even decided to settle in town, something that the locals fear is eroding their way of life.

028.007: The village of Wackisch. One of the burrows constantly billows acrid smoke - it is home to a mad and reclusive herbalist who only occasionally emerges to seek out ingredients under the cover of night.

029.030: The village of Glaussen. The village is located near a stone quarry, and two families in town, the Noakes and the Bolgers, have long feuded over mining rights, each holding a claim to the mines that the other overlaps. However, the Hinnisch prohibitions on violence within the community has kept tensions low - for now.

031.005: The village of Hunnichdorf. A community of braucheri meet here to share their prophetic visions with one another, and the townspeople take their word as guidance for what the future will hold.

031.025: The village of Seichswamm. Lately, several of the farmers have been complaining about badgers digging up their crops, but the holes seem unusually large - it is, in fact, a lindwurm tunneling under the ground.

032.004: The bodies of an army that starved to death in a siege against the elves at hex 033.002 are buried in the swamp here. A goblin shaman named Slog Green-Eye from hex 034.006 has been scouting the area, plotting to resurrect their bodies against the elves.

032.034: The only castle in the Green Downs belongs to Lord Karl Dortmund, a noble who oversees the lands on behalf of Imperial authorities, although his actual power is limited as the halflings are largely left to govern themselves, and he mainly deals with monitoring the wilderness and sentencing bandits and outlaws. Traditionally, the castle marks the southern limit of the Green Downs.

033.002: A tribe of elves live here. They are reclusive but not hostile; if intruders appear, they will use their magic to vanish into the trees. They are rumored to hold many treasures in vaults only they know the location of.

033.014: A human wizard named Old Ned (not his real name; he's forgotten that one) lives in a cottage here. He lost his memory in a spell gone wrong and now believes himself to be a halfling, and won't accept any arguments to the contrary, no matter how tall he is.

033.030: A cave sits beneath the water line on the lake here. It is home to a sea hag who nearby farmers pay tribute to so that she does not cast a curse on them.

033.032: The village of Kaft. The largest settlement in the Green Downs, it is home to both halflings and humans, and even a few dwarves. Its proximity to Lord Karl (see hex 032.034) means that the law of the Vardessian Empire has a tighter grasp here than elsewhere in the region.

034.006: A clan of goblins live in this cave. They have long coveted the treasures of the elves at hex 003.002, but have been unable to conquer them. There is dissent among their ranks if they should utilize force or trickery to overcome the elves.

034.018: The village of Breetschtab. The locals maintain a militia after a conflict with the goblins at hex 034.006 ages ago. They have not needed to take up arms in years, but still train as a formality, mostly to compete at archery competitions.

035.021: The village of Schoeneck. It is regarded as an unusually raucous town by halfling standards, with numerous taverns, and a reputation for the locals getting in frequent drunken brawls.

035.036: A tribe of elves live here. Their village is built on rocky crags rising above a valley in the hills, and they navigate from one side of the canyon to the other with rope bridges and, in some places, by jumping from rock to rock with their agile steps.

035.038: A number of caverns line a fault in the earth here, some of them running down as far as the World Beneath. Occasionally, small raiding parties of goblins crawl out of them, though the elves at hex 035.036 deter any larger-scale incursions.

036.015: The village of Grautsdorf. The locals are known for their cultivation of herbs, but have been dealing with incursions from Schpetzlin (see hex 039.013) stealing herbs out of their gardens. They are raising money to hire mercenaries in order to defend them from the thieves.

037.023: The village of Axbrick. A larger village built on either side of an old stone bridge believed to be of dwarven construction, one resident, Amalin Holsblatz, maintains a well-equipped company of halflings who patrol the roads and enforce order in the area. He also learns plenty of information from throughout the Green Downs from his roadwardens, and can pass it on for a price.

038.008: This homestead belongs to Amos Braulock. The farm has been with his family for generations, but he is growing old, and his children left the Green Downs years ago (as is common for halflings) and have not returned. He wants to pass the land on to someone who can continue to use it - and intends to marry them to his daughter, Belinda, to make this a reality.

038.022: The village of Schoffsbrunne. It is the site of one of the largest libraries in the Green Downs, and many halflings come from across the region to consult its knowledge.

039.013: The village of Schpetzlin. The village has a long-standing grant to collect herbs in the area - and they have exploited that loophole to steal from the gardens at Grautsdorf (see hex 036.015).

040.018: A tribe of elves live here. Any intruders are dealt with by Iljana, a maiden who carries magic arrows that inflict more grievous wounds on its targets depending on the weight of their sins.

040.034: The village of Lengeschder. Close to the woods, the local tavern is frequented by an elf named Galenlain, who regards mortals as a curiosity and enjoys people-watching.

041.006: This homestead belongs to Matta Glick. He is an expert woodcarver, but much of the wood he uses comes from elven groves - and the elves have begun to seek vengeance for such crimes against their sacred trees.

041.037: A tribe of elves live here. They look after horses that graze on the hills to the west. They make excellent and swift steeds, but the elves will only allow them to be ridden by those who can gain their favor.

042.003: The village of Karich. A watchtower once stood here, but over the years, it has fallen into disuse, and the building is now used as a mathom house, holding treasures that the locals have no use for - some of which boast magical properties.

043.023: The village of Norbei. It is home to a guild of players, trained in music, dance, and acting, who are renowned throughout the Green Downs and perform at many festivals.

045.013: The village of Nodelohr. Those staying at the inn have noted hearing strange sounds coming from the attic at night, and the proprietor, Gilly Lapp, has been looking to sell the building, not wanting to deal with any hauntings.

046.002: A blessed grove stands here, constructed to keep a pack of demons sealed for the safety of the people. However, the trees are growing old, and threaten to die off - if this happens, the ward will be released.

046.027: The ruins of an abandoned village lie in the woods here. It has become occupied by a band of outlaws and exiles who have come together to set up a community.

046.031: The village of Hiehling. The locals avoid one old burrow on the edge of town, regarding it as haunted. It is rumored that its former occupant left great wealth behind, but no one dares to brave whatever spirits lurk inside.

046.035: The village of Holzdorf. It hosts gatherings of many braucheri from nearby settlements to do business with the elves of the forest, who have taught them the secrets of magic.

047.003: The village of Bausmann. The matriarch of one family, Melinda Bophin, is a druid, one of the few practitioners of the Old Faith in the Green Downs. She has been known to speak to a tree near her burrow to consult its wisdom.

048.037: A tribe of elves live here. They are protected by an extensive system of hedge mazes to confuse intruders. The maze is enchanted, and its walls and passages rearrange themselves when no one is looking.

049.024: This large homestead belongs to Isaac Unnerbaam. While it was being dug, a mass grave of the dead from an ancient plague was discovered, and their valuables were sequestered in the vaults beneath the burrow.

049.030: The village of Krissingholm. It is the site of a schoolhouse; in the fall and winter when they are not needed to help in the fields, Hinnisch children study here. The school is always in search of books, and will pay handsomely for them.

050.027: A shrine is erected here to the spirit of the Laumstadter River. Locals visit the shrine regularly so that they may interpret signs the spirit has left in order to foretell floods.

051.006: The village of Emmaus. The town well is drawn from a large underground lake - which connects to a much greater cavern that extends for miles beneath the village.

052.027: The village of Ellsdaun. One of the locals, Norud Yoder, claims to know of the location of a cache of dwarven gold near town. He has become afflicted by a curse placed on the vault, and grows increasingly greedy, covetous, and antisocial.

054.022: The village of Leben. A new settlement, the locals have lately been discovering bones buried under the fields. A few miles outside of town is an old dead tree that a lich was trapped in centuries ago - and he intends to exert his power over the bones, reanimating them to either cut down his tree to free him, or else scare the halflings into doing the work instead.