Map Locations

In this post I wrote about some strengths of Elden Ring’s map. Since then I’ve started a new Legends of Alba campaign (bringing us up to 3!), so I had a chance to revisit what goes into the hex map. This new game, like the others, is being run as a D&D 5E game. But the map doesn’t know that. So my hope is that this can inform the ref’s advice for creating a map for running their own games, as part of the Legends of Alba game rules.

For this post I’m just going to write about the types of locations that go on the map.

Legends

Pretty important in a game named Legends of Alba, these are the source of The Legends. When the players have a random encounter while travelling, the closest Legend Hex determines what this is. So if the players are closest to the Kelpie’s hex, they might encounter a rough river crossing with a white horse drinking there. The horse kneels, inviting them onto its back…

Settlements

1 Capital, a fortress city where the Kingdom monarch reigns. 2-3 Strongholds, hill forts of the Great Clans. And 2-3 Smallholdings, humbler homes to minor Clans. Settlements are places for the Characters to seek hospitality, local information and lore, and trade. They are also political hotbeds as there is always drama between and within the Clans - there’s plenty of opportunity here for the players to get involved to start making and breaking alliances to their advantage.

We then have 3 types of locations that are actually NPCs, hermits or wanderers. I’m not sure what to call these collectively.

Hags

Each Hag Hex represents a remote dwelling of one of the strange and wise Hags of Alba. I’ve written a couple of posts already about the Hags but the purpose of these locations is to provide players with guidance and direction towards accomplishing their goals. Their advice may not make sense right away, but it will always be true.

Shellcoat Merchants

Magical item vendors who don’t take Gold or Silver. These are new for this new game, so we’ve not encountered them yet, but I’ve felt like this was lacking from the other games and like the idea of some weird Otherworld merchants with a few small, randomised items available. The Shellcoats are based - very superficially - on the Shellycoat of folklore. In this setting they’ll present as weird little amphibious creatures with shell-covered coats.

Abhainn

The Abhainn are the daughters of Beira, River Goddesses who grant blessings to those who make offerings. The nature of the offerings and blessings are unique to each based on her personality. So the Abhainn known as “The Laughing One” might reward offerings of silver with a blessing of luck. So Abhainn Hexes are places for the Characters to recover from their travels, and gain a temporary boon if they play their cards right.

A trickling stream, slumbering hills beyond... just the sort of place the Characters might find an Abhainn!

Then we have 3 types of locations that are adventure sites in themselves.

Crossings

Natural landmarks which form gateways to The Otherworld. Each leads to a discrete Otherworld Realm, where the Characters can adventure in the strange lands of the Sith folk to gain a leg up on The Legends in the form of information, equipment or allies. I’ve got a process for creating Otherworld Realms I’d like to write about in a future post!

Cairns

Stately tombs or simple burial mounds which lead to The Barrowdeeps - the ancient tunnels which lead mortal spirits to The Otherworld. Over time these passages become warped and weird, home to odd beings that belong to neither The Otherworld nor the mortal world. On their travels Characters will learn about the treasures and folk to be found here. It’s up to them to decide whether the reward is worth the risk...

Wasteland

In addition to Legend Hexes, each Kingdom has an overarching Legend, something really big that’s going on, but takes time to fully reveal itself. Wasteland Hexes are the places where these Kingdom Legends have changed the nature of the mortal world, usually for the worse. So for The Storm Isles, these hexes might represent homesteads or farms despoiled by the dreaded Nuckelavee - murderous cyclopean sea-centaurs who blight the land they walk on. Travelling here would allow the Characters to learn more about this threat and fight back if they are feeling brave.

Putting all of this together gives what feels to me like a map filled with interesting and useful places. Writing it out I'd like to have more distinction/separation between Crossings and Cairns: They've worked really well in the games so far but I don't think I've really pinned down here how to tie them in to the adventure. I think it would be useful to have some guidance about why Characters need to go there, and what the benefits might be of one versus the other.

Till next time!