My previous 5 Leagues from the Borderlands campaign I set up sort of sputtered out. I did a few campaign turns that I tweeted. However real life encroached, painting work lapsed, and it ended up being put on the back burner. I decided to do a fresh start and try working up a new region map to reinvigorate myself.

While I loved the sparse maps I nabbed using the Nentir Vale, the problem became keeping track of current locations. I loved the idea of general areas, but the game seems to work better if you can define the areas of the region more. So I opted to use a simple hexagonal map.

Rolling up settlements in the area, I ended up with a town, 2 villages, and a hamlet. All the more civilized villages were market towns, while the hamlet was a military outpost. I decided a town would be at the relative region center, bordering a deep lake, rivers running north and south, along with being the nexus of the region’s roads fitting for a trading hub. One border would be laced with an ominous mountain range, along with a coastal region to the north. 

Given there was a coast, I had to have a small village on the shoreline as well as an expansive marsh. Not to mention an island nearby. I figured a fortified outpost along the mountain trail would be the best place for the hamlet. And a small village along the road connecting most of the communities would be a good spot. I also liked having a large chunk of the region cordoned off, so it is essentially split by the eastern portion up on an elevated range. The western section being more civilized lands having woods, rivers, and roads, all under a far-reaching series of cliffs that define the region.

Seems as a displaced region on the edge of the empire the Ruin Within will be an apt internal threat, as well as the Gnawing Horde rampaging about the countryside. Not to mention the never ending conflict to the south coming to the region too with the Curse of War. Overall I’m pretty happy with the layout and eager to get a new warband rolled up. However still sticking with the Torchbearers as a name. Gonna be fun!