The Island of Bysby
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- Oct 15
- 14 min read
Updated: Oct 18
This will be a working document for the Island of Bysby. Located off the west coast of the duchy. It is part of #hexcrawl25 - I will slowly release regions and try getting useability feedback.
Bysby was the site of an incredible family dynasty that landed a long time ago building a very large fortress surrounded by lush farms and wooden houses made from the trees in the nearby thick forest. Something happened then that wiped out all the people, leaving most of the fortress standing and some of the houses, although in pieces.
The forests grew, the animals multiplied until one day Havold the Most Best landed on the shores of Bysby and saw it for what it was. A perfect staging ground for raiding the east. Havold and his men rebuilt parts of the fortress but realised that if they built a whole new fortress on the other side of the island, it would give them quicker access to a better bay for raiding.
Havold attracted other sailors, boat builders, farmers, families and builders, and with the riches from raiding, before his death they had built quite a nice little paradise. Of course there were revenge attacks, but largely their island was safe.
Internal strife arrived when Havold died until the peace of the three kings was struck between the king of the hills, the king of the lands, and the king of the coast. Together they traded, supported and low key hated each other. This balanced tension has kept the islands growing and the raiding and settling other lands quite lucrative.
The king of the lands has rebuilt the fortress properly within which are storage bunkers for the entire island.
1) Kustkung
The Coast kings town.
Great cove for boating and raiding. 5 Body men, tax the raiders for wintering and storage and to pay the witch.
Genneth the Yodler - and his 5 body men. Loyal. Observant. Strong.
Settled on the edge of the island for better access to the main land. The long term strategy was to raid and bring loot back to settle for some time on the island. People have joined. People have left. People have settled the rest of the island. People have been raiding for themselves. A good cove for boats. Genneth taxes boats that stay or trade. But also allows repairs and supplies for longer trips.
Quick Key:
Three long simple structures that can house a shipful of sailors each. Sometimes ships stop over for a time and need a place to sleep. Other ships stop over for a long time and need a place to call their own before they settle here or move to the other side of the island. Not well made. Have had some burnt down by drunken noobs. Some chests have been left and are full of nice nick nacks.
Quest possibilities - 1) NPC went missing last night after drinking too much. (Has been kidnapped by beasts, witches, an invasion force etc. 2) NPC has lost an item, find it. (Stolen by child, chief, stranger, beast. 3) In the night NPC stabs three NPCs and goes back to sleep. Who dunnit.
Longhouse in which the king and his inner circle live. Some orphans and widows join them. Celebrations, big meetings and storage of some riches are here. Constantly being upgraded by the kings builder it is an impressive structure. There is a little storage area in the roof. And some dug out hiding places around for riches and etc.
Storage. Part granary for the farming town, part wine cellar, part misc storage. It is built largely into the ground with a shell over the top.
Fort, lighthouse, defense. The bay gives them some natural defense with smaller cliffs either side, and a wall was planned to be constructed but they haven’t decided on the design and so far the fort has served them well for protection. Although this is the starting point for raids, it is also known as a safe harbour for trading in the market square. So many of the merchant guilds and unions make it their business to keep it safe and secure as well.
Security - This is where some of the 5 live. They are in charge of strategically safe guarding the entire island. Part enforcer, part judge, part surveillance. They are to know who is who and when to kill that who to protect the town.
Longboats. Quite often there are long boats here on the way in or the way out. There is a boat builder and some repairers.
Housing. Little huts that house the locals. Sometimes tents or temporary places. 6 little families. Each with a bunch of kids. Constant adventure and disease and death. Sons getting trained in skills or boating out or going to the farm town. There is a matriarch grandmother who acts an bastion of wisdom and health as a lot of the adult men are off doing things. Stories here. Quests here.
Tavern - The Urn of Sacrifice. Not a large establishment but is known for its ale and its food. There are a few rooms for people to stay in. And the occasional musical and story telling nights. There is an urn inside that is filled with liquids and you are awarded certain things if you drink from it. It is also filled with the ashes of the last death in the town. Said to give people strength and courage.
Smithy and his two daughters. They make a lot of stuff for ships and farming and one of the daughters has learned under a former blacksmith for weapons. They are getting better and building bigger. For local use but also things to trade.
Fishermen. Quite active. On the off season some sailors. They sometimes find crazy things. Or some get attacked or kidnapped and need rescuing.
Fireplace and shrine.
This is where the town gathers at some times and also where the main religious events happen around the shrine that is said to talk.
Marketplace square. where the traders are allowed. Where locals also sell.
Farms
Boat storage
Quest ideas:
Random Events table.
2) Neuskof
Hamlet of fishing and boat building. New. Safer cove for both. Smaller. Growing. Huts are decorated with pheromone symbols by a druidess/ healer named Crina. Two different groups of followers of the Fire and Earth gods. Small farms, small herds. A trader for between the towns and a small market. A sink hole filled with fungus that some of the town are addicted. Thick forest with a hermit living nearby. No one likes him for some reason. Some smoked fish, fermented fish. etc.
B - Boat builders. The towns main trade. The boat master Roksain can rent boats, repair boats, build boats. He has a secret love of Animal horns and teeth. He has a chest of them under his house (B2) and some gold with them too.
A - Fisher people. All have their own boat. All go out and fish. All process them in a different way to eat, trade etc. Smoke, Ferment, salt. They have a deal with the trader who ships them out quite often to other places on the island.
C - Farmers. Not a huge crop but enough to get by. Also have smaller herds of goats and pigs and chickens. (The druid also has).
5 / 5a - The religious of the town. Fire (5) and Earth (5a). They have different events during the year. Different rituals and will join up with others outside of town.
9 - Addicts. They partake in eating, smoking etc the fungus found in the sinkhole one side of town. Some of the fungus is also used by the druid in medicines. The effects of the drugs are mainly hallucinogenic.
Druid Crinas house - a place of healing ritual, prophecy and consulting. Quests can be given.
Market - Trensd - a market for the town, a trader for others, and storage of products in the basement.
3) Lengord
Hamlet on the river. They will try building a mill or something to use the current. Still discussing with the farm king. Two families. Happy to settle. They trade things up and down the river. Farming, hunting. They are self sufficient and like it that way. They understand they are a part of a larger community on the island but want to be left alone somewhat. Crafters of hunting supplies. Weavers of baskets and such. One of the leaders of the families is about to get very sick and they will need help.
4) Kungukis
Farming king, grows and trades, supports the other villages. Stores things for winter. Is supported by the coast king. Also has rebuilt the old fortress mainly for storage but also safety. Surrounding the fortress is a large system of farms and herds.
1 - Gate. Can be closed, is very hefty. Has been repaired but largely is left open.
2,3,4 - Rebuilt accommodation, used to be way more opulent. Multiple families have moved in and made it as homely as possible. Underneath these are also the main storage granaries. The main three families are in charge of the storing and exporting to markets. They are also head farmers who have the overview for the Farm King. His advisers. The main advisers are - Cierra - traders guild mouth piece. And Pennant - The head farmer. Does a lot more math now than actual farming.
5 - Collapsed demolished. Old guards room. Has been used for parts and materials. Is planned to be rebuilt into a garden.
6,7 - Unused deserted, cleaned out. Open spaces, no roof.
8 - Piles of weapons found in other places in the fortress. Rusty. Brica brac. Lots of human bones piled until a mass burial will be organised at a specific time.
9 - Fort towers for defense. Fires for communication and ship guidance. Largely unused. But kept maintained just in case. Can see boats from very far off.
10,11 - Kings rooms. Two very sparely decorated rooms. There are good carpets brought in from elsewhere. Carvings, A great bed a big fireplace in one. Smaller library in another. The kings family lives here. He takes meetings here sometimes, and is kept warm in this room throughout the cold months.
12, Meeting rooms and planning places. Maps on the wall, Record books on the side table.
13, Kitchen - very large and warm and bustling as the kitchen takes care of a largish amount of people in the fort. But can also ramp up for large festivals. They preserve a lot. They make cheese and such on the side.
14, Old mass lodgings turned into temp lodgings as boats or seasonal workers come in. Often quite empty.
15 - Large gathering hall. Lined by large lanterns and ornate chairs made by a very beloved woodsman.
16 - Medic room for human and beast.
17 - Stairs down to a small storage room that seems like it should be bigger. A secret door is locked and behind it is a medium dungeon full of crypt dwellers. A mass grave.
Mass grave dungeon
1 - Stairs behind a secret door that was caved in on and built over but was found at some stage recently and so the secret door was cleared out and disguised in a different way.
2 - Storage room and entrance. Most of the storage is now organised and put behind some wooden panels. Much of it still good.
Table of things.
Whispering cups
Click shoes
Dripping wig
rancid shelves.
Spyglass that answers
blank book.
There are 14 candles that smell strongly of a herb. This placates the beast somewhat.
also 14 hammers.
3 - Torture room and surgery for battle - has recently been used. But has scars all over it. Carved into one wall is “Man….. the hospital.” The M and the H are buttons for a secret panel that contains the skeleton of the original doctor.
4 - Cells - a, b, c, d,
A) basically a body storage area. some preserved but most are just left out in the open and are currently the feeding ground of large cockroaches who live in the walls. There is a very fresh body here.
B, C, D
Undead and still alive cell dwellers.
Crime
Murder
Theft
Personality
Loud
Quiet.
Secret
Knows where the treasure is
Job
Solider
Monk
Artist
innkeeper
spy
musician with instrument
5 - Guard room - this is where the current residents actually live. The doors have the capacity to close and lock so if they are threatened. But they assume no one can get in. They are a mother and son determined to research the chemicals in a bid to over throw the kings system on the island for some reason.
6 - Was built as a ritual space for the gods of war and protection or something.
7- Large open space. Was a bunker for wartimes but now its a little trashed and has art / graffitti on the walls. (table?) Also has a fungus farm in one of the corners. it is being cultivated. There is a pit underneath one corner that is a mass grave.
8 - Acid collection room. - trapped here is a beast that is “milked” after a fight. The milk is stored in barrels to be used as a weapon or a drug. The beast is still here. Maybe aggressive. But has dug through the walls. The beast could be anywhere at this point. The beast has three skulls in its belly. It can be calmed with candles and then chained to the milker on the side of its cage. it has not gotten through the cage. but has recently dug into one of the cells.
5) Juogalva
Lake hamlet. Better at freshwater fishing, finding shiny rocks and helping farm at Kungukis. One of the towns people is convinced there is a secret cave in the lake. But has not found it yet. They do a lot with fish that most don’t enjoy like fish wine. Trying to find a way to build floating houses on the lake.
6) Aukrenta
A village on the lake and near the sea. Infested and left alone. A tribe of brownies moved in a long time ago and have built their own structures inside the human ones. Families have tried to settle here and have been run off. The brownies don’t mind company but they demand respect and they love playing jokes.
They will trade, give quests, allow shelter and give secrets. Their queen council are Bee, Dee and Lee.
7) Heelharg
Village on the lake, support for the king of hills. Farms, fish. Druids of the water. They can make amulets, potions and know a little of runes.
8) Knockry
King of the hills. Mines precious stones out of the old volcano. deep caverns. a loyal tribe and a lighthouse. Odd relationship with the witch. Seasonally help with farming. The caverns reveal some old stories.
9) The witch forest
No one knows if there is only one. But she made a deal with the first king to arrive that she would protect them on the island, food wise etc, for the first few seasons and as long as she was given tribute and an apprentice. The king still gives her tribute, enough that she can eat and trade. She becomes like an advisor in different ways to all three kings. One king tried to marry off a son to her. That son was transformed into a beast that is sentient and loyal to the witch.
The known:
She refers to herself as the Lady. She is a glutton for flowers and mind altering substances. She is a know it all, and likes holding that over people. Is not beautiful. A craggy face. Super lanky. She would destroy any army coming to these shores. She likes the status quo that the island has found itself. Seeks the keep that balance. She owns property on the island through her apprentice. He goes and makes deals under secret names. She is clumsy. She is gullible to new things. But as she oozes confidence no one tries to convince her anything.
The apprentice. - An eternal boy. Even though he has been with her for awhile, she makes him drink a potion to keep him young looking so that he can complete business when people don’t take im serious.
The beast - Wolf, bear, owl. Shifter? Loyal. Can not speak. The lady can take his thoughts.
10)
Town built around a library on the lake. The library stores everything stolen that seems to be educative. It is led and kept by the librarian. Will also support Kunigukis with farming. But as the town is inland, many have moved here who want that safe life.
1 - library
2 - guild district.
3 - market small
4 - inn
5 - hunters lodge
6 - Inn
7 - Fishermen
8 - Farmers hall.
9 - Housing.
11) An old farming hamlet that was abandoned. Has not weathered. Four buildings still standing as if people still live here.
Lairs and Landmarks.
L1) Aggressive boars that ran away from a settlement and have been growing in number, one day, they will have their revenge.
L2) Large cliffs, filled with precious metals. - Caves?
L3 - Fleeing prey grotto - A tribe of Lumpy Wugs - you see them and then you don’t
L4 - Mucus pit filled with sharp sticks. Settled in amongst them all a pack of spider wolves.
L5 - Hunters Overgrown Creek. (Turning to stone screams)
Quest lines that could be here.
I need my (artifact, weapon, etc) back. Please go get it. (Either has been stolen and taken there by the main faction, has always been there and this guy knows its there but can’t get it, its a trap, the characters are being lured there to be used for something)
The main faction has stolen my relation, i need someone to help me go get them back.
Religious leader needs help resanctifying the area which has been destroyed.
Political leader knows that faction is trying to find a powerful object to depose him.
Medicine person needs ingredients from a dangerous animal.
Necromancer needs to raise someone from the dead.
Hunter knows the curse and wants to break it.
The hunters creek was a busy area for a long time as it was in the middle of a large wood but had water. A small settlement grew, a hunters lodge, a stable, and an orchard. During certain seasons, groups would come and maintain the little settlement, hunt certain creatures, and harvest certain fruits. The horses would be wintered and taken care of. At some stage the hunters moved on or died and left open spaces for a cult to move in, a group of aitvaras, a giant beast and a cursed figure in the hunters lodge who controls the lost, uses them and then has them bury themselves.
1 - Spike trip wire, Aitvaras - messing with This entrance to the woods is a nicely treed area with some huts and living quarters for the old horseman. But now it is lived in my some aitvaras when they need to mess with anyone coming in this way. They set up traps elsewhere, but this is their favourite. less likely to get in the cults way.
2 - Stable of pale people with an artifact. The cult had been cultivating a people horse hybrid but it hadn’t been going their way. They also built a shelter underneath the stable where they could go if attacked. - hidden terrified, both horses and sheltering cultists.
3 - Druid circle, destroyed, revenge, murdered - The cult were believers in natural morphing. Studying how people can become other things. Or other things could become people. They needed victims and sacrifices (see cemetry and the spirit that lives there) recently they had angered an off shoot of the group who had come to invade them once again to steal and destroy.
4 - In a large field sits natural open air wine making operation. This is also use to experiment with certain potions. -Surrounded by a thick mist - guarded by moving bushes that will attack.
5 - Some of the experiments lay in the sleeping pile waiting for their next step, surrounded by slippery moss, nearby a pit lair of the guardian beast.
6 - Using canoes to getting through the thick forest, this area is a stop over place and storage location but also an altar of ritual and research - it has been destroyed. Through the recent invasions it has been wrecked. wrecked canoes, broken ritual
7 - In the corner is the beast. It doesn’t come out much as long as it is kept satiated and entertained. The cult makes sure of this in exchange for its liquids.
8 - Hunters lodge, supernaturally guarded. The spirit controls the lost to do its bidding and then orders them to cover the former grave and dig its own.es
L6 - Giant foot prints. Have always been there. It is not possible to dig them out. After a specific ritual a large mammoth comes back from the past. It is his prints.
L7 - Special trees.
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