White Willows pt1

 (White Willows is my 'home setting' and the basis for my last campaign that I ran)

Overview

The canton of White Willows has a unique geography that has been both its boon and its bane. Much of the canton is surrounded by areas that are unsuited to moving large armies across and as such has avoided most of the petty squabbles of its neighbors; the Patchwork Kingdoms.

The Patchwork Kingdoms

Nestled in-between the Vardoux Republic and the United Empire Confederacy is an area known as the Patchwork Kingdoms. This are is dominated by petty squabbling states, most no bigger than fortified villas or a town and its surrounding villages.

The name Patchwork Kingdoms is a misnomer in its second part - few of the Patchwork Kingdoms are actually ‘Kingdoms.’ Most are dictatorships or tyrannies with self-styled dukes, princes, kings, military juntas, theocracies, and in the rare cases republics. A constant cycle of revolutions, coup d'états, overthrows, and putsch as well as the machinations of the great powers and easy access of mercenary armies keep the governments changing and at each others necks.

Major Features of the Canton of White Willows

The canton of White Willows can be split into seven major areas, the City of White Willows, The Farmland, the Wytch Woods, the Broken Hills, the Sleeping Ones, Spruce Lake, and the Whippoorwill Mire.

The City Of White Willows

The eponymous town and capital and largest settlement as of the canton, the City of White Willows.

The Farmlands

The central plain of the canton is known simply as the Farmlands. Its rich fertile soil is some of the most productive in all of the Patchworks and much of the cantons wealth comes from exporting food to its sister states in times of need. Much of this plain is gentility rolling hills and open pasture that rises to the south and west and lowers to the north and east. The area is open, most of it being converted to farmland or grazing pasture but the occasional hedgerow and copse of trees breaking the green-gold monotony of open fields and low stone walls. Monsters are uncommon in the area however as the Lord Viscount s power begins to wain roads and farms once well-tended have gone fallow and highwaymen and banditry have become an increasing problem.

The Wytch Woods

Dominating the norther portion of the canton are the Wytch Woods a vast and dark forest filled with tall trees and secret places. There a few paths throughout the woods and those that exist are twisting and winding. Mists hang heavy in the air and strange sounds can be heard echoing amongst the trees. The forest has a bad reputation with those who live near it and few dare to penetrate it deep as all but the most experienced hunters never return.

The woods are old growth but they cover ruins even older. Great standing stones and ancient foundations litter the woods. The inhabitants of the woods all speak of the ‘Old Gods’ and ‘the Spirits’ who still live in the woods. While much of this can be attributed to superstition, strange monsters live these woods – from wolfs and bears, to were-creatures, to satyrs and other magical beasts. Rumors hold that in the deep woods, fae and talking animals can be found. However most prevalent are the Spiderlings, massive eight legged land crabs that spin web like a spider.

The Broken Hills

In the east of the canton jagged cliffs and canyons dominate the countryside. Large patches of grass dominate the few flat areas here and there are barley any trees or bushes. Monster lairs are common and navigating this landscape is treacherous and a fool’s errand without a trained guide.

This area extends for quite a bit beyond the official borders of White Willows. At one time the Broken Hills was another canton, its name and its history are now lost. The hills are covered in ruins, piles of rubble, old foundations, and the occasional cobblestone path. The rubble has been washed free of marks from their original builders and the large piles of rubble and foundations hide tunnels and catacombs that extend into the caves below.

The Broken Hills is home to a diverse ecosystem of monsters. Griffons and rocs search for prey from above. Under the hills is an elaborate system of caves and tunnels home to goblins, morlocks, and criminal hideaways. Lizards are the preferred form of transportation and livestock in the Broken Hills, and the few humans that do live out here are rugged gauchos, living in fortified farmsteads coming to the canton ‘proper’ only to sell their lizard herds or to buy supplies.

The Sleeping Ones

Dominating the south is the Sleeping Ones Mountains. The mountains here are tall and many of the peaks are obscured by the clouds. For many years White Willows had a small village here along with a number of gold, iron, silver, and lead mines. Over two dozen years ago the village was overrun in mysterious circumstances. The highest of the peaks here is the Needle named for its tall and narrow shape. Ogres, giants, p’orcs, and hobgoblins can be found all around the mountains

Spruce Lake

Nestles in the southwest corner of the canton, in a gap in the Sleeping Ones is Spruce Lake. The lake is named for the tall trees that line its banks and fill its shallows. The water is cold and clear and abundant with fishes. There are many small islands in the lake, most are no bigger than a few feet, but the most impressive of the islands plays host to a ruined castle. The lake is rumored to be home to numerous strange phenomena and fishermen often bring up strange relics along with the catches.

Whippoorwill Mire

Dominating the eastern portion of the canto is a vast a fetid bog. The air here is thick and hard to breath. It stinks of decay, old bad whiskey, and skunk cabbage. The ground is wet, footprints fill in after a moment and walking in the bog gives off a distinct ‘shluck, shluck’ noise. The water here is a brown-black and cold fed by streams from the Sleeping Ones. Sickly tress rot together in copes bound by time and parasitic moss. Large bushes of cat tails, ferns and weeds the color of fresh bruises can grow to over a man’s height. Knotted roots hide in stagnate black pools. When the water is not near black it is choked with algae and lily pads. The swamp is loud. Birdcalls can be heard day and night, punctuated by the bass croak of a bullfrog.

Few people live in the swamp proper. The closest bit of civilization is Froggy Bottom, a small village in the southwest. This said the occasional hunting blind or cabin can be found in the mire often with a hidden cache of supplies nearby. Also found in the swamp are standing megaliths, often inscribed with ancient weather worn runes that poke out of the swamp. An occasional ruined foundation can be found, long overgrown with vines and weeds.

Frogs are abundant in the swamp. A tribe of Boggies has a hidden village somewhere deep inside. The citizens of Bog Town say that on quite night you can hear their pidgin bog-bog language in the far distance. The Boggies are isolated and fearful, and try to avoid contact with others, however the Froghemoths, frogs the size of bears, are more of an issue. They are aggressive predators who can swallow men whole in one gulp of their massive tongue. Their blubber is worth a small fortune and their meat can feed a family for months.