You can assume this is an island with three more hexes of ocean around hex 2, or that it’s a peninsula; it works either way. Note that the coastline extends very slightly into hexes 3 and 6, which contain seaside villages.
Hex 1- Central, Forrest
Feature 1- Large town, population 3800
This town is inhabited by a mix of humans and elves. It is located several miles inland, near the mouth of a river that flows southwest to hex 6. The river is navigable to large boats, but not full-sized oceangoing ships.
Control of the town is split between four powerful merchant houses. While all merchant houses have some interest in multiple industry, each has one area that it focuses on. An uneasy peace between the four houses currently prevails, but it may not last.
Merchant house #1 is composed of humans. It runs most of the shipping on the island. It is the biggest employers in the port village in hex 6, but has a tepid relationship with the people there, who feel underpaid.
Merchant house #2 is composed of a mix of humans and elves. It controls most of the trade in food and practical crafts. The people of the port village in hex 6 rely on this house for food and basic supplies, but also resent it for keeping the price of necessities artificially high.
Merchant house #3 is composed of elves. It deals mainly in art and magical items, which it buys from the Court of the Faerie Queen in hex #2.
Merchant house #4 is composed of humans. It owns the gemstone mine in hex 1.
Feature 2- Emerald Mine
Emeralds have a special place in the culture of this island, as they’re viewed as sacred to the faeries. They’re also a very valuable export commodity.
The managers of this mine want to take over the diving operation in hex 4- peacefully if possible, but ultimately by any means necessary.
Owned by merchant house #4 from the town in hex 1.
Hex 2- North, Forrest
Feature 1- The Palace of the Leprechaun King
The leprechaun king’s palace is located in Faerie, and can be reached by walking to the base of a rainbow in this hex after it rains. He wants two things: treasure and slaves.
Hated by the boat people in hex 3.
Currently in a state of entente with the faerie queen- cordial but distant. He envies her power.
The leprechaun king wants to take over or destroy the diving operation in hex 4. If he can’t have the gold, no one should have it! Ideally, he’d like to enslave the divers by entrapping them into a magical pact, giving him both treasure and slaves.
Feature 2- The Court of the Faerie Queen
The faerie queen’s realm is located in the plane of faerie. It can be reached by walking through a hedge in a magical glade at sunrise or sunset. A few woodsmen in the area know the secret, as do the elves of merchant house #3. It is located 4d100 miles from the leprechaun king’s palace, should adventurers try to travel between them within faerie.
Currently in a state of entente with the leprechaun king- cordial but distant. She envies his wealth.
Friendly relationship with the muse whale in hex 7. The queen tries to get ships routed through hex 7 so the muse whale can inspire the sailors- then the queen can harvest their dreams and acquire the art they create.
Sells magical items to the elves of merchant house #3 from the town in hex 1. In return, they give her artwork and dreams- the dreams are often harvested from unwilling prisoners.
Hex 3- Northeast, Ocean/Coastline
Feature- Village of the Boat People, pop. 200
The people of this village are refugees from a far-off land, driven here by persecution. Widely mistrusted by the islanders, they live entirely on boats moored in a small cove in this hex. They make their living mainly by fishing and creating artwork, and a few of them dive for treasure in hex 4.
The boat people know about and dislike the leprechaun king in hex 2. He was partly responsible for the strife in their homeland, which contains another portal to his realm. They would happily aid any adventurers who seek to kill him.
The boat people revere the muse whale in hex 7- they make regular pilgrimages and offerings to the whale. In turn it inspires them to make great art and keep the hope alive that they may someday return to their homeland. They don’t yet realize that this makes them a target for the faerie queen.
Hex 4- Southeast, Ocean
Feature- Rocks, Shipwrecks, and Divers
A small area of jagged rocks lying just under the surface of the water. Ships occasionally wreck here. A group of boat people divers make a living recovering cargo from the wrecked ships.
The divers are fending off hostile takeover attempts by the emerald mine in hex 1.
The divers are being meddled with by the leprechaun king in hex 2, who wants to either control or destroy the diving operation.
Hex 5- South, Ocean
Feature- Female Sea Dragon
Can swim, fly, and breath underwater. Has several young that she is raising. Wrongly believed to attack ships- actually, the ships just crash into the rocks in hex 4. In truth, she’s mostly indifferent towards humanoids, unless they bother her.
Is revered- from a distance- by the people of the village in hex 6.
Is a friend and neighbor of the muse whale in hex 7.
Hex 6- Southwest, Ocean/Coastline
Feature- Small village at the mouth of the river, pop. 200
This village in a rocky cover at the mouth of the river exists mainly for the purpose of transferring cargo between river-going boats and larger, ocean-going ships.
Many are employed by merchant house #1, but they also resent it for under-paying them.
Reliant on merchant house #2 for food and other basic necessities- but resent it for price-fixing.
The people of this village respect and fear the sea dragon in hex 5. They occasionally leave offerings to her, which they believe is why she leaves them alone.
Hex 7- Northwest, Ocean
Feature 1- Muse Whale
This beautiful narwhal looks like a unicorn of the sea. It feeds on fish and positive emotions, and the sight and sound of it inspires humanoids to dream bigger and create beautiful works of art.
Revered by the boat people in hex 3- they make regular pilgrimages and offerings to the whale.
Friendly relationship with the faerie queen in hex 2. The queen tries to get ships routed through this hex so the muse whale can inspire the sailors- then the queen can harvest their dreams and acquire the art they create.
Is a friend and neighbor of the sea dragon in hex 5.
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