Sundaland hex-fill procedure (Bronze Age Sword & Sorcery)

I've created hex-fill procedure as a follow up to the 24 mile hex overlay of my Sundaland map. As usual I'm aiming for an aesthetic and themes that evoke my idea of Sundaland during the last Ice Age: 'Bronze Age to Antiquity + Sword & Sorcery'. Somewhat grounded in reality with a small touch of fantastical weirdness. Here's an example of a savanna area (6 mile hexes) I generated with the procedure. Remember a lot can fit in a 6 mile hex so these are just some of the notable things to be found. The image was made with: Hex Flower Builder. The 7 tables for generating the 'Unusual, Weird or Sorcerous' are especially fun.

Note: I'm experimenting with using AI services to automatically roll for and present all the results so that I don't have to do it manually. I don't know if it will be truly random (although Google has a dice roller when you enter 'roll 1d6'). I would be interested to hear if anyone has experience with using AI for this kind of thing.

The focus of this procedure is mostly on the physical landscape and places within it. To discover more details about what is happening in this world I have created many tables to help you generate adventure ideas, factions, cultures, religions, magical metals and more, all of which you can find here: Content Overview.

Use as much or as little detail as you need and there's nothing to stop you from rolling on some of the tables again at a later time to discover more about the world or see how it develops over time. And as always, play to find out more. The meaning and connections will emerge over time.

Step 1: Biome 1d6

Decide which biome you want to generate content for or roll 1d6 for a random choice. See the resource section at the end to learn more about the geography and biomes of Sundaland. (Get an idea of what the different biomes look like as well as inspiration for other parts of the world: Biomes of Sundaland). In my example I use just one biome for the whole area.

1. Tropical rain and dry forests

2. Savanna and grasslands

3. Swamps and Mangrove forests

4. Hills and highlands

5. Mountains and volcanic regions

6. Islands, reefs, lagoons

Step 2: Generate Hex Type 1d10

Roll for each of the hexes on your map.

1-6: 'Empty' hexes* 

These are typical for the biome. Half of these hexes have an interesting geographical feature. Roll on the Geographic Features table for 50% of these hexes (every other)

7: Settlements

8: Ruins 

9: Dangers and Hazards

10: The Strange, Weird, Unusual, Unnatural or Supernatural**

*Empty means nothing out of the ordinary for this biome. This is still the wilderness where you may encounter the relevant danger, hazards and opportunities.

**On the initial map simply labelled as 'Unusual'.

Step 3: Determine the nature of hexes that contain: Geographic Features, Settlements, Ruins, Dangers and Hazards, Unusual.

3.1 Geographic Features 1d6

1. Tropical rain and dry forests

1.1 Karst limestone towers. Jagged stone giants piercing the mist. Echoing caverns, sheer cliff faces, hidden hollows offer shelter. Could they be climbed?

2.1 Banyan strangler grove, bamboo thicket. A claustrophobic labyrinth of creeping roots and rustling stalks. What could hide in there?

3.1 River gorge, rapid stream. Roaring white water carving through the land, rapids and waterfalls. Would you risk crossing?

4.1 Swamp, peat swamp, quicksand, marsh. Black water and treacherous mud, rotting vegetation, flies, mosquitos and scarily large insects. No one would voluntarily enter unless there was a very important reason to.

5.1 Clearing, canopy gap. A rare sunlit haven, a place to rest but vulnerable to watching eyes.

6.1 Cenote, flooded cave. Mirror still water cradled in stone. Cool water offers salvation from the heat, but subterranean depths hold ancient secrets and inescapable traps.

2. Savanna and grasslands

2.1 Rocky outcrop, ridge or elevation. A vantage point, crevices to hide from the shade, a defensible position. You're not the only one with those ideas.

2.2 Watering hole or small river (smaller or completely dry during the dry season). A place to rest and cool down that attracts everyone and everything from miles around. 

2.3 Mass grave. A pit, the walls of a Kite, a narrow ravine. Sun bleached bones, flies, vultures and hyenas. This is where the hunters drive and kill their prey.

2.4 Herd path. This is where the herbivores wander.  Mass movement of animals, trodden grass, dung, predators on the prowl. How long will they stay in the area?

2.5 Cluster of trees. A deep source of water, shade, a hiding place, plant resources not common in the savanna.

2.6 Thorny bushes, dense shrubs, spiky plants. Difficult to traverse, hard to navigate, both an obstacle and a defensive opportunity.  

3. Swamps and Mangrove forests

3.1 Stilt root network. A tangled wood web suspended over brackish tides. Traversing demands precarious balance and knowing the way. Don't fall off because you might find more than water down there.

3.2 Sunken mangrove channel. A serpentine waterway flanked by dense green walls. Navigating the slow, murky current offers smooth travel, but you are a sitting target from above and below.

3.3 Driftwood mound. A high-tide tangle of bleached logs, sea debris, and rotting kelp. A rare dry resting spot above the muck, though its hollows host swarms of insects and opportunistic scavengers.

3.4 Mudflat expanse. A vast, shimmering plain exposed at low tide. Foraging is rich and easy, but crossing means total exposure, with nowhere to hide. Be careful not to get stuck there when the tide rolls in.

3.5 Abandoned fish weir. Decaying woven reeds and stakes trap rotting fish and trapped marine debris. The foul stench draws opportunistic scavengers.

3.6 Blackwater sinkhole. A quiet, bottomless pool stained dark by decaying leaves. The glassy, mirror-like surface hides icy depths, treacherous sudden drops, and whatever slithers beyond the light.

4. Hills and highlands

4.1. Waterfall or plunge pool. A roaring cascade cutting through stone, hiding a wet cavern behind its veil or offering a pool of fresh clean water. These are revered places.

4.2. Mist-shrouded gorge or ravine. A deep, narrow fracture in the earth where low clouds gather and choke out the sun. Whatever avoids the sun hides here.

4.3. Scree field or crumbling talus slope. A treacherous expanse of loose, shifting shale and broken rock along the high ridges. Accidentally dislodging stones is incredibly dangerous. 

4.4. Sinkhole or limestone collapse. A sudden drop where the hillside has caved into a subterranean river or cavern system below. Things that normally can't come to the surface might have an opportunity now.

4.5. Dry creek or wash. A deep, gravel-lined ditch winding between the hills, carved out by seasonal torrents. The weather can change fast here and a convenient path can become a torrential peril within minutes.

4.6. Tepui (table-top hill or mountain) A high, flat shelf covered in meadows or forests. Nestled between steep ridges or perched high above the lower plains. Seemingly an isolated ecosystem inaccessible from below. But perhaps there is way?

5. Mountains and volcanic regions

5.1 Rock overhang. A massive shelf of stone jutting from the cliffside, shielding the ground below from mountain blizzards. Sometimes there are signs of activity here. Shrines, offerings, markings in the stone.

5.2 Glacier. A vast river of solid ice carving its way down the peak. Either a barrier or a path towards places few people go.

5.3 Ice cave. An ethereal, translucent tunnel hollowed beneath the glacier by rushing subglacial meltwater. A beautiful sanctuary shielded from freezing winds. Safe for now, but why is the ice melting?

5.4 Deep crevasse or glacial rift. Hidden or in plain view, a bottomless fissure inhibiting the way forward. Is that just the sound of the wind howling in the depths below?

5.5 Geyser field or thermal vent. A hiss of boiling sulfur and mud pools bubbling where the mountain's volcanic heart melts the snow. The smells are strange or even noxious. Is this entirely natural or is something else going on here?

5.6 Lava flow. A slow-moving, glowing river of molten rock scorching the mountainside. The intense heat keeps everything living at a distance. Everything about this place feels evil and dangerous.

6. Islands and reefs

1. Kelps forest shallows or sargassum mat. A dense, floating forest of thick, rubbery sea-weed that chokes the coastal waters and wraps around oars and rudders. It completely silences the sound of approaching water-craft

2. Ship-wreck graveyard or flotsam reef. A chaotic maze of rotting timbers, caught on the shallow rocks. It is a treasure-hunter's dream for salvaging supplies, but the creaking wreckage is structurally unstable and attracts the foolhardy and desperate.

3. Sinking sandbar or tidal spit. A low, shifting strip of white sand that appears only when the tide retreats, offering a brief path or a temporary place to beach a boat. If you stay too long, the rising ocean returns to swallow everything in a rush of churning foam. What can be accessed when the tide is high or low?

4. Mangrove fringe. A choked, brackish swamp where the sea meets the island shore in a dense wall of stilt-like roots. Anything can hide hear.

5. Sea-cave or volcanic blowhole. A hollowed-out cliffside where the tide roars in with crushing force, spraying mist high into the air. At low tide, it reveals hidden grottos, at high tide it becomes a claustrophobic death trap.

6. Hidden lagoon. A placid, ringed pool of crystal-clear water cut off from the open sea by high cliffs or dense jungle. It is a perfect, serene sanctuary but you probably aren't the only one seeking safe here.

3.2 Settlement Table 1d100

Remember that settlements in Sundaland are unlikely to be organised like Medieval French towns and villages. The equivalent of a hamlet or village could be a set of homes built on stilts along a stretch of a river. A city might be walled like those of ancient Mesopotamia or an expansive urbanised forest like those of the Maya or ancient Khmer. These are not the only settlements in the area, the assumption being that there are many settlements of up to around 400 people not worth generating results for. Also some areas may contain groups of hunter-gatherers and nomads.

Here's an article to get an idea of settlement sizes for different population size scenarios ranging from the equivalent to ancient Mesopotamia to the Roman Empire. Population: Cities, Town and Villages in Sundaland. I've chosen the lowest overall population size estimate that fits my idea of a Bronze Age or Post-Golden Age / Apocalyptic scenario. Which provides lots of wilderness, ruins and opportunities for social mobility due to societies emerging from a dark age.

Roll 1d100

1-50: Small settlements up to around 400 people (Equivalent to a larger hamlet, small village, large trading camp, monastery or military outpost)

50 - 88 Medium settlement (Equivalent to a town or garrisoned fort) 400 to 1500 people

89 - 97 Cities of up to 10,000 people.

98 - 100 The largest city in the region, equivalent to ancient Ur. Around 50,000 people.

More tables to generate details about the settlements:

City Generation Tables

Sundaland Culture Generator

Cultural Flavour Tables

The Gods and Religions of Sundaland

Random RPG Faction Generator

3.3 Ruins 1d10

Sundaland is scattered with ruins upon ruins of past civilisations. Roll on this table to discover a particularly notable ruin in the area. Perhaps one that is less overgrown and decayed than the others, more grand and ornate than usual or has particular rumours about it.

1. City walls and gates or fortifications. Crumbling defences brought down by armies or the passage of time. What were they trying to protect?

2. Aqueduct, cistern, reservoir, bathhouse, waterway or canal. The sound of trickling and dripping water carries the memory of the skilled masons and architects of the past. Where is the source and where is the destination?

3. Colosseum, stadium, forum or amphitheater. Where once the noise of crowds echoed now only monkeys and birds are heard. What spoils went to the winners? What befell the losers?

4. Temple, ziggurat, shrines or a large platform. Here priest kings and queens appealed to the gods and ruled over the lower castes before all turned to dust. What underpinned the power of the elite?

5. Harbour, market building or central plaza. The hub of trade and commerce now only sees the exchange from day to night. What was deemed valuable enough to bring from far away lands?

6. Residential areas, garrison buildings, workshops. Once simple homes for simple people. Now, simple shelter for simple explorers. What helped these people prosper?

7. Palace or treasury. Where wealth was collected and distributed. Has anything been overlooked by generations of treasure hunters?

8. Tunnels, cellars, wells, passageways, crypts, catacombs and burial chambers. Dark passages, half collapsed ceilings, musty smells, dust and decay. Some things were hidden here and some decided it was a good place to hide.

9. Observation platform or tower. A place to view far away places and far away stars. What were people looking at or for? 

10. Unusual structures with an unknown purpose. Broken statues and obelisks covered in vines, strange faces carved into stone, polished reliefs preserving history and myth. Symbols that could explain it all. What is it all trying to communicate?

3.4 Dangers and Hazards

1. Animals: Ranging from the mundane to the fantastical. See Beasts and Monsters for setting appropriate examples.

2. People: Bandits, raiders, pirates, smugglers or other hominids.

3. Disease, blight or sickness: Affecting (1d4) humans, plants, animal or everything living.

4. Natural disasters: Fires, floods, earthquakes, cyclones, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, heat waves, 

4. Natural obstacles: Quicksand, lava flows, deep bog, impenetrable vines, dense undergrowth, ravines.

5. Unique monsters, spirits, ghosts, demons, snake people.

6. Anomalies: Eldritch corruption, cursed lands, reality warps, piercing of the veil, the spirit world enters the material world.

3.5 Generate The Unusual 7d20

Combine several of the following Adjectives, Nouns and Verbs.  The stranger the combination the better.

Feel free to skip ahead to how I generated the results for my example because below you'll find 7 tables with 20 rows each!

Adjectives

1. Ancient

2. Forgotten

3. Blasphemous

4. Accursed

5. Forbidden

6. Primeval

7. Bloodstained

8. Decadent

9. Unnatural

10. Veiled

11. Silent

12. Malignant 

13. Bestial

14. Holy

15. Diseased

16. Feral

17. Wild

18. Tainted

19. Corrupted

20. Blighted

Place Nouns

1. Pyre

2. Barrow

3. Throne

4. Portal

5. Spire

6. Tower

7. Citadel

8. Gate

9. Pit

10. Ring

11. Necropolis

12. Chamber

13. Cavern

14. Hall

15. Chasm

16. Temple

17. Labyrinth

18. Shrine

19. Altar

20. Vault

Other Nouns

1. Sword, spear, bow, shield, armour, axe (1d6)

2. Eye, mouth, hand, head, foot, tongue (1d6)

3. Drum, pipe, lyre, trumpet, tambourine, rattle (1d6)

4. Scroll

5. Statue

6. Urn

7. Totem

8. Talisman

9.  Amulet

10. Shrine

11. Obelisk

12. Colossus

13. Crown

14. Relic

15. Horn

16. Tablet

17. Idol

18. Mask

19. Brasier

20. Cauldron

Verbs

1. Carve

2. Spill

3. Scorch

4. Summon

5. Bind

6. Devour

7. Lurk

8. Invoke

9. Seal

10. Descend

11. Haunt

12. Beseech

13. Warp

14. Unravel

15. Destroy

16. Chase

17. Discover

18. Shatter

19. Encroach

20. Rot

Miscellaneous Adjectives, Verbs and Nouns 1

1. Luminous 

2. Hollow

3. Bloom

4. Spiral

5. Drift

6. Husk

7. Vein

8. Glimmer

9. Chorus

10. Tangle

11. Ripple

12. Flicker

13. Echo

14. Glisten

15. Linger

16. Slumber

17. Leak

18. Blur

19. Gather

20. Scatter

Miscellaneous Adjectives, Verbs and Nouns 2

1. Breathing

2. Bleeding

3. Gasping

4. Crying

5. Laughing

6. Twitching

7. Shuddering

8. Trembling

9.  Lurching

10. Arching

11. Curling

12. Flinching

13. Choking

14. Staggering

15. Collapsing

16. Convulsing

17. Heaving

18. Reaching

19. Grabbing

20. Taking

Miscellaneous Adjectives, Verbs and Nouns 3

1. Star

2. Sun

3. Moon

4. Sea

5. River

6. Fire

7. Air

8. Earth

9.  Wind

10. Ophidian (Relating to or denoting snakes)

11. Numinous (A strong religious or spiritual quality, indicating or suggesting the presence of divinity)

12. Chthonic (Relating to or inhabiting the underworld)

13. Eldritch (Weird, sinister or ghostly)

14. Miasma (An unpleasant or unhealthy smell or vapour)

15. Cathexis (The concentration of mental energy on one particular idea, person or object to an unhealthy degree)

16. Crepuscular (Resembling or relating to twilight)

17. Dolorous (Feeling or expressing great sorrow or distress)

18. Umbral (Innermost darkest part of a shadow)

19. Noctivagant (Something or someone that wanders, roams or travels at night)

20. Amaranthine (Unfading, everlasting, immortal)

Example

I've decided to map out a region of 19 x 6 mile hexes giving an area of close to 600 square miles (19 x 31.18 square miles = 592.42 sq mi.) Which is about the size of present day Houston, London and Delhi. (Compare the size here: Themeasureofthings.com) This is plenty of space to have adventures in.

Step 1: I've chosen to only generate content for a Savanna region in the south of Sundaland but you can of course choose multiple biomes. The hexes are numbered 1 to 19 from bottom to top, from left to right. 

The map key is as follows:

Step 2: High Level Overview. Rolling 1d10 for each hex gives me:

1. Unusual #1 2. Savanna 3. Savanna 4. Settlement #1 5. Savanna 6. Ruin #1 7. Danger #1 8. Savanna 9. Unusual #2 10. Savanna 11. Savanna 12. Savanna 13. Savanna 14. Savanna 15. Savanna 16. Savanna 17. Danger #2 18. Savanna 19. Settlement #2

12 'normal' hexes with half having an interesting geographic feature.

2 hexes with something notably dangerous.

2 hexes with notable settlements.

2 hexes with something very strange, weird or unnatural

1 hex with a notable ruin.

Step 3.1 Geographic features for every other empty Savanna hex starting with #2 in the left column. Updating the key now gives us:

1. Unusual #1 2. Savanna Watering Hole 3. Savanna 4. Settlement #1 5. Savanna Herd Path 6. Ruin #1 7. Danger #1 8. Savanna 9. Unusual #2 10. Savanna Mass Grave (A ravine where animals are driven and hunted) 11. Savanna 12. Savanna Cluster of Trees 13. Savanna 14. Savanna Herd Path 15. Savanna 16. Savanna Cluster of Trees 17. Danger #2 18. Savanna 19. Settlement #2

3.2 Settlements

I consulted my Cultural Flavour for some extra details. You could also use the City Generation Table,Random Sundaland Culture Generator and Random Faction Generator.

Settlement Ban-Gal

Result 14: A settlement of around 400 people. Status Symbol: Ceremonial rights or obligations. Personal Decorations: Head binding. Religion: Vision Questing. Burial: Cremation. Ceremonies: Singing Customs: Rights of passage through combat, survival, physical or mental tests. Folkways: Always leave a little food left over to indicate to your host that you are full. Mores: Don't kill, harm or hurt particular people. Laws: 'Skin in the game' laws. E.g. builders must sleep in the building after it's finished. Taboos: Against anthropophagy. 

Settlement: Ban-Yar

Result 87: A settlement of around 1500 people. Status Symbol: Weapon or tool privileges. Personal Decorations: Tattoos. Religion: Sacrifice or offerings. Burial: Burial at sea, lake or river. Ceremonies: Chanting Customs: Unusual dowry, dower or bride price. Folkways: Speak in a volume appropriate to your status in the family. Mores:  Listen to the guidance of your elders. Laws: Only certain people are permitted to acquire particular skills. E.g. reading, mathematics, masonry. Taboos: Against body modification, or conversely not having it done. 

As you can see I generated a whole bunch of ideas for these settlements but at this stage I wouldn't necessarily look to tie it all together into coherent overview of each culture. Rather it's there to inspire me in the back of my mind for when I start playing.

3.3 Ruins

6. Ruin #1: 1d10 = 8 Tunnels, cellars, wells, passageways, crypts, catacombs and burial chambers. The nature of these ruins isn't clear at present but the underground element is important.

Again for this and the next set of hex features my preference isn't to nail down exactly how everything is. Rather I want to give myself some initial prompts and ideas that will crystallise as I play. Some things will be set in stone early others will emerge over time. You can set the slider as to how much is predetermined and how much is up in the air as you see fit.

3.4 Dangers and Hazards

Danger #1: Monster: A unique monster roams here.

Danger #2: Spirits: This place is said to be visited by spirits.

I will leave the exact details of these dangers unclear for now. For the moment they are but rumours shared by traders and herders.

3.5 The Strange, Weird, Unusual, Unnatural or Supernatural

Unusual #1: 10 Veiled 6 Tower 20 Cauldron 12 Beseech 19 Gather 6 Twitching 15 Cathexis

A veiled tower contains a cauldron around which sinister men and women gather to perform dark rituals in order to concentrate their mind and will. What happens when their rituals are successful? Do they need to put something in the cauldron for the magic to work? 

Unusual #2: 5 Forbidden 2 Barrow 12 Chamber 5 Statue 14 Glisten 12 Flinching 4 Sea

There is a rumour that within a chamber of one of the nearby barrows there stands a glistening gold statue. It is said that if you can look into the eyes of the statue without flinching it will give you visions of how to find and navigate the endless undying sea beyond which the star gods reside. It is forbidden to enter any of the barrows but who would ever find out if the trespassers were careful?

Once again here is the final result. 

Additional thoughts

Empty' hexes will still contain roaming predators, wandering monsters, ecological dangers (fires, floods, swarms), marauding warriors, travelling merchants etc. The world is dynamic and you'll encounter different things in each hex as time passes. You could generate some factions to introduce a dynamic human aspect to the area.

Some hexes may have multiple interesting things going on. For example a ruin might provide a temporary home for some hunter gatherers and a settlement might be terrorised by a monster. The point is to generate some initial inspiration from which new ideas and connections will emerge during preparation or during play.

If you wanted you could roll 1d100 for each hex and decide that on a result <50, 33 or 25 you repeat Step 2 again to double up on interesting features for a selection of hexes.

An option is to not keep the generated results once you've written up the descriptions of your hexes. That way you won't limit your imagination as to what's possible, especially if you review your map after a break, even more so after using it in a game. As you play, meaning and connections that you could not foresee will emerge.

Resources

Sundaland Content Overview Find posts about the geography and biology of Sundaland plus lots more tables for generating cultures, factions, religions, adventures etc.

Indonesia topographic map Height map of the region.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indomalayan_realm Biogeographic realm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australasian_realm Biogeographic realm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_and_subtropical_dry_broadleaf_forests

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_and_subtropical_moist_broadleaf_forests

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_and_subtropical_grasslands,_savannas,_and_shrublands

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_and_subtropical_coniferous_forests

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montane_grasslands_and_shrublands

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mangrove_forest

Hex Flower Builder

Real History: Bronze Age Fantasy: Everything DND Aspires To Be

Real History: Wild myths about Bronze Age swords

 

Elephant Queens & Tiger Kings - 11: Leaving the City of the Longheads

Recap: I've uncovered a plot to implicate our trading expedition in a theft. There seems to be a struggle between factions within the Longhead city, and we are caught in the middle. Myself and our companions are currently held captive in a room with a secret passage, an idol, a knife and a dead Longhead.

Note: I'm going to incorporate some of the new rules from Ironsworn: Starforged into my game. There isn't an official complete upgrade but I will use Lodestar 2e (the official reference guide, which has some updated moves) as well as the fan made Ironsworn 1.5-ish and Ironforged V1 which I found on the Ironsworn Discord. I will try to show where I deviate from the standard Ironsworn rules but I will be making things up as I go and can't promise consistency in my application of the different rules. I'm also using the Pocketforge web app to play since it includes the moves from all the official games. 

                                                    Ambient music for this episode

I decide that it's best to inform the guards of what has happened and not wait until morning. I start banging on the wooden door of the room and yell to the guards. They start shouting to us in their language, probably telling me to be quiet but I keep making noise until the door bolt is removed. I stand back as several guards storm into the room ready to give us a beating.

Some of the guards are holding up torches and they spot the dead body, the golden idol, about the size of a man's fist and a bloody knife on the floor. I point to the back of the room towards the secret passage and they understand that was how the intruder entered the room. One of the guards rushes over to the body to inspect it. Then he shouts to the others, points to the passage in the back of the room and several of the guards storm through the opening. 

We are unsure of what to do but any decisions are taken out of our hands, more guards come the room and we are marched back to the harbour and our boats in the early dawn light. Our interpreters are informed that we are to leave as soon as our cargo has been loaded. It seems the Longheads are embarrassed that we've been exposed to their internal political struggles and since the idol has been found are happy to send us on our way. As soon as all the goods have been loaded on to the boats we cast off and row down the river back to the City of Pearls.

Since this a return journey along a known route so I will use the move: Follow a Path from Ironsworn Lodestar 2e.

Action Die: 1d6 + Supply: 5+5 = 10

Challenge Dice: 2d10 = 3 and 2 = Strong Hit = Reach Destination and +1 Momentum (6)

The journey back is uneventful and due to rowing downstream we arrive back in our city after 8 days, about half the time it took to travel upstream to the city of the Longheads. When we pull up along the quay we are greeted by a throng of people including workers ready to unload our cargo and priests chanting, banging drums and blowing on pan-pipes as part of welcome ceremony to thank the gods for our safe return. Myself and the other rowers are led away to a holding room where we find tables laden with foods including fresh fruit, nuts, cooked vegetables, fish and meats. There is also a small bath recessed within the floor where we can wash ourselves. It seems that these are our rewards for a successful trading mission.

Once we are clean and well fed, guards come to take us to sleeping quarters, however I am led away separately to another room and find myself once again in the presence of Balzar seated on stone bench on a low platform. Balzar's shoulders are draped in the customary Leopard skin indicating his status. He addresses me: 

"Welcome back... Kiakro is it? I've been informed of your actions during the trade mission to the Longheads. It seems you were crucial to the mission's success and were singled out by the several of the traders and mariners for your contributions. It seems you possess some skills that I have a special use for".

I mark a tick on the progress track for my vow (Extreme) to become a free citizen of the City of Pearls. I will also give myself 3 experience points from which I will spend 2 to upgrade my Waterborn asset. I paid close attention to the workings of larger boats over the past couple of weeks.

Now I will use my Sundaland Sword & Sorcery Adventure Generator to create the next adventure.

Location: 1d12

1. Island Archipelago. Bays, lagoons, coral reefs, sand bars, cliffs, limestone karsts, pirates serpents, leviathans (Initially I rolled Savanna but decided that sea adventure would fit better with all the following results).

Setup1, 2, and 3: 3d20

8. Sea-gypsies

5. Bribe

9. Maps

Hook: 1d6

6. Circumstances force the characters to get involved

Patron, ally, client, help-seeker: 1d6

3. Superiors from your culture (I did not roll for this result since Balzar is giving me the mission)

Tasks: 1d6

3. Find or explore

Reward: 1d6

5. Elephants, water-buffalo, boat or ship with a crew.

Antagonist or adversary: 1d6

5. A sworn enemy

Obstacle: 1d12

6. Strange local customs

Complication 1d6

6 The clock starts ticking because...

Twist: 1d12

9. It's a trap or trick

These results have given me the idea that Balzar wants to find a new source of Areca Nuts to import. The addictive nut is officially banned from the city (Read how we were captured during a failed smuggling operation: Elephant Queens & Tiger Kings - 6: Breaking into the City of Pearls), but Balzar is placing personal profit above that of the health of his fellow citizens.

The results Sea Gypsies, Bribe and Map give me the idea that perhaps Sea Gypsies know where Areca Nuts can be found. According to this map Spice Trade in Sundaland there is a source of Areca Nuts far to the East (not known to my character or anyone else in the City of Pearls). So perhaps Balzar wants me to pay the Sea Gypsies for the location of the Areca Nuts?

I'm not quite sure how or if the other results will come into play but the Antagonist (A sworn enemy), Complication (The clock starts ticking because...) and the Twist (It's a trap or trick) seem to indicate a race against time before a rival faction or culture discovers what I'm doing with the intention of either stopping the import happening or securing the nuts for themselves. I will play to find out.

Balzar dismisses the guards that brought me here and tells them to wait outside. Once they are gone he stands up from the bench, and walks over to within a whispering distance. "I remember you... you were helping Calpo smuggle Areca nuts into the city. Those nuts are banned from the city... but who am I to deny the desires of the people. Many have been thrown to crocodiles for less and you are lucky we are always in need of good rowers. I'm sending out another expedition, something a little more discreet, that you are perfectly suited for. You will be told more soon enough but for now you are to rest in the assigned quarters. Do not speak of this to anyone, however keep in mind anyone who could be a good volunteer for another expedition.

Balzar calls out to the guards and I am led back to the communal hall with the others. I wonder if my quest to become a free citizen of this city will be helped or hindered by working for the corrupt Balzar. In any case, right now I don't have a choice in the matter.

I will rank this expedition as Formidable.

Real History: Deciphering Secrets of Ancient Civilizations

An interesting interview with Assyriologist Irving Finkel which gives some insight into life in the Bronze and Iron Age.

Sundaland 24 Mile Hex Map

A map of Sundaland at the height of the last Ice Age overlaid with a 24 mile hex-grid. The image is 5260 by 4754 pixels and was created with Wonderdraft. Left click to load the full map then right click to download it.

For a while I considered creating a hex map with Worldographer but I wouldn't be able to depict all the small islands, which is half the fun of this map!

The good thing is that Wonderdraft allows you to import this map, match the hex size and then add a second hex overlay at a smaller resolution, for example 6 or 3 mile hexes. So you could use this map for the big picture overview and then create hex maps for smaller areas if you want to have an old-school hex experience.

Since this part of the world is close to the equator the size of the landmass is frequently underestimated. You can use TheTrueSize.com to see how large this sub-continent is by comparing it to a country or state that you are familiar with. Just enter and select a country on the left and then drag it over South-East Asia

This example section of the map is 28 x 18 hexes (504 hexes total) which makes it roughly the size of Switzerland according to How big is your hex map? 

This is how far you can zoom in before the hexes become pixelated.

For more maps depicting biomes, locations of precious metals and spices as well as tools for creating your own Sword & Sorcery Sundaland setting visit the Sundaland Content Overview

Edit: I've created a hex-fill procedure Sword & Sorcery Hex-Fill procedure to create content for this type of map.

If you use any of this please tell me about it in the comments. I always love to hear about how people use this material.

Real History: Nan Madol

 A mysterious structure deep in the Pacific Ocean. Wikipedia: Nan Madol

Real History: Science Daily: Who are the Papua New Guineans? New DNA study reveals stunning origins

 
On remote islands of Papua New Guinea, people carry a story that ties us all back to our deepest roots. Although their striking appearance once puzzled scientists, new genetic evidence shows they share a common ancestry with other Asians, shaped by isolation, adaptation, and even interbreeding with mysterious Denisovans. Yet, their unique history — marked by survival bottlenecks and separation from farming-driven booms — leaves open questions about the earliest migrations out of Africa and whether their lineage holds traces of a forgotten branch of humanity.

Read the full article here: Who are the Papua New Guineans? New DNA study reveals stunning origins 

Real History: The Nuragic Civilisation

A look at a Bronze Age civilisation that many people might not know about. The Nuragic civilisation of the island of Sardinia.

Real History: Lost cities of the Amazon: how science is revealing ancient garden towns hidden in the rainforest

Two great articles about the the remains of cultures that existed in South America. I find this type of culture fascinating and imagine many of the cultures in my Sundaland setting exist.

The first article includes some artist impressions of what the area could have looked like. 

Archaeologists using 3D mapping are uncovering the remains of thousands of green metropolises with composted gardens, fisheries, and forests groomed into orchards

Lost cities of the Amazon: how science is revealing ancient garden towns hidden in the rainforest 

This article prioritized studying the roads and paths that are interconnected to geoglyph-type sites in the Western Brazilian Amazon, not only because of their originality, but also to understand some issues that permeate the universe of geoglyphs, such as how was gave the spatial distribution of these roads in the region, what meaning they had within the sociocultural context of that society.

The pre-Colombian roads of geoglyphs sites in the state of acre: the tequinho site road complex

Real History: Lost Maya city with temple pyramids and plazas discovered in Mexico

Another day and another lost Mayan city has been discovered: 

“The larger of Valeriana’s two monumental precincts has all the hallmarks of a Classic Maya political capital: multiple enclosed plazas connected by a broad causeway, temple pyramids, a ballcourt, a reservoir formed by damming an arroyo (a seasonal watercourse), and a probable … architectural arrangement that generally indicates a founding date prior to AD150,”

“The ancient world is full of examples of cities that are completely different than the cities we have today,” Auld-Thomas said. “There were cities that were sprawling agricultural patchworks and hyper-dense; there were cities that were highly egalitarian and extremely unequal. Given the environmental and social challenges we’re facing from rapid population growth, it can only help to study ancient cities and expand our view of what urban living can look like.”

You can read the article here:

Lost Maya city with temple pyramids and plazas discovered in Mexico

Ancient Apocalypse Season 2 is out now on Netflix

 

 

Ancient Apocalypse Season 2 is available to watch on Netflix. I've only watched the first episode and it's very light on details, but then I've read a bunch of Graham's book and listened to many interviews so I'm quite familiar with his hypotheses. In any case it still provides ample inspiration for my Sword & Sorcery setting.

The first episode includes Graham visiting the Amazon to see large earthworks. The the concept of Garden Urbanism is very interesting to me. The idea that large complex societies could exist in rain-forest or tropical environments.

In recent years researchers have found huge earthen structures, including platforms, mounds and causeways, across the Amazon, from Venezuela to central Brazil. But the infrastructure in Upano, described in a study published on Thursday in Science, “is completely unprecedented in Amazonia and in Andean prehistory,” says archaeologist José Iriarte of the University of Exeter in England, who studies pre-Columbian earth-builder cultures in Brazil and was not involved in the new study. “We don’t see an equivalent to these plazas elsewhere in Amazonia.” The nearest similar urban layout is in Maya territory in Central America.

Scientific American: Ancient Amazon Civilization Developed Unique Form of ‘Garden Urbanism’

Real History: Carboniferous Period Was a Pure Nightmare HORROR

Here's some great inspiration for monstrous animals for any fantasy setting. The channel features many great videos about prehistoric animals.

 

New blog: Timothy Westwind - Making it up as I go along

 

I've started another TTRPG blog which you can check out here: Timothy Westwind - Making it up as I go along

Currently I'm sharing a work-in-progress 6 Mile Hex map for the Baltic Region using Worldographer which I may use for a semi-historical Medieval + Dark Fantasy game. I'm torn between playing in semi-historical world or creating something new.

I'm also occasionally playing a game of The One Ring 2e (Darkening of Mirkwood campaign) which I'll write about.

Real History: World building in the Bronze Age: How did people live?

An interesting video about the Bronze Age, aimed at people who are just learning about the period. The information presupposes a focus on the Bronze Age in Europe and the Middle East (referencing the importance of grain agriculture, bread, beer, wine, wool, flax, linen etc.) but a lot is still relevant to my Sundaland setting. 

Magic in Sundaland

Telaka held up her talisman and started to chant the true name of the huge serpent just as it was was curling up to strike. Over and over she spoke its name, loud and clear as if revealing to the beast that she knew its innermost thoughts and its closest kept secrets. She felt vibrations through the chain around the back of her neck and the tingling of the artefact between her fingers. An onlooker might have noticed a feint glow from the red gemstone placed at the centre of the bronze cast charm. But then, it could have been a mere reflection of the light from the oil candles in the room. It seemed that the fangs would strike now, but the serpent halted, then slowly closed its mouth, seemingly hypnotised by the swaying of the amulet from its chain. It bowed its head, turned around and slinked off into the darkness.

I want the magic in Sundaland to be truly magical and not just a form of technology. If casting a magic fire ball spell is consistent and reliable then what is the actual difference between that and a shotgun or laser-pistol? In my opinion magic must have an air of mystery and unpredictability.

Below I've collected some ideas for different kinds of magic that fit the feel of my "Bronze Age to Classical Antiquity meets Sword & Sorcery" setting. If you want to use magic in your games set in Sundaland I suggest you look towards rules systems tailored to the Sword & Sorcery genre. Systems that lean towards free-form magic and have a chance of failure or unindented consequences will fit the mood. Doing a search for "magic in Sword & Sorcery" will also give you many articles and discussions about this topic. 

Advanced technology: Technological contraptions made from gears, springs, lenses and crystals. Powered by steam, electricity or perhaps magical forces. Were they created by an advanced civilisation or the Star Gods or Elder Beings?

Alchemy: By mixing various ingredients the alchemist can create useful potions. Is it based on real chemistry or can super-natural results be achieved?

Curses: Are curses real or just self-fulfilling prophecies by causing paranoia in their targets?

Divination: One can supposedly gain knowledge and understanding by such things as reading the motions of the stars and planets, investigating the intestines of an animal, by casting stones, bones or shells, watching the movement of the waves or listening to the sounds of birds. Projection and a figment of the imagination or real insight?

Dream Questing: Travel to other realms, dimensions or realities in order to to encounter spirits, gods and demons. Interact with them in order to gain insight, knowledge or power. 

How do you go on a dream quest, through meditation, trance-states, hallucinogens, a spell, incantation or ritual?

Does dream questing affect the material world? Are there consequences for the quester's physical, mental or spiritual health?

Elements: Fire, air, water, earth, spirit. Is the sorcerer in control of the elements or does it just seem as if they are? Why did the fire suddenly increase in intensity? Why did this torrential rain suddenly start? What caused those boulders to suddenly come crashing down the mountainside?

Interacting with nature spirits: Trees, caves, rivers, seas, oceans, hills, mountains, swamps, grasslands and animals all have spirits. Can they communicate with humans? Can they be influences or controlled?

Magic infused items: Amulets, talismans, magical weapons, armour, tools and artefacts. Magic has been put into otherwise mundane objects. Can anyone access these powers or do they require specific knowledge, skill or circumstances?

Potions and Medicines: Potions and medicines made from all kings of ingredients can heal, change behaviour and alter physical, spiritual or psychological states. 

Praying: Can the gods hear our prayers? Can they respond and if so how will they do that? Through obvious explicit intervention or more subtle ways?

Sigils and Glyphs: By inscribing or carving symbols into objects one can infuse them with special powers. This can be done on weapons, doors, walls, boats, statues or any other physical object. Even humans with the practice of tattooing and piercing.

Summoning: With the aid of rituals it may be possible to summon demons, spirits, gods, deceased ancestors or other super-natural beings. The might be able to provide the summoner with knowledge, insight or powers, usually in exchange for something. In some cases the summoner can bring these beings into our world through a portal.

True Names: Knowing the True Name of a thing, being or person allows you to exert some form of control over it. 

What does this do to the controller? Do they take on some of the nature of what they are attempting to control? What happens do the controlled? Do they have any free nature or will left at all? Are they altered in some temporary of permanent way by this process? Are True Names known to their bearers? How can you discover True Names?

Ultra sensory perception of other times and places: Some people claim they have the ability to sense, see or hear other places and times. They either have this ability innately or can access them by taking particular substances or using particular tools and technology.

Risks of engaging with magic

Attempting to harness supernatural powers may not be without risk. Nothing in this world, or other worlds, comes for free.

1. Corruption of body

The signs: Showing a sickly or ill appearance. Taking on animal characteristics such as a forked tongue, yellow or red eyes, scaled skin, webbed fingers and toes, slimy skin,  unusual amounts of hair, developing claws, growing sharper teeth.

2. Corruption of mind

The signs: Seeing figures and creatures in shadows and fires. Hearing strange voices from unknown sources. Paranoia or experiencing a constant feeling of unsettlement.

3. Corruption of spirit

The signs: Body fading out of the physical world and entering the another realm. Lack of empathy and detachment from mortal concerns. 

Real History: Valley of lost cities that flourished 2,000 years ago found in Amazon

Archaeologists have uncovered a cluster of lost cities in the Amazon rainforest that was home to at least 10,000 farmers about 2,000 years ago.

A series of earthen mounds and buried roads in Ecuador was first noticed more than two decades ago by archaeologist Stéphen Rostain. But at the time, “I wasn’t sure how it all fit together,” said Rostain, one of the researchers who reported on the finding in the journal Science on Thursday. 

Read the whole article here: Valley of lost cities that flourished 2,000 years ago found in Amazon

Real History: Lost ancient colony off coast of Australia that hundreds of thousands once called home discovered

This is a sensationalist article that vaguely implies the discovery of some kind of Atlantis but the reality is that this part of the world was indeed dry land until the floods started and there is now more evidence of people living in these now submerged areas. Hopefully these kinds of discoveries will lead to more archaeology in these kinds of locations and the acceptance that a lot of human history happened along coastlines that are now under the sea.

Lost ancient colony off coast of Australia that hundreds of thousands once called home discovered

Various artifacts and signs of human life were discovered on the northwest shelf of Sahul, located off the coast of the northern region of Kimberley on a landmass that connects to New Guinea, according to a study in Quaternary Science Reviews.

The full research article: Sea level rise drowned a vast habitable area of north-western Australia driving long-term cultural change

Conclusion from the article:

It is clear that the temptation to ignore the continental shelf margins of Late Pleistocene Sahul in debates of early peopling and expansion carries the risk of both oversimplifying and misunderstanding important elements of this period of history. Our analysis indicates the Northwest Shelf was a large habitable landscape that connected the now-separated ancient archaeological landscapes of the Kimberley and Arnhem Land. Reconstructing the palaeoecology of these landscapes in sophisticated ways remains an important goal for future research to understand the potential lifeways of the First Australians. The appearance of new and distinctive rock art styles in the Kimberley and Arnhem Land coincides with major shelf-drowning events and a noticeable increase in stone artefact discard across both regions. We interpret this as the retreat of human populations from the Northwest Shelf as sea levels rose. Now submerged continental margins clearly played an important role in early human expansions across the world. The rise in undersea archaeology in Australia will contribute to a growing worldwide picture of early human migration and the impact of climate change on Late Pleistocene human populations.

Real History: New Guinea - lessons from a cradle of agriculture and languages

An interesting video about the linguistic history of New Guinea and what it reveals about the past of the people of the island.

The first inhabitants Indigenous people of New Guinea, from whom the Papuan people are probably descended, adapted to the range of ecologies and, in time, developed one of the earliest known agricultures. Remains of this agricultural system, in the form of ancient irrigation systems in the highlands of Papua New Guinea, are being studied by archaeologists. Research indicates that the highlands were an early and independent center of agriculture, with evidence of irrigation going back at least 10,000 years.^[38] Sugarcane was cultivated in New Guinea around 6000 BCE.^[39]

The gardens of the New Guinea Highlands are ancient, intensive permacultures, adapted to high population densities, very high rainfalls (as high as 10,000 mm per year (400 in/yr)), earthquakes, hilly land, and occasional frost. Complex mulches, crop rotations and tillages are used in rotation on terraces with complex irrigation systems. Western agronomists still do not understand all of the practices, and it has been noted that native gardeners are as, or even more, successful than most scientific farmers in raising certain crops.^[40] There is evidence that New Guinea gardeners invented crop rotation well before western Europeans.^[41] A unique feature of New Guinea permaculture is the silviculture of Casuarina oligodon, a tall, sturdy native ironwood tree, suited to use for timber and fuel, with root nodules that fix nitrogen. Pollen studies show that it was adopted during an ancient period of extreme deforestation.

In more recent millennia, another wave of people arrived on the shores of New Guinea. These were the Austronesian people, who had spread down from Taiwan, through the South-east Asian archipelago, colonising many of the islands on the way. The Austronesian people had technology and skills extremely well adapted to ocean voyaging and Austronesian language speaking people are present along much of the coastal areas and islands of New Guinea. They also introduced pigs and dogs. These Austronesian migrants are considered the ancestors of most people in insular Southeast Asia, from Sumatra and Java to Borneo and Sulawesi, as well as coastal new Guinea.^[42]