Pelts For XP - Fort Southfur

Fort Laramie 1837

This forested hex has a large tract of cleared land either side of the Redriver. Straddling the bloodstained waterway is Fort Southfur, a dense collection of timber buildings enclosed by an earthwork palisade and surrounded by a sprawling shanty town.

The fortified burh and its surrounds have a population wavering around ~750, a mixture of sailors, trappers, sharecroppers, fishermen and convict labourers. The local human tribes and monstermen have either been suborned as colonial auxiliaries, driven into hiding or destroyed.

The colony mostly exports furs, alchemical reagents, exotic plants and surplus food. The nearby Bloody Glades are filled with old Serpentman ruins, so there's occasionally a shipment of pilfered silver or magic items as well. 

THE DRUID MAFIA

Ever wonder why nature cultists forbidden from wearing metal go adventuring for fistfuls of gold? 

It's because of these assholes. 

Postmodern revisionists who treat their class restrictions like any other code of conduct, doing the bare minimum to get what you want. These urban druid mafiosos are recognisable by their spider silk suits, mass-produced shillelaghs and ensorcelled monster pets.

Like every other mafia, the druids "protect" an in-group from outsiders whilst isolating them into a cycle of extortion and victimisation. Unlike other mafias, they can also run their rackets on wildlife. Blackmailing fish into scouting out the location of hidden beaver dams. Coercing beavers into providing free lumber lest the trappers descend. Promising dryads they'll protect their sacred groves from the rodent loggers, then pimping out the desperate tree-ladies as exotic prostitutes.  

The druids are the Trade Wardens of Southfur, having purchased controlling shares when the place was a tiny fort on the edge of the world. The "fort" moniker sounded quaint, so they kept it going even after the colony expanded.

Cor Jarings

RION BLOODSMOCK

Rion heads the mafia's Southfur branch. The Bloodsmocks were one of many clans in the Emerald Dells who weaponised hereditary lycanthropy to win the region's constant pissant wars. The runt of his litter, Rion sold his people out to scalphunters in exchange for becoming a made man. 

The mob boss controls his curse with an Amulet of Clarity, lacking the mental fortitude of his barbarian forbearers. He's fastidious about cleanliness, fearing an upstart spermjacking his infected bodily fluids and overthrowing him as top dog. It doesn't stop him paying regular visits to Southfur's brothels. He's not a popular client, but always wears protection, dolls out Potions of Cure Disease like candy and pays awfully well.

Under Rion's leadership, Southfur turns a blind eye to the sale of lycanthrope pelts. He likes encouraging scalphunters to wipe out the competition.

(Stats as Druid 9. Attacks and immunities as Werewolf, OSE. Unaffected by mind-altering magic.)

Tactical Breach Wizards

THE BRIARCOATS

Southfur's garrison are recognisable by their distinctive spiky pauldrons, an insurance policy against Sleep intended to painfully stab the wearer when they fall over. They serve as soldiers, police officers and firefighters, their polearms doing double duty as fire axes.

There's 54 Briarcoats, mostly foreign mercenaries. The mafia has a penchant for hiring warriors from far flung civilisations. Exotic roid-raging lunatics in funny helmets are part of their brand recognition. 

Briarcoat patrols are D6+6 Berserkers (OSE), led by a Barbarian of Level D3+1. Half carry poleaxes, the rest muskets. All carry single-edged swords as sidearms. In a fight, the axemen hold ranks whilst the arquebusiers fire from the rear. A preferred tactic is to fire an initial volley before the entire squad enters a battle rage and charges the enemy.

If defending a siege, the Briarcoats can bring to bear a quartet of Culverins that deal 5D6 DMG on a direct hit. The cannons also kick up shrapnel, dealing D6 DMG unless you Save vs Breath Weapon.

SandRoman History

Like most colonial militaries, the Briarcoats maintain a cadre of levelled characters to deal with threats the rank-and-file can't. The posse consists of:

• Brock, Barbarian 6 with +1 Chainmail, Shield of Spell Turning and a +2 Axe of Glaciers (can summon Walls of Ice, 3/day). Isolates casters with ice walls, then dismembers them.

• Muscle Wizard, Fighter 6. Alchemical juicer who fights bare handed. Stats as Polar Bear (OSE) with AC as Plate. Focuses high-priority targets, unloading DPS and face tanking damage.

• Thistleweed, Druid 5 with a +3 Suit of Protection. Has an ensorcelled Carrion Crawler and Disenchanter accompanying him. Loves casting Growth Of Nature on the Crawler and watching it run rampant. Uses Heat Metal to melt anyone wearing armour.

• Whitefeather, Halfling 5 with a +2 Musket of Infravision. Shoots clerics first, then wizards.

• Zephyr, Harpy dominated by Charm Monster. Carries Whitefeather to sniping positions, then disrupts enemy formations with her songs.

Daggers Of Darkness

TOWN SERVICES

The Gnomish tinkerers of Mimblewimble Arms sell compasses, wheellocks, spyglasses, and Hyrcinian Lamps - special lanterns containing a Hyrcinian Bird (CC1) fed alchemical food pellets that let it emit UV light. Great for spotting the bioluminescent pelts of crepuscular animals like platypuses. Wheellocks are priced per Carcass Crawler 1. Hyrcinian Lamps cost 200 GP, and 15 GP per day of food.

The Druid Mafia run their business out of the Gun & Rose, a coaching inn in the centre of town. Their alchemists have cornered the potion market, slinging tinctures at 400 GP per spell level. They don't care about homebrewers, but set up a rival operation and they'll feed you to Carrion Crawlers.

The Scorchlanders are a nearby tribe economically suborned by Southfur. They sell a traditional brew of Killer Bee Mangite at 100 GP per jar (heals D4 HP), a practice tacitly permitted by the mafia. Some offer their services as low-level Rangers per the Retainer rules in Carcass Crawler 2.

The most popular brothel in Southfur is All The Same Meat. The establishment is run by Madam Anastasia, Cleric 4 of the Knacker. The priestess has a sizeable minority stake in the colony, and wouldn't mind ousting the Druids. She accepts gifts of coin or exotic perfumes in exchange for a roll on the Rumour Table.

THE MAKING OF

I'm not satisfied with this settlement, but I can't tell if it needs more content or less. First time designing a home town, so I'm bound to make mistakes. Ho-hum.

I want to add in plot hooks, rumours and quests the various NPCs can hand out. It'll be a good way of offering some direction in what is otherwise a sandbox. But I need to finish stocking the hexmap before that can be done, so it'll come later.

Much of this is inspired by Mellonbread's work. The idea for a frontier colony is taken from ANGUISHEDWIRES, and the squad of levelled goons is from his Black Mariahs post.