The Hinterlands Hex-Crawl (Introductions and Revisions)

(Pre-text note: In this post, I will detail the Hinterland politics, customs, and current affairs. Additionally, I will include clarified house rules with simplified explanations). 

The Hinterlands is the common term for the archaically denoted "Eleven Illustrious City-States of the Inner Sea Domains and Beyond, lorded by Merchant-Princes Consecrated and Most Laudable". A roughly 160-mile square region of jagged coasts and deep forests, bordered by mountains and Wyrd to the west, the eleven-city states here sprawl in betrothal and hardly credible federation (which is known to break down as often as it is repaired). Each decade, they elect a figurehead Over-prince, who is currently Zygmunt IV (all hail). 

Our scattered and mismatched heroes have each reached the town of Sturkhmar City-of-Sails on the Southwest coast of the Inner Sea, whether this day or before. A town ruled by an unpredictable Merchant-Prince and his virile charge of sons, the people are often characterised as seafaring thugs for their aptitude for skipping about the seas. However true this thuggery might be, one cannot ignore the richness of the crowd and goods that flood into the city's wharves. 

The State of the Dis-union 

As we begin this farce, tragedy, and epic, the Hinterlands are even more chaotic and decentralised than usual. Dropped to her knees from a joint war with the Southlands, the northern cities currently embroiled in war with the Voivodeship of Czerogrod, the Wyrd creeping and growing from the west, the merchant-princes power-hungry, elderly, or juvenile, and dozens of other calamities have turned this fractious realm into splinters. Outside the cities, the rule of law is nominal at best: a scimitar is the only judge out there. The Wyrd's influence can be seen in strange happenings and unexplainable oddities, some even claiming that giants and even bloodthirsty, degenerate humans have returned to haunt the forest and moor. It's a crazy world beyond those walls. 

The Nitty-Gritty

The Hinterlands, like any border-realm, are known for their diversity and oddity. If you can imagine it, it can happen; likewise, various races live in relatively equal proportion in her cities. Unaccounted for in these majorities are those who travel from other border-realms or even are spewed forth from the Wyrd. They are:

Eladrin. A pallid and bright-eyed race, descended from the experiments of the elves long ago and settling in these lands. Some have forgone their old, tribal traditions, and an equal amount still embrace their wild past.

Summer-Folk. A race of emigres from the Summer Lands, with hair like brambles or feathers and the blood of the earth running in them. their home is a plane of assumably idyllic glades and forests: at least, people could explore were hosts of elkborn reavers not pouring from the gates between here and there. 

Tieflings. The descendants of those humans punished for their involvements with the beasts of Hell. Their curling horns and dusky skin serve as an eternal brand.

Gors & Urses. The first inhabitants of the hinterlands; anthropomorphic boars and bears respectively, who have always held a tenuous joint enmity against the puny folk who brought cities to their wilds.

Goliaths. The towering descendants of giants, who were driven to the Summer Country long ago. Reknown philosophers, artists, and literati, despite their sizeable digits.

Draconians. Freed Draconians from the north often descend to the Hinterlands; fettered warriors of saurian, draconic appearance, enslaved by the Voivodeship.

Minotaurs. The rippling, horned folk who– mostly– claim to have revoked their bloodthirsty past. Warriors of unsurpassed vigour and choristers to match. 

This division and diversity no doubt leads to tension at best, outright feud at worst: but perhaps one of the most uniting forces is religion in the Hinterlands. Ironically, these are also quite divided.

The Cyclical Court of A Thousand Crowns. The majority of Hinterlanders worship at least one god from this diverse and ever-changing pantheon of gods, created and dispelled by the High Prelates in accordance to the rise and fall of their domain. Handfuls of heretical cults and splinter-sects threaten their authority, though most are contained to backwoods hierophants and the occasional soap-box loony. (This religion will include analog gods to the classic D&D setting; see below).

The Andrulian Sun-Cult. A descendant of the Cyclical Court, these zealots pose that Andruli– the Sun-God– is chief and eternal, and creator of the disk. Quiver those who dare tell them otherwise to their face. They also conveniently hold a monopoly on the sale of black powder (sunfire, as they dub it) making them an irritating if necessary force to deal with.

The Hill-Gods of Old. Gors, Urses, Tribal Eladrin, and quite a few others reject the Cyclical court, holding to the ancient deities of the hills and mountains, the rivers and inlets. These elder gods hold primal and unfettered power. 

The Hero-Cults. Devoted to civic champions and chivalric ideals, paragons of virtue and paladins of honour, these knightly hosts revere their "champion" as god. They wander the roads and highways, slaying monsters and challenging travellers. 

House's Rules 

Just a few rules (updated and revised from the last post) to enhance and accentuate play. 

XP is given to individuals, not as a group; everyone will receive the base amount they're entitled to, but acts of distinct bravery and cunning warrant extra reward.

Handholding is gone to the wind, along with encounter balance, challenge ratings, and relative foe numbers. All you can count on is that further risk warrants further reward.

Individual Sessions will be available should other players be away, or it is desired by an individual to engage in a diverting side-mission. 

Luxury Items & Debauchery will become XP at a rate of 2 golden grivna (gg) to 1 XP point, as long as the item bought is used. Amongst this includes feasting, drinking to excess, romantic flings, expensive clothing, unfortified holdings, and items of decorative and ornate purpose. 

Overflow damage and Critical Criticals are in effect, meaning two things. The first: On a successful non-critical hit, add the difference between the target's defense and the natural d20 roll to damage. This does not stack with the second rule: on a critical hit, not only do you deal maximum damage, but one can also roll dice and add that as well (sans modifiers). 

Guns are emerging on the market, in part for a growing need on reliance of things other than sorcery. Early firearms can be bought for 25% of their price listed here but will have different stats, to be released.

Feats related to certain Deities are still applicable; gods within the Cyclical Court will be given standard D&D equivalents, and their feats will be that of these gods. Other religions will be given their own, unique feats and benefits. 

Phew. I think that about covers everything. Welcome to the Hinterlands Hexcrawl.