Watchtower on the Indigo River

50 years ago, a group of some 700 indentured souls were ransomed from service by a lord to the north anxious to have a buffer between his lands and the Bullywog Wild. They settled between the banks of a brackish river, low and slow flowing, known to flow backwards if the tide was strong, and the sea with the hopes of growing indigo in the wet heat. In the first year, their efforts were met with moderate success - a small compound being established along the shore, its crown a tall watchtower, visible for miles around. However, in the second fall, a great storm came through: drowning their limited cropland, halting supply and resupply from the sea, inundating the camp, and bringing with it a season of disease to follow. When no word was heard from them for two months following the storm, the lord to the north sent an expedition: he found only death.

Now, rumors of war in the old world have fueled a new rush of interest in the area. Industrialists and entrepreneurs seeking sources of lumber, of iron, all to produce materiel have moved south: establishing a new township - Black Hammock - on the cold ashes of the old Indigo River settlement. A port of 6,000 souls, Black Hammock is thriving: a gateway to the unknown and a haven for would-be explorers seeking to strike it rich - be it in the service of those who would be belligerents back home or be it from long forgotten troves hidden beyond the mangroves.

Watchtower on the Indigo River

Having been challenged by (or, perhaps more so having received a suggestion from) an anonymous fellow old-school enthusiast to create a map of a haunted/cursed lighthouse based on a regional landmark proximate to where I live, I started work on this map and mini-module. Posted here is my progress to date.

Points of Interest

• 02.03: Black Hammock - a newly established and rapidly growing port town; the point of resupply and likely starting point / based of operations for would be adventurers.
• 06.03: The Wreck - a sea-going cargo vessel, grounded and floundered, along the salt marsh: having ventured into the maze of tributaries and estuaries that ring the Indigo River Delta.
• 07.07: The Indigo River Lighthouse - likewise newly established, a lighthouse serving both as a guide for ships sailing into Black Hammock and as a lookout for approaching hazards, from sea, salt, or shore.
• 08.02: The Watchtower - what remains of the original Indigo River settlement: a small compound, slowly sinking into the marsh, the improvised tombs of 700 souls... and their long unclaimed ransom.

Map Key

Scale is 1 mile to a hex. Powered by Worldographer.

Tile	Description	Encounters (X57)
	Forest / Dense Forest Hardwood deciduous forest with standard forest creatures. Foliage species include red bay trees, magnolias, and live oaks. Dense forests have a concentration of scrub, including bayonet plants, grape vines, and prickly pear cactus.	As "Woods"
	Forest Wetlands Similar to forest / dense forest, but commonly flooded or otherwise just wet enough to make construction on the ground implausible. Knob-kneed cypress are common - as are hanging plants: such as mosses or vines.	As "Swamp"
	Dense Coastal Forest / Coastal Forest Palms, palmetto, and an under-story of oaks housing a wide range of lizards, insects, and spiders. Dense coastal forest resembles scrub land - excepting that you can't see the sky for the taller trees.	As "Jungle"
	Mangroves Mangrove trees clustered around an intricate lattice of freshwater rivulets. Common breeding ground for marine life - fairly easy to traverse with a light boat; fairly difficult otherwise. Armored characters or beasts of burden run the risk of getting stuck in the silt floor.	As "Jungle" at low tide; as "Swamp" at high tide
	The Salt Briny grassland permeated by small tidal creeks; inundated during high tide; largely dry during low tide - but pockmarked with deceptive mud. Characters in armor or beasts of burden will have a hard time traversing this ground. Home to crustaceans and tidal life frequently - almost exclusively marsh grass as the natural flora. This is where the original settlers intended to grow indigo.	As "Barren"; substitute sub-table "Swimmer" for "Humanoid"
	Scrub Barrier plant life - saw palmettos, bay trees and cedars, dotted with wildflowers. Fauna is sparse, but includes gopher tortoises, raccoons, gopher frogs, and armadillos in addition to a collection of different snake species - some dangerous, some just posing.	As "Woods"
	Freshwater Swamp Wet, flooded area consistently covered in standing water. Cypress trees are common, as well as bay, sweet bay, and elm trees: many of which house vines, ferns, mosses, and other "air growing" plants. Birds are prolific, as are otters, panther, and black bear.	As "Swamp"
	Beach Dunes, sand, and Corona sea oats. Fauna includes sand mice, crabs, and sea birds.	As "Ocean"

In terrestrial environs, substitute "Boar Men" for Orcs (or just use "Porcs"); likewise, in marsh or aquatic environs, substitute Bullywogs for Orcs or Goblins.

CWR reserves the right to amend this post prior to the completion of the final product; the tables in the Expert set work OK with some minor substitutions to capture the theme - but in order to really fit with the way I want the hex adventure to feel, I really need to produce a totally custom encounter table for the geographic regions around the Indigo River.

Next week maybe. Game on, all.