México

The second largest of the Isles of Refuge, Blue Seal Cove is named for its most prominent feature, a pleasant harbor surrounded by steep cliffs and a narrow strip of beach. The rocky terrain makes construction difficult, but over the years the island has prospered, with terraced farms painstakingly carved from cliff sides. Sections of the interior jungle have been cleared to make room for fruit orchards, but the hostile creatures there limit habitation; such creatures also provide work for capable refugees, though, who are often asked to hunt down especially dangerous predators.

Although humans remain in the majority here, the island boasts a high population of gnome and dwarf citizens and refugees, who often congregate here to be among their own kind.

1. Blue Seal Cove

This beautiful bay was apparently formed when the ocean rushed into the caldera of an old volcano, creating a near-circular expanse of water where even the largest ships can safely anchor. The bay’s depths are also good for fishing, and harbor healthy populations of mussels, crabs, and other deli-cacies.

2. Blue Seal Lighthouse

Tall, pale, and slender, this lighthouse is said to have been raised by a circle of grateful high elf conjurors and provided with a permanent elemental light to guide ships safely into port. Though it is officially tended by a single employee of the Far Seas Trading Company, the lighthouse has never needed maintenance of any kind, and no one but a handful of Far Seas employees knows how to gain entrance.

Predictably, rumors of fabulous treasures to be found inside the tower circulate constantly, but so far no one has ever been able to get into the lighthouse in order to verify them.

3. Beach

A thin sliver of white sand extends around the edge of the harbor; goods are sometimes piled here before being trans-ported to either the ships at the dock or to the settlements farther up the cliff.

4. Docks

A shelf of rock extends upward from the beach here, which has allowed engineers to sink stone pilings and attach wooden piers. Ships dock here to load or unload cargo, and the docks are usually the first solid ground that refugees feel after days or weeks at sea. Company mariners normally patrol the docks, spot-checking cargo and making sure that refugees are really what they say they are.

A few years ago, a force of Clan Flotsam goblins mounted an assault on the docks, but they were easily defeated. Currently, rumors abound of a group of amphibious creatures that are attacking ships and raiding smaller islands, so the guards at the dock are particularly jumpy, especially at night.

5. Cliffs

Steep, rugged cliffs surround this ancient caldera. Trails have been carved into the hard volcanic rock, allowing cargo to be portaged to and from the settlements beyond the bay.

6. Fort Wenedra

Hamlet, Pop. 400

(Dwarf 11%, gnome 13%, halfling 6%, high elf 5%, human 37%, kerra 8%, wood elf 7%, other 13%)

Ruler: Mayor Nabi Togglehand.

Gold Piece Limit: 110 gp.

Assets: 2,000 gp.

Resources: Fish, bananas, coco-nuts.

Militia: 50 Company mariners.

The island’s leading settlement is located at the foot of the outer cliffs, connected to the bay by several steep winding trails. Its frontier-town at-mosphere has begun to evolve into a slightly more cosmopolitan environ-ment as refugees and permanent residents build more permanent struc-tures and expand upon existing ones.

Fort Wenedra has a way to go before gaining the same status as Trading Post Number One, however — the streets are still dirt (or in the rainy season, mud), the population is still largely transient, and on off days there is at least one brawl going on in one of several public houses.

The town does not currently host ambassadors from either Qeynos or Freeport, a situation that those cities’ leaders hope soon to remedy.

a. Palisade: A wooden palisade, reinforced with stone bracing here and there, surrounds the town proper. In recent months, with a greater and greater influx of refugees, a small shanty town has grown up outside the palisade, with clusters of shacks and impromptu shelters; the inhabitants of the shanty town can seek refuge inside the town in case of danger.

The main gates are of wood, with flanking towers manned by city guards.

b. Straybo’s Inn: Straybo (male gnome, Com 6), a gnomish refugee who settled years ago in Fort Wenedra, runs its most popular eating and drinking establishment. He also maintains several comfortable rooms for refugees and visitors who can afford them. Straybo’s dining room is a popular retreat for refugees of an adventurous bent, who meet here in the evening to feast, drink, and share stories of their exploits in the islands.

Representatives from both Qeynos and Freeport frequent Straybo’s, usually on the lookout for promising young adven-turers who might make good recruits for the respective city guards or military.

c. Barracks: A force of 50 mariners from the Far Seas Trading company represents Fort Wenedra's permanent gar-rison. They are commanded by Captain Glabrus (male human, Ftr 5/War 2) and Captain Malador (male human, Sct 4/Ftr 3).

The two commanders are known to dislike each other intensely, and often try to frustrate each other’s efforts to defend the town. So far the rivalry hasn’t caused any lasting problems, but some hope that one day the two will set aside their differences in the interest of the refugees they are both sworn to serve.

Contents The town’s defenders are all navy and infantry — horses and

other riding beasts are a rarity here.

d. Town Hall: The largest structure in Fort Wenedra, this stone structure was painstakingly built by gnome and dwarf artisans from volcanic rock. Though far from aesthetic, the structure is incredibly sturdy, and many wonder just exactly how the workers managed to quarry and shape such hard-to-work-with material.

The town’s mayor, Nabi Togglehand (male gnome, Ari 4/Art 3), oversees meetings of his various councilors, including the two leaders of the town garrison, as well as Uthri Stonemiller (male dwarf, Ari 3/Ftr 3/Art 2), Commissioner for Refugee Affairs, and Marta Fethnal (female human, Com 7), Minister of Agriculture.

e. Dry Goods and Supplies: Gorsim (male dwarf, Com 5/Art 3) owns this small shop that is, despite its size and location, stocked with almost anything that a traveler or adventurer might need. Aware of the wanderlust and boredom that often overtakes refugees, Gorsim has long encouraged those who would explore and seek adventure in the islands, and has taken it upon himself to offer them weapons, armor, food, clothing, and other supplies at reasonable rates — or at least what Gorsim himself considers reasonable, since he’s the only real supplier in town.

Gorsim is also a good source of information about current events in the region and about the islands in general, for he is an incorrigible gossip who can’t keep a secret to save his life.

7. Macanda’s Trail

This well-worn trail winds away from Fort Wenedra, through the rugged surrounding countryside and along picturesque sea cliffs, eventually coming to the island’s other settlement, the town of Highspur. It is regularly patrolled by squads of 3 or 4 of the settlements’ warriors.

8. Highspur

Hamlet, Pop. 300

(Barbarian 14%, dwarf 9%, gnome 7%, half elf 9%, halfling 10%, human 39%, other 10%)

Ruler: Mayor Shady MacDuff.

Gold Piece Limit: 80 gp.

Assets: 1,250 gp.

Resources: Fish, fruit.

Militia: 30 Company mariners.

A smaller, somewhat rougher and more lawless place than Fort Wenedra, Highspur is home to those residents and refugees who don’t get along at the larger town. Highspur is located on a rocky crest above the inland forest and, like Fort Wenedra, is surrounded by a wooden palisade. This barrier is considerably less sturdy than its counterpart, however, and has from time to time been tested sorely by goblin and pirate raiders.

There is only a small garrison of troops here, most of whom are mercenaries hired by the Far Seas Trading Company to keep some semblance of order. Each of the hundred or so able-bodied citizens of Highspur can also serve as a competent militia member, though, wielding a number of weapons

effec-tively (many have at least one level in fighter). The downside of this is that brawls and fights in the town sometimes get a bit out of hand, with swords and knives drawn quickly.

Highspur is “governed” by an elected mayor; currently, that office is held by a man known as Shady MacDuff (male barbarian, Ftr 5/War 2/Brw 3), an individual who seems to enjoy cracking skulls and hunting far more than running the town. All the same, he tolerates only a certain amount of disorder, and usually manages to keep fights and conflicts to a state of controlled chaos. Should the town ever come under concerted attack, Shady would fight ferociously to defend it, standing bravely beside individuals whom he might have thrashed the night before.

9. Qeynos Tower

On the edge of the wilderness stands this stone watchtower, usually garrisoned by 3 warriors (male or female human, Ftr 4–

6) commissioned by Qeynos. It is intended as an early-warning post in case anything unpleasant decides to move out of the forest below.

10. Freeport Tower

Also situated in a strategic spot, this tower exists to keep watch on the warriors of Qeynos, but also to aid in Highspur’s defense. It likewise contains 3 warriors (male or female human, Ftr 3–7) from Freeport, though an assignment here is usually seen as punishment since life here can be quite dull.

11. Inland Forest

Down a steep rocky slope lie the interior lowlands. Some scholars and geomancers have speculated that, like the nearby bay, the central portion of the island was once a volcanic caldera, but that the volcano eventually collapsed upon itself, leaving this deep bowl-shaped depression filled with rich volcanic soil. Whatever its origin, the interior of Blue Cove is a wonder of nature, filled with thick jungle growth and crisscrossed by many streams. The sight of the jungle, several miles across, is quite impressive and intimidating, but the Far Seas Company regularly dispatches adventurers and explorers into the interior to seek out potential threats to the islands and possible sources of income.

The dangers of the forest are certainly considerable, espe-cially to beginning adventurers. Giant spiders, scorpions, and wasps are known to live here, and various small humanoid tribes — including the ubiquitous goblins — have been reported. Some speculate that the Clan Flotsam goblins sometimes take up residence here, or have a secret route from the sea to the jungle.

It is certain that goblins, pirates, and undead have some-times come out of the jungle, laboriously climbing the steep and treacherous cliffs to raid Highspur, but there never seems to be any rhyme or reason to such attacks. No one yet knows whether there is any central authority in the jungle, or whether the dangers there are entirely random in nature.

12. Fort Bloodhook

Once part of the main Antonican continent, Blue Seal Cove was indeed the scene of extensive volcanic activity

during the Rending and was later pounded by meteors during the Shattering, both of which combined to create the great crater-like interior basin. A few human structures survived the catastrophe, protected by magic or by some remnant of divine power that sought to preserve human civilization. Most have since been covered by jungle, but the most prominent of these, an ancient temple of Rallos Zek, has been taken over by a group of Bloodhook pirates (see the “Bloodhook Pirates”

sidebar earlier in this chapter), who have renamed it Fort Bloodhook.

Using secret passages through the crater wall (see Area 13, below), the pirates have transformed their hidden fortress into an ideal hideout and base of operations. Much of their stolen booty is stashed in the ancient temple’s lower levels, while the upper structures are kept covered with vines and jungle growths to conceal them. Any explorers who stumble upon the temple are summarily killed and raised as undead guard-ians by the pirates’ local leader, an ogre named Gunge Skullface (male ogre, Mag 5/Sum 5/Nec 2).

At any one time, there are up to 50 pirates of various races and professions in the temple, all ready to kill anyone who might discover the secret of its location.

13. Secret Passage

There are a number of hidden tunnels cut through the bedrock of the island from the interior to the rocky shore.

Many of these ancient lava tubes remain, only few having been discovered, while others have long since collapsed. This large tunnel is used by the pirates and also occasionally by nearby goblins to move unseen from the island’s south shore into the central jungles.

Like the location of their fortress, the pirates guard the secrets of this tunnel jealously, and do not tolerate any outsiders learning of it. The tunnel has been the scene of several pitched battles between

Clan Flotsam goblins and the Bloodhooks, though no bones or other such evidence remains

— for the pirates always collect such remains for use by their necromantic leader, Gunge (see Area 12).

14. Flotsam Mine

The goblins have fairly re-cently discovered their own secret on the island — this lava tube, which has proven to con-tain a steady supply of diamonds and other valuable gemstones.

Clan Flotsam miners have been surreptitiously sneaking onto the island for many months now, carrying off a small but steady stream of riches. The goblins hope that this might be the beginning of a new turn in their fortunes; as they accumulate this

new wealth on their floating city of Flotsam, they begin to contemplate purchasing real ships, improved weapons, and possibly even the services of experienced cutthroats, spellcasters, and mercenaries from other tribes, so that they can either relocate to a more favorable climate, or drive the humans from the Isles of Refuge once and for all.

The mine entrance is kept well hidden, and guarded by elite goblin warriors (male aqua goblin, Ftr 2–5/Sct 2–5; ave. level 6th). The goblins have also persuaded a number of well-paid troll mercenaries to patrol the area and attack all non-goblins, keeping the region relatively free of intruders.

So far, Clan Flotsam’s mining operations are relatively modest, with small bands of miners creeping into the mines and stealing away at night, loaded down with all the gems they can carry. Neither the pirates nor the Far Seas Company suspects the mine’s existence yet, but if it is discovered the Flotsam Mine could spur a major rush into the interior, with eager outsiders searching for more gems. Open warfare be-tween humans, pirates, and goblins would almost certainly ensue.