The White Reach

A 2nd edition playthrough (in progress) by Duncan Timiney (Marasmusine).

Notes:

The map was created in paint.net. The HTHAD2 rulebook says you don't need to keep track of territories, but I did so anyway, since its easy to do so with layers.

The White Reach
The Primordial stage created a landscape with a deep chasm. It was created from the detritus of a destroyed wind god, Nikeyar. The nexus is the classic "Fate", so I added a Nikeyar's giant skull. Encountering it means the instant downfall of a monster group or civilization.

The surface is one biome of tundra and pine trees, with surface deposits of iron. A lake of fire is fed from an underground magma chamber.

Final Map
Here's the endgame map, without the tokens or territories.

Age of Civilization
I rolled one of the new civilizations, the magicians. For my first game I'm not being fancy, and I'm simply calling them the Magicians and they build pointy-roofed towers. They seek to find relics of Nikeyar.

Over the course of a few hundred years, they exploited the magma to create a bridge, a few iron deposits to build a masoleum and tomb, the pine forest to create a witchwood, and the lake at the bottom of the chasm to create the Fountain of the Naiads.

The masoleum is dedicated to the founding council of elder magicians, and keeps secret their collection of staffs.

The tomb holds the Apparatus of Gen.

The Fountain of the Naiads protects a huge chunk of everice.

With plenty of resources to exploit, the magicians were able to achieve diaspora. The rulebook doesn't give much advice on this, so I added a big floating star thing which the magicians used to ascend to godhood.

The magicians were able to avoid the Fate, although they had the opportunity with several underground buildings avaiable to them. I prioritized the jinn buildings, and priotized building close to the first tower (the one to the far east). So as it happens, the Tomb was built on the safe side of the magma shaft - and I wanted the Fountain close to the water.

Age of Monsters
The Wizard. Ratrum XII, a wizard, makes his home in the old magician's capital. He brings with him the Spellbook of Ay'yy. He explores the dungeon underneath the city and finds the magician's tomb. Ratrum excidetly recovers the Apparatus of Gen.
 * Year 700.

Ratrum uses the spellbook to construct a laboratory underneath the tomb. He puts is apprentices to work there. Finally, Ratrum drains the magma lake, using the energy to create an iron golem, who guards the bridge. The Adventurers. The Company of the Bleak Arrow arrives on the surface to the west of the chasm. They head east and establish a camp in the cliffside cave.

The Mob. A few weeks later, a mob of peasants arrive in the western forest, fleeing the devastation of their town. Seeking shelter, they find tunnels into the caves. Desperate for resources, they attack the Company of the Bleak Arrow, but are narrowly beaten back. They spend the rest of the year digging a tunnel down until they reach the underground river.

The Wizard. Ratrum explores more of the magician's city. Ratrum decides to locate a Cyst undernearth these new buildings. However, the tunnel breaks into Nikeyar's skull. Ratrum and his apprentices are destroyed in the resulting release of divine power.
 * Year 701

The Adventurers. The Company of the Bleak Arrow relocate to the basin of the chasm, occupying the watermill and an old magician's tower, in addition to mining a cliffside den.

The Mob. The peasants mine east, breaking into the Bleak Arrow den. The two factions immediately fight. In a close and bloody battle, the Bleak Arrow lose Tyn the Archer and retreat. The peasants capture the den. Later in the year, they dig a tunnel west.

Vampire. Puxilla, a vampire, moves into the magician's tomb and claims the Apparatus of Gen. Her treasures she places in Ratrum's lab and in a new chamber over the empty magna vent that she has her minions dig. She constructs a traps within the magician's old capitol.
 * Year 702

The Adventurers. The Company of the Bleak Arrow relocate into the Fountain of the Naiads, where they recover the Everice.

The Mob. The peasants move into the abandoned watermill, and expand the den along their western tunnel, relocating entirely out of the upper caves. In another hard-fought raid, they kill Uyanda the Scout of the Bleak Arrows. While the adventurers are in disarray, the peasants steal the Everice.

Cult. The Order of the Crooked One invade the peasant's den, forcing them back into the upper caves. The cult subsequently tries to recruit from the peasants but fail to win any over. The Order uses the last of their resources to build an Idol of the Crooked One underneath the river.
 * Year 703

Vampire. Puxilla is lonely, there is no-one to hunt. She builds more traps around the summoning pillar on the surface, recovering the last of Ratrum's artefacts. She constructs another treasure room to hold them.

Adventurers. The two adventurers press on, entering the shadow wood and camping in an old magician's tower. Mob. The peasants relocate, trying their luck back on the surface. They built some simple huts in the forest and on the eastern slope of the chasm. Thirsty for revenge, they attack the cult from the chasm entrance and slay many of them. They relocate again, occupying the watermill and den entrance.

Dragon. A green dragon, Kwaub, makes its lair in the western caves. It sets a trap in the lower-east cave bordering the cultist's den. It settles down to sleep. Cult. The remaining band of Crooked One cultists attempt to steal the Everice from the peasants, but are caught and executed.
 * Year 704

Vampire. Puxilla lies in wait.

Adventurers. The Company of the Bleak Arrow adventure through the ancient magician's city, and claim a valuable treasure from the Mausoleum - the magic staffs.

Mob. The peasants have come full circle, reclaiming the den they lost to the cultists. The mob's leader, Sally Wickinstop, decides that the neighboring dragon must be dealt with. They sneak past the traps and slay the dragon while it sleeps, and claim the piles of gold. Gathering everything together, they head east in pursuit of the other adventurers.

Troglodytes. A tribe of troglodytes arrives, hoping to claim the magician's tomb. A battle is fought with Puxilla, and the troglodytes are able to overcome her traps and bat swarms. She is destroyed. The troglodytes begin extensive mining to make room for their numbers and acquired treasures. Tragically, they break into Nikeyar's Skull and are entirely consumed in radiant flames. The charred, bone-strewn, half-built tunnel may serve as a warning to future denizens.
 * Year 705.

Adventurers. The Company of the Bleak Arrow explore the magician's capitol, finding only the empty living spaces that were once Ratrum's.

Mob. The peasants relocated east into the Mausoleum. Opting not to explore the ominous, clearly cursed, tunnel downwards, they head east again until they encroach in the Bleak Arrow camp.

Vampire. Uxwella, the sister of Puxilla, arrives in the western forest. She summons a dire bat to guard her treasures.
 * Year 706.

Adventurers. The Company of the Bleak Arrow delve down into the tomb, and explore the dungeon created by Ratrum, Puxilla and the troglodytes. With the riches found there, they establish a permanent home. From around the land, people seeking protection join under the Bleak Arrow flag. An empire - and the Age of Villainy - begins. During the first years, Bleak Arrow constructs an underground castle and slums.

Mob. The peasants relocate over the bridge and into the magician's capitol. They make an assault through the Black Arrow's surface entrance and defeat the guards posted in the tomb. However, during their attempt to steal treasure reinforcements arrive and force them back with casualties.

Age of Villainy
Antlings burrow their way into the deep ground underneath the western river. They burrow east, breaking into the cavern of amethysts.
 * Year 707.

Vampire. Uxwella lies in wait.

Empire of the Bleak Arrow. Emperor Qas I accepts the surrender of Sally Wickinstop, and so the empire annexes the peasant mob. A mighty statue of Qas I is constructed, with huge eyes of solid gold. Mob. The peasants, now known as the Black Arrow Militia, are sent back west to scout for new threats.

Antlings expand their colony into the amethyst cavern. Exploring further, they discover the Grand Cavern. Vampire. Uxwella lies in wait.
 * Year 708.

Empire of the Bleak Arrow. The Great Wall is built between the slums and the Fountain of the Naiads to defend the lower levels of the empire.

Bleak Arrow Militia relocate back to their old huts on the west side of the chasm. They see ominous bat-shapes and fog in the graveyard.

Antlings breed, and explore upwards, breaking into the chamber holding the Idol of the Crooked One.
 * Year 709.

Vampire. Delighted by his new neighbours, Uxwella slips into the militia's camp one night to feed.

Empire of the Bleak Arrow. At great expense, an adventurer's guild is constructed. Many trainees are inducted. Bleak Arrow Miltia. The surviving members relocate into their old den and plan an attack on the vampire. Coming up through the caves, they fail to surprize Uxwella, who picks them off one by one in the dark. With no allies to tax, the Empire instead constructs a haunted mausoleum to honour their dead.

Lumberjacks arrive on the surface, hoping to make their fortune in the forest. To their horror, they find the vampire's lair: a family is wiped out as they retreat into the huts along the chasm. Later in the year, the bravest lumberjacks enter the graveyard with garlic and stakes, routing Uxwella underground. They return triumphant with looted gold and silver coins and chalices.
 * Year 710.

Antlings breed and explore the remainder of the great cavern.

Vampire. Uxwella remains quiet in the caves.

Empire of the Bleak Arrow. With no nearby factions, the empire focuses on building. A quarry to the east, and a farmer's ghetto in the cliffs. The ghetto was built in response to lumberjack and antling immigrants.

Lumberjacks get to work harvesting from the forest, selling the timber for coin. They take the hut further down the cliff to make room for new families.
 * Year 711.

Antlings breed and explore, breaking through into the chamber containing the Adventurer's Guild.

Vampire. Uxwella lies in wait.

Empire of the Bleak Arrow. In response to a perceived invasion, The Empire sends soldiers into the Antling's territory, killing many. A "no agression" treaty is agreed upon. Towards the end of the year, the antlings agree to become a vassal. Their queen is moved to the Great Wall as an act of submission.

Lumberjacks. Harvest the forest and use the funds to build a keep on the cliff's precipice.
 * Year 712.

Antlings breed and explore, claiming the cultist's old temple and recovering the Everice.

Vampire. Uxwella lies in wait. He senses the approaching antlings, but can neither feed on them nor find anywhere to relocate.

Empire of the Bleak Arrow. An envoy is sent across the lake to speak with the lumberjack community. An alliance is formed, and the lumberjacks agree to become a vassal state.

Thus the Age of Harmony begins.