The Picaroon Peninsula at a Glance
Set sail for adventure on the Picaroon Peninsula! Stretching from the isolated pirate stronghold of Deksport in the west with its three violent, feuding rulers, to the mysterious Forest of Gray Spires in the east, the Picaroon Peninsula is home to ruthless buccaneers, cannibal cults, crumbling tree-choked ruins and pirate curses.
The Picaroon Peninsula presents together for the first time the town of Deksport with the villages of Red Talon, Sea Bitch, Revenge and Black Wyvern, along with eight new coastal and wilderness adventure locations and an updated map by master cartographer Tommi Salama.
Adventurers can walk the dangerous streets of Deksport, where orcs and goblins rub shoulders with human pirates, and the threat of sudden, bloody violence is always in the air. Brave souls can take the fight to the pirates at sea, explore strange islands and hidden coves, or dive beneath the waves to plunder haunted shipwrecks. Others will venture into the woodlands to uncover the dark secrets of the pirate villages, search for ancient orcish treasure or to discover if the rumours of demon-worshipping elves in the Forest of Gray Spires are fact or fiction.
Rulers: Aune, Olmi and Nargor (the Admiral’s Council)
Government: The Admiral’s Council (council)
Population: 12,000
Alignments: CE, NE, LE, CN
Important Religions: Abarin (N greater god of industry and artifice), Serat (CN greater goddess of the sea, storms and voyages) and Temys (CN lesser goddess of thieves)
Languages: Common, Goblin, Orc
Towns: Deksport (pop. 4,628)
Villages: Black Wyvern (pop. 153), Red Talon (pop. 116), Revenge (pop. 154), Sea Bitch (pop. 89)
Resources: Lumber, fish, fur
Adventure Sites of Note: Demonsworn Temple Spire, Haunted Wrecks, Skullgate Keep, Sky Palace of the Cyclops
Bounded by the legend-wreathed, labyrinthine Forest of Gray Spire to the north east and on the other three sides by the ocean’s tumultuous waters the Picaroon Peninsula perches on the very edge of civilisation.
The titular capital of the Picaroon Peninsula—the pirate stronghold of Deksport—is a chaotic and violent place. Orcs and goblins openly walk its streets along with unsavoury humans of every type. All three races serve aboard the many dozens of pirate vessels sailing from the port. Built upon the ruins of an old logging town swept away long ago in a tide of blood and slaughter great quantities of loot, treasure and slaves flows through the dilapidated, ruined port.
Ruled by a loose coalition of three powerful, vicious and depraved co-rulers—the so-called Admiral’s Council—Deksport is a nest of suffering, self‐interest and barely restrained racial violence. Each of the co-rulers plots ceaselessly against their peers and works to become the undisputed lord of the pirates. Thus, the town and its inhabitants perpetually teeters on the brink of bloodshed and chaos.
Beyond Deksport’s walls, things are somewhat better; the land is fertile and the lowland forests stocked with game. But even here, danger seemingly lurks everywhere. Orcs and worse sometimes creep forth from the looming Forest of Gray Spires and vague rumours of cannibalism, deviant cultist activity and worse hang over several of the peninsula’s villages.
Design Creighton Broadhurst and Richard Green; Cartography Tommi Salama
Settlements on Note
Four villages and one town, along with many tiny hamlets and isolated dwellings, stand upon the Picaroon Peninsula:
Black Wyvern: The main industries in Black Wyvern are lumber and hunting. A stout, well-maintained stockade surrounds the village and its folk are vigilant against raids from the orcs and goblins lairing in the nearby woodlands.
Deksport: The capital—at least in name—of the Picaroon Peninsula, Deksport is its economic powerhouse—if such a thing exists. Much wealth flows through Deksport’s chaotic streets and for brave (or morally flexible) adventurers the town can serve as a useful base from which to launch their adventures.
Red Talon: Huddled in a sheltered cove at the base of lofty cliffs, Red Talon is inaccessible by land for all but the best climbers. The folk here are insular and vague rumours lay cannibalism and devil‐worship at their door.
Revenge: One of the largest and oldest of the peninsula’s villages, Revenge has grown from humble beginnings to straddle both banks of a wide estuary. The surrounding land is fertile, if prone to occasional flooding, and few of the folk here have ever served on a pirate ship.
Sea Bitch: Perched hard against steep cliffs and protected on the landward side by an earth ditch and berm, Sea Bitch is a windy place. A small harbour protects the village’s dozen or so fishing boats. The villagers are renowned for owning and training birds of prey, which they use to hunt the sea birds nesting in the nearby cliffs. The village is is renowned for sheltering women of all races fleeing brutish, bullying husbands.
Adventure Sites of Note
The Picaroon Peninsula has several locations of interest to adventurers:
Demonsworn Temple Spire: The last few surviving Demonsworn elves in the Forest of Gray Spires live close to the southern edge of the forest in a tree village at the base of the 250-foot-tall “Temple Spire”.
Fortress of Ogzug the Betrayer: A savage, warlike tribe led by a huge orc named Krorg the Flayer dwells in this ancient fortress. Ogzug was said to possess a magical amulet that enabled him to blast his enemies into smithereens merely by pointing at them with his six-fingered hand. The amulet was lost when Krorg died; rumours suggest it is hidden somewhere in the fortress.
Haunted Wrecks, the: Seven years ago, two notorious pirate ships—the Bone Shark and the Sea Lord’s Folly—fought a fierce battle off the southern tip of Razorbill Island. During the battle both ships along with the chest full of pearls that sparked the battle were lost.
Hemp Jig Tower: This ancient stone tower is home to the deposed hobgoblin pirate captain Dendreg Sharkstooth and his goblin minions. The goblins are well-organised, and a force to be reckoned with; getting close to the tower is difficult.
Pinnacle, the: In the forest to the northeast of the village of Revenge, stands the strange, weather-worn rock formation known as the Pinnacle. Standing over 120 feet tall, the slender limestone column is similar to the stone pillars found in the mysterious Forest of Gray Spires to the east. Many villagers believe it has been shaped deliberately by unknown hands.
Skullgate Keep: Deep in the northern forests lies a ruined orcish stronghold, built by one of the warlords who fought over the peninsula in ages past. The fortress’s original name has been lost in the mists of time, but its current occupants—orc Eye Gougers tribe—have dubbed it Skullgate Keep.
Sky Palace of the Cyclops: Located around 25 miles from the southwestern edge of the forest, this site was once of great significance to the cyclopes who dwelt in the forest in ancient times. Huge moss-covered blocks of worked stone form buildings, staircases and bridges that connect five tall freestanding stone spires into one single superstructure.
Want More?
The Picaroon Peninsula by Creighton Broadhurst and Richard Green is now available for Pathfinder 1st edition. (5e and OSR editions are now in development).
Free Download
You can download the area maps for The Picaroon Peninsula here and settlement maps here.
Design Creighton Broadhurst and Richard Green Cartography Tommi Salama