So I have finished pouring over the basics of the Bitter Reach and think I have picked out the locations on the map for the major locations of the story. Oddly, the map for the bitter reach lacks location markers on the edge like the Forbidden Lands map does. So... yeah. These coordinates might be calculated by others +/-1 hex in any direction depending on how you add up the slivers of hexes along the edges.
Anyway...
Here is my list and whys.
Northfall
Ai34
I mean... this one is just spelled out on the map. Nothing to really figure out.
Tower of the Farseers
Ac47
Since the story has this place discovered and the seal broken by adventurers first I wanted it to be closeish to the major city. As the first to break it should be the easiest to access. The tower is near some mountains and up the sheer cliffs of the glacier. It's not EASY. It's just easiER.
Bleakness Keep
J37
As the resting place of Namtarel I thought it would be good to place his keep near the fist of Namtar. This elven ruin is only a couple hexes away.
Field of Swords
T21
The entry in the book says it is built into the base of a mountain. Check. It's also located not too far off from some villages that can be reached by following the rivers from Northfall. People are supposed to KNOW about the field and go there to test themselves. So it's accessible-ish. This is also built on the back of my next entry...
Hope's Last Rest
S26
This village is at near the end of the river that leads farthest into the Bitter Reach. This is it. Any venturing out from here is truly entering the wastes of the reach. I thought it was a fitting spot for a place where you have your last bastion of Hope. And just north, maybe a day or 2s travel if weather permits is the Field of Swords. The players can hear a rumor of the field in Northfall, take a boat to Hopes Last Rest and then get directions from there if need be.
Frostwind Hold
Q34
Tucked away into the mountains here seemed like a good spot for the orcs to have a permanent settlement. It's away from the other races, whom they do not trust, has the lake to help supply food with fishing.
Wyrm's Fist
-
It ends up where ever it needs to be for the story.
Palace of the Ice Giants
F48
I didn't want to place it too close to any other seals and I especially didn't want it close to where I was going to place the Palace of the Winter King. So I moved to the southern side of the map across the most inhospitable sections of the Reach. Most of their interactions should be with nomadic orcs. This location keeps them truly isolated.
Sunken City
Ah3
I looked for a place where I could argue that there would have been land before it sunk and that would have made for a good harbor before the ice came. I liked the idea of it being under the frozen/ice filled sea. The small strip of land jutting to the north is all that remains of the coast where the city once existed.
Palace of the Winter King
C11
Nestled in the cliffs more towards the northern portion of the far western mountain the palace is again very isolated. The players will have to face mountains to reach it. The king himself can leave via his dragon steed. It's far from any seal and the open plains past the mountains could make for an awesome mass battle if it comes to that.
Thoughts? Anyone figure out different spots? Whats your reasoning?