I was sick yesterday so I didn't get to participate in my own first Worldbuilding Prompt - but thankfully I'm feeling a little better today so I'm going to see if I can't touch on both the First Prompt (Horrors & Dangers) and the second prompt (Food & Water).
For at least the first few prompt replies, I'm going to focus on the area I created for my tabletop games called the Greater Rondid Area. This is a section of the kingdom of Esphar that is known primarily for its abundant mercenary companies.
Please forgive the broken-as-fuck scan. At the time I was fortunate enough to be playing with my friends at my own kitchen table, so I didn't have to worry about making things pretty so much as making them functional. So, I glued this to a bit of lined paper so I could jam it into the big-ass binder of worldbuilding content I keep.
I've also practiced map-making a lot since this was done... I made this map... god, probably almost 4 years ago now. Anyhow, getting back on point, the actual area we're focused on right now is TAK HQ - a modest fortress that houses the mercenary group known as 'The Amused Kings', colloquially known as 'TAKs'.
Standing armies in my campaign setting rarely deal with issues like monster incursions and such. They focus mainly on keeping kingdom borders secure and fighting the odd war or skirmish with other kingdoms. They very rarely bother to hunt monsters or patrol any roads that aren't vital arteries for their kingdoms. As such, mercenary companies made up of adventurers fill this void. They keep their staked area as free of monsters and bandits as they can, and provide smaller communities with a sense of security that otherwise they would lack.
In return for this service, many of the smaller mercenary companies accept donations in food, water, and other essential goods in lieu of payment when they take jobs. They know that generally if they're clearing out a bandit hideout or ridding a dungeon of some minor monster, they'll be able to keep whatever loot they find, which helps keep the company afloat and makes food and goods like salt and iron more important than coin.
For TAK specifically, the company gets a decent supply of fish from the local fishing village of Movash, and some grain from the various farms scattered throughout their area of influence. This section of Esphar is considered a borderland. Issues with monsters are relatively frequent, and banditry is not uncommon. Seasoned adventurers and mercenaries can make a fairly reliable living just dealing with the various monsters residing in and around the mountains.
Given the frequency of issues in borderlands, you'd think that there would be little need for direct competition between mercenary companies... but that would be an incorrect assumption. While fights between companies aren't common, they're also not unheard of - and one company attacking the fortress of another is something that happens now and then. The life of a mercenary is not a relaxed and carefree existence.
For this reason, when I am running D&D, my players are by default members of The Amused Kings. Low level quests provide enough adventure opportunities for them to grow their characters and get a feel for the world, and eventually, they are able to either grow TAK and take a greater leadership role, or if they choose, leave the mercenary company entirely and start out on their own.
That's all for today! Hope you've enjoyed this peak at my own worldbuilding and ttrpg game. Thanks for reading!