PLAYER PAGE – Athla Hill Country/Grim Downs

Steel Realms

Warning: This contains some metagame information. No major plot points or secrets are revealed, but it may reveal the nature of the foes you may face. It is a summary of information the characters will uncover as they go, and may be used as a “Session Zero” introduction to the locale and plot.

Overview of the Athla Hill Country

World Location: Duchy of Dunstrand, Riverdans, [dan of] Bondeu
Total Population: 1,650 approx. Only about 400 total since the Grimdowns effect the last 50 years.

No one goes into the Athla Hill Country much any more. For the last couple generations (about 50 years), it’s slowly been claimed by strange occurrences, all beginning with the dead walking. Monsters, fogs, terrifying sounds, and dire portents have ensured the population dwindled and its relevance has been negligible for a decade, though the area affected has not grown for a dozen or more years either. Now it is referred to as The Grimdowns. Only Athlapoole is left, most of the rest of the population is gone.

Athlapoole – Hub of the Athla Hill Country

Population: 480 approx. Only about 200 since the Grimdowns effect for the last 50 years.

The Athla Hill Country has no “capital” per se, but all trade flows down to Athlapoole. It is a small town at the confluence of the Ruada Spur and Athla rivers, just south of where the spur joins the Athla, which is spanned by the Rudrae Bridge. There was a modest sized pool formed by the currents, which was expanded somewhat by the residents (before the Nanford changed course) to create a small harbor with a couple docks for trade traffic to send to the Nanford. Now it is only for the river tributaries. Boats are available for rent – but expensive in case they are not brought back. There are three roads that converge in an open market area (now virtually unused) on the west side of town. The river road over the bridge enters through an open gate in a basic wooden palisade. The small town can hold a population of about 500.

Athlapoole (Player Map)

Athlapoole (Player Map)