Posted on November 5, 2024 in Steel-Realms
The town of La Celle-Saint-Cloud stands as the primary entrance to the territory of Falcon Reach. A spur road that goes around the branch of the Falcon River that separates Falcon Reach runs through the city. There is always light traffic on it.
An obelisk standing stone is a trail marker that marks a spur that clearly leads to a city in the distance. A city that sits on a slight rise. Further north at rise becomes a slope that rises a good kilometer or more through hilly terrain to a plateau far in the distance. There are multiple settlements with their trail markers of white limestone clean and gleaming in the late morning sun. The vast majority of the trade coming in and out seems to favor the river here and take a spur to the main road to the east. There is a way station marking the place as Gold Robe Crossing in multiple written languages.
Posted on November 5, 2024 in Steel-Realms
Climante Keep is the keep at the base of the Tolkisson Mountain Range that guards the path to the Black Hillz. It is the supply hub for the two towers of U’runde and U’dethe.
The forces of the High King’s army man this post.
Information Sources: Mundane Reference | Associated Phenomenology Only | Specific Lore
This place is famous all across the realms for centuries of unending vigilance and militarism in fighting the Orrish forces of Tallow’s Deep.
Heartlands Spark > Set in Grand Duchy of Dunstrand of the [Fantasy] Steel Realms, as a Living World storyline.
CY 91689 A massive battle took place here, drawing in forces from as far away as the Barony of Matchalk. The tower of U’dethe was set ablaze with a sickly bruised flame, corrupting the forms of the defenders. The Orrish spilled out of the Black Hillz and fought the forces of the High King’s army from the garrison at Climante Keep to a standstill. The Curtain of Night swept forward, along a several kilometer front, pouring black waters down and flooding swathes of the Tallowed Uplands in the Black Hillz and driving the forces of light back – a new foothold was achieved! It has isolated the tower of U’runde, now under constant siege and supplied through the mystical arts of the druids of the Wyld and Lightbringer clergy.
Posted on November 5, 2024 in Steel-Realms
One of the two “towers” in the Black Hillz that defend against the incursions of Tallow’s Deep. They sit within beacon sight to each other. U’dethe is the one that guards the jagged road to the base of the mountains 800 feet below. U’runde is the forward tower, on constant heightened vigilance with ranging patrols. They are both supplied by Climante Keep at the base of the Tolkisson Mountains. ‘Tower’ is a misnomer – these are walled keeps that are provisioned for prolonged sieges, though each has a centerpiece massive high tower with a beacon that can be seen from civilized lands 50km away. They are strictly military in operation, and have few civilian logistics staff or processes. Both have their own reinforced and well defended underground cisterns, and the presence of the Curtain of Night requires they be built to withstand flooding from the deluge of rain that often accompanies it. Troops are rotated between the two towers constantly, for the heightened readiness of U’runde takes a toll.
U’runde – the Tower of the Brach – is the first line of defense in the Black Hillz. Their daily job is to conduct long and short range patrols for Orrish presence, and test waterways, known caverns, and avenues of attack from Tallow’s Deep. At night, the Light of U’runde shines directly on the split entrance to the path to Tallows Deep like a searchlight.
Information Sources: Mundane Reference | Associated Phenomenology Only | Specific Lore
This place is famous all across the realms for centuries of unending vigilance and militarism in fighting the Orrish forces of Tallow’s Deep.
Heartlands Spark > Set in Grand Duchy of Dunstrand of the [Fantasy] Steel Realms, as a Living World storyline.
CY 91689 A massive battle took place here, drawing in forces from as far away as the Barony of Matchalk. The tower of U’dethe was set ablaze with a sickly bruised flame, corrupting the forms of the defenders. The Orrish spilled out of the Black Hillz and fought the forces of the High King’s army from the garrison at Climante Keep to a standstill. The Curtain of Night swept forward, along a several kilometer front, pouring black waters down and flooding swathes of the Tallowed Uplands in the Black Hillz and driving the forces of light back – a new foothold was achieved! It has isolated the tower of U’runde, now under constant siege and supplied through the mystical arts of the druids of the Wyld and Lightbringer clergy.
Posted on November 5, 2024 in Steel-Realms
One of the two “towers” in the Black Hillz that defend against the incursions of Tallow’s Deep. They sit within beacon sight to each other. U’dethe is the one that guards the jagged road to the base of the mountains 800 feet below. U’runde is the forward tower, on constant heightened vigilance with ranging patrols. They are both supplied by Climante Keep at the base of the Tolkisson Mountains. ‘Tower’ is a misnomer – these are walled keeps that are provisioned for prolonged sieges, though each has a centerpiece massive high tower with a beacon that can be seen from civilized lands 50km away. They are strictly military in operation, and have few civilian logistics staff or processes. Both have their own reinforced and well defended underground cisterns, and the presence of the Curtain of Night requires they be built to withstand flooding from the deluge of rain that often accompanies it. Troops are rotated between the two towers constantly, for the heightened readiness of U’runde takes a toll.
U’dethe – the Tower of the Root – guards the pathway out of the Black Hillz down to the civilized lands below. Their daily job is to ensure no ambushes can be prepared, and to keep the pathways of the movement of troops and supplies open to Climante Keep at the base of the road. .
Information Sources: Mundane Reference | Associated Phenomenology Only | Specific Lore
This place is famous all across the realms for centuries of unending vigilance and militarism in fighting the Orrish forces of Tallow’s Deep.
Heartlands Spark > Set in Grand Duchy of Dunstrand of the [Fantasy] Steel Realms, as a Living World storyline.
CY 91689 A massive battle took place here, drawing in forces from as far away as the Barony of Matchalk. The tower of U’dethe was set ablaze with a sickly bruised flame, corrupting the forms of the defenders. The Orrish spilled out of the Black Hillz and fought the forces of the High King’s army from the garrison at Climante Keep to a standstill. The Curtain of Night swept forward, along a several kilometer front, pouring black waters down and flooding swathes of the Tallowed Uplands in the Black Hillz and driving the forces of light back – a new foothold was achieved! It has isolated the tower of U’runde, now under constant siege and supplied through the mystical arts of the druids of the Wyld and Lightbringer clergy.
Posted on November 5, 2024 in Steel-Realms
The Black Hillz are the lands where the Curtain of Night constantly moves back and forth (hence the term ‘black hills’ for the moving evil shadow) depending on the fortunes of the Orrish in their fortress of Tallow’s Deep. The High King’s rangers have a constant presence here, as do the twin towers (a misnomer really, they are each a full walled keep) that sit at the end of the valley about 800 feet high that drops out into the bordering civilized lands. The first settlement is about 20 miles away, along wetlands with game in abundance, fed by a mostly underground river coming out of the Tolkisson Mountain Range.
The Black Hillz lands closes to the Orrish (often called the “Tallowed Uplands”) themselves are barren and inhospitable. Countless thousands have died here over millennium. The Curtain of Night has shadowed the area too often, and nothing grows any more. There is no cover, and massive forces have trampled anything that might have once lived here. The ridge/valley has been left strewn with boulders rolled onto it for cover by both sides.
Information Sources: Mundane Reference | Associated Phenomenology Only | Specific Lore
This place is famous all across the realms for centuries of unending vigilance and militarism in fighting the Orrish forces of Tallow’s Deep.
Heartlands Spark > Set in Grand Duchy of Dunstrand of the [Fantasy] Steel Realms, as a Living World storyline.
CY 91689 A massive battle took place here, drawing in forces from as far away as the Barony of Matchalk. The tower of U’dethe was set ablaze with a sickly bruised flame, corrupting the forms of the defenders. The Orrish spilled out of the Black Hillz and fought the forces of the High King’s army from the garrison at Climante Keep to a standstill. The Curtain of Night swept forward, along a several kilometer front, pouring black waters down and flooding swathes of the Tallowed Uplands in the Black Hillz and driving the forces of light back – a new foothold was achieved! It has isolated the tower of U’runde, now under constant siege and supplied through the mystical arts of the druids of the Wyld and Lightbringer clergy.