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In Service of Life!
Posted on October 27, 2025 in Steel-Realms
All Must Serve – “Blood or Money”. The fight against the Lich Lords at North Gate Garrison is coordinated by the High King from the side of the heartlands, and in the north a loose confederation centered around the lands of Kaald. ALL vassals and allies of the High King are required to send “troops”, supplies, or money. Many send a combination of all. Each supplier has their own system for determining this. The entire populace takes the Oath of the Day Watch by the time they are 15 years of age (or equivalent).
Service at North Gate Garrison ends with those who served getting North Gate Service Signifiers.
Why Serve and/or Fight?
Why do people serve at North Gate Garrison? Because they muster out with money and opportunity. They are recorded in the rolls that mark where they came in on for later. With their North Gate Service Signifiers, they get transport back to or any destination of the same length within the lens of the Steel Realms that are at least not enemies. A lot of people choose The prestige of fighting in the north against the Lich Lords over being caught up in some local war and killed for nothing. Some choose it instead of prison, debt, or work farms. Boats going to the port on The Red March are filled with a few prisoners. But they won’t take murderers, or sex crimes. Typically only petty theft and minor transgressions.
You Cannot Remain
You are required to leave the north however. The north does not want a bunch of battle-scarred veterans loitering. There is a local martial order called The Home Garden Marshals that take reports of those that have left the wall and not gotten their mark and are not leaving and track them down and force them to leave.
The Home Garden of North Gate Garrison
Posted on October 27, 2025 in Steel-Realms
The Home Garden on The Autumn Wall. It is a place that has many rows of soil brought from all over the realms. To the each man may walk down a path and plunge their fingers into the soil of their Homeland. Where possible to survive in the northern climate, local Flora have been planted. Not far away sits Longhollow (the Ducal Manse).
This is on a small estate that is tended the priests of Gaia called the home garden Lodge. It contains a greenhouse as well for helping to grow replacement plants. It is one way those serving on the wall can be reminded of home. It is a large estate, about 2 hours. Walk back from the wall near the city of blank but outside every year. New soil is brought from each location, usually escorted minor noble of a family if they are serving on the wall or priest or minor noble if they are not. At the end of the each, it is a holy symbol of land that has a patron God or Spirit, though few have a universal one. A small pool in a covered area exists for people to wash their hands off with or face if they so choose to mark themselves or smell the Earth.
A Wall Behind the Wall: The site of Home Garden that faces The Autumn Wall is lined with massive fir trees that block the view of the wall. It is a stand about 100 ft thick and runs a kilometer in either direction. Completely obscuring the view of the wall as a reminder of what they are returning to fight to.
The beds of Earth are all made of stone and raised about 3 ft. The area has been attacked and assaulted multiple times when the undead have broken through. The scratches, scars and a few breaks in the walls have been repaired over time but are left visible as a reminder to what is being defended against.
Home Garden Marshals
Those who defile this place of refuge and peace for all are dealt with harshly. A local order known as The Home Garden Marshals are all local to Rhyl only. Although “All Must Serve!“, all Must leave as well. They track down deserters, AWOL troops, and veterans (the living have little cause fear in those that have faced the dead) that will not leave. They are all investigators and have the power of a deputy. They are typically led by minor nobility of Rhyl as part of their own service.
Some say the nobility uses this as a way to keep their own safe from the horrors of direct combat, but it counts ass service.
Offices of the Home Garden Marshals
The barony of Cunee has one main office, and the town of blank, as well as the town of blank on the plateau. Because it reduces instability and violence in their communities from those who have served but not gone through the deportation process and are trying to make a local home where they are not wanted.
- The marshals can sense those with unfulfilled Oath of the Day Watch.
- They are experts in assessing the validity of time in service marks for North Gate Garrison.
- The Boar’s Lodge: The office of the Marshals in any town is always the “The Boar’s Lodge”. This is for holding awol, deserters, and veterans that have been broken and and are a danger to themselves and others.
Boar Lodge Locales
Chronicle/Facts of the Locale
Knowledge is broken down by ease of discovery/availability & Meticulous Record Keeping may improve usability; Any attempt to know more than what's Pervasive will require a reference, source, knowledge, check, or access to someone who can get or provide either of these. Specific Lores may increase the chance of knowing specific elements.
Pervasive Knowledge / Very Easy Difficulty
Information Sources: Mundane Reference | Associated Phenomenology Only | Specific Lore
For those native to or long-dwelling in the region, ALL Common Knowledge may be Pervasive.
Rumors About the Locale
See the Herald's Quarterly for world updates.
Rhyl Formative Events
CY 7007 The area of North Gate Garrison freed & The Red March created; Money, supplies, armaments, and manpower flow into the north to fight the Lich Lords.
CY 6514 The Grand Duchy of Rhyl is created by the High King. In exchange for the resources and organization that can be brought to bear against the now organized undead armies, the lands become part of the High King's domain.
CY 5980 The Kingdoms of old Rhylan united settled as a single Kingdom of Rhyl to fight the Lich Lords drive south. After centuries of warfare between territories and races, the common cause of the threat to the north secures a lasting peace.
CY 5580 Fall of Dundaria in the North - Frostfang spreads, the Lich Lord power rises. Hordes of the undead, fortunately disorganized (at first), sweep south and west from the heart of old Dundaria.
CY 2330's Fall of East / Rise of the Dark Lands (Orrishai Abandoned); Refugees flee - some cross the Tolkisson Mountain Range into the 'Lands of Rhylan' that would become the Kingdoms of old Rhylan and finally.
CY 1000 (Approximately) The Dragon of Rhyl is killed and its influence ends in the area around the Great Forest of Rhyl and the surrounding territories.
Common Knowledge / Easy Difficulty
For those native to or long-dwelling in the region, ALL Common Knowledge may be Pervasive.
Dragon’s Promise (ruins)
Posted on October 25, 2025 in Steel-Realms
Dragon’s Promise is an ancient tower that appears ‘Frost-Melded‘ that overlooks the entrance to Rhyl from North Gate Pass on the south side of the gap into Rhyl. So named the promise, because of the promise to defend the lands of Rhyl from everything beyond the tower – it marks the edge of the lands of the Dragon of Rhyl‘s dominion. It is barely recognizable now, broken and covered in snow and ice. It is 15m in diameter, and stood 50m high at one point. It is made of granite with a smooth outer surface that appears unbroken. Now its top is burned and broken off, obvious signs of a siege.
It was once used by the Troglodyte servants of the Dragon of Rhyl as a watch point. It was the last hold out of the only ‘elite’ Troglodyte forces of the dragon after its death.
It sits outside the Autumn Wall. The limits and stipulations for Historical Designation and Exploration in the Steel Realms are well documented. It is NOT on any list.
The first Spark Legion assaulted Dragon’s Promise in CY 954.They were annihilated by the Dragon of Rhyl after a short siege that broke the tower. Only a dozen or so survived.
Chronicle/Facts of the Locale
Knowledge is broken down by ease of discovery/availability & Meticulous Record Keeping may improve usability; Any attempt to know more than what's Pervasive will require a reference, source, knowledge, check, or access to someone who can get or provide either of these. Specific Lores may increase the chance of knowing specific elements.
Pervasive Knowledge / Very Easy Difficulty
Information Sources: Mundane Reference | Associated Phenomenology Only | Specific Lore
For those native to or long-dwelling in the region, ALL Common Knowledge may be Pervasive.
This place is one of many that Commoners of the Steel Realms serve in as part of the Realms Levy to directly stand watch & fight in.
Rumors About the Locale
See the Herald's Quarterly for world updates.
Rhyl Formative Events
CY 7007 The area of North Gate Garrison freed & The Red March created; Money, supplies, armaments, and manpower flow into the north to fight the Lich Lords.
CY 6514 The Grand Duchy of Rhyl is created by the High King. In exchange for the resources and organization that can be brought to bear against the now organized undead armies, the lands become part of the High King's domain.
CY 5980 The Kingdoms of old Rhylan united settled as a single Kingdom of Rhyl to fight the Lich Lords drive south. After centuries of warfare between territories and races, the common cause of the threat to the north secures a lasting peace.
CY 5580 Fall of Dundaria in the North - Frostfang spreads, the Lich Lord power rises. Hordes of the undead, fortunately disorganized (at first), sweep south and west from the heart of old Dundaria.
CY 2330's Fall of East / Rise of the Dark Lands (Orrishai Abandoned); Refugees flee - some cross the Tolkisson Mountain Range into the 'Lands of Rhylan' that would become the Kingdoms of old Rhylan and finally.
CY 1000 (Approximately) The Dragon of Rhyl is killed and its influence ends in the area around the Great Forest of Rhyl and the surrounding territories.
Common Knowledge / Easy Difficulty
For those native to or long-dwelling in the region, ALL Common Knowledge may be Pervasive.
Uncommon Knowledge / Average Difficulty
Inside and under it, it is filled with water that is frozen now due to the cold winds and snows that come at the lich lords’ command. Nobody uses it. When the living occupy it, the mist and fog also blind them, even rangers and druids. It has been tried to be used as a base by the undead, but the mist and fog that surrounds it seems to blind even them. There is some ancient magic still attached to it relating the icy blast of the dragon of Rhyl’s breath. If you possess one of the ancient amethysts of Rhyl, that was originally cut for the dragon as tribute, you can enter the tower and the ice and water will drain and roll back. The tower is an adventure in itself.
North Gate Pass
Posted on October 25, 2025 in Steel-Realms
North Gate Pass is a plateau surrounded in many places by mountains. It is the northern gateway, providing access to what was once Dundaria to the north, through The Rhylian Gap into the Grand Duchy of Rhyl to the south (through North Gate Garrison[/su_permalink now) defenses of The Autumn Wall of North Gate GarrisonThe Autumn Wall, and what is now southern Kaald to the west.
Access to the destroyed Dwarven Kingdom of Donnerblock is off its southern flank.
[srlm-foot>Chronicle of the Dragon of Rhyl
Posted on October 25, 2025 in Steel-Realms
The Chronicle of the Dragon of Rhyl is the tale told of the powerful White Dragon that ruled the area of Rhyl from within the Great Forest of Rhyl before the coming of the Blood of Saemon over 9000 years ago. It is a tale of information commonly presented for those that wish to know.
Knowledge/Facts About/Chronicle of the Dragon of Rhyl
Item Powers (common and Attuned) can be found under Common Knowledge tab.
Knowledge is broken down by ease of discovery/availability & Meticulous Record Keeping may improve usability; Any attempt to know more than what's Pervasive will require a reference, source, knowledge, check, or access to someone who can get or provide either of these. Specific Lores may increase the chance of knowing specific elements.
Pervasive Knowledge / Very Easy Difficulty
Information Sources: Mundane Reference | Associated Phenomenology Only | Specific Lore
For those native to or long-dwelling in the region, ALL Common Knowledge may be Pervasive.
All places of Rhyl covered in the effect known as Frost-Melded are the result of the dragon’s fearsome Frost breath weapon.
The dragon had its own cult, with priest followers among the lizard folk in the forest and the Troglodytes or the marshes and caves in the low mountain hills to the north and east. Even the Smallfolk of the faerie paid homage to it in the north.
Rumors About the Locale
See the Herald's Quarterly for world updates.
Rhyl Formative Events
CY 7007 The area of North Gate Garrison freed & The Red March created; Money, supplies, armaments, and manpower flow into the north to fight the Lich Lords.
CY 6514 The Grand Duchy of Rhyl is created by the High King. In exchange for the resources and organization that can be brought to bear against the now organized undead armies, the lands become part of the High King's domain.
CY 5980 The Kingdoms of old Rhylan united settled as a single Kingdom of Rhyl to fight the Lich Lords drive south. After centuries of warfare between territories and races, the common cause of the threat to the north secures a lasting peace.
CY 5580 Fall of Dundaria in the North - Frostfang spreads, the Lich Lord power rises. Hordes of the undead, fortunately disorganized (at first), sweep south and west from the heart of old Dundaria.
CY 2330's Fall of East / Rise of the Dark Lands (Orrishai Abandoned); Refugees flee - some cross the Tolkisson Mountain Range into the 'Lands of Rhylan' that would become the Kingdoms of old Rhylan and finally.
CY 1000 (Approximately) The Dragon of Rhyl is killed and its influence ends in the area around the Great Forest of Rhyl and the surrounding territories.
Common Knowledge / Easy Difficulty
For those native to or long-dwelling in the region, ALL Common Knowledge may be Pervasive.
It was, by record, killed, And unlike all other dragon dreams, it never haunted the dreams of its killers – leading scholars to believe it’s physical form was actually slain. It was confirmed to have manifested as a female at the time of her death.
Though its name is rarely spoken now, thousands of years after its demise, it was once known far and wide by the name it ruled under – Ssiluzra the White. That it was ancient? There is no doubt. It must have been there for a dozen millennium before it was encountered by the Blood of Saemon.
Her nest in the Great Forest of Rhyl was named Rhylan, and the area took its name from it.
Early Rhyl Settlements: For a thousand years, settlers slowly trickled in, most choosing to acknowledge the dragon’s control and pay tribute to it. It. Occasionally they would be reminded who had the real power. Few foolhardy souls would go against it and would be made an example of. It accepted powerful items from the Noble East lands of Dominion that would eventually fall. Tribute in the form of antiques, ancient coins, ancient tomes, and mystical accouterments. Sometimes it would trade safety for the tribute of knowledge, even exchanging some of its own knowledge to powerful wizards, sorcerers and priests & druids who sought to understand the fantastic power that dwelled in the forest of Rhyl or the heartlands. Little is known of these bargains, only that they happened. And those who had sought audience with the dragon and survived would simply say that knowledge was traded or powerful items were gifted in tribute for an exchange of knowledge and safety for the region. For then, the area was wild and vastly unsettled.
Uncommon Knowledge / Average Difficulty
The lizard folk (initially spawned from dragons on the planet long ago) once settled all around lake Vhym in the north in tens of thousands. They were in swamps and rivers and lakes all through the Rhyl forest in even greater numbers – a hundred thousand under the dragon’s protection. They were driven to extinction in the conquest of Rhyl by the Blood of Saemon from around CY 700-1000. The conquest was gruesome, the last of them hunted or driven out after the dragon’s death.
What made the dragon fiefdom of Rhyl so powerful? There were once 5 dragons of Rhyl (according to the best records that could be pieced together) – they were aggressive and conquered the large territory over ten thousand years – killing and/or culling all other competitors but the dreams all dying in the process. By the time the Blood of Saemon came around CY 300, there was only the awakened, live dragon named Ssiluzra. There was never another dragon on Helca with such a large territory ever recorded.
The Heart of Rhyl Discovery: Slowly, and then with a sustained effort over hundreds of years, hints turned into discovery of a massive natural Anima fount in the Great Forest of Rhyl. A key to the dragon’s power and an explanation of the verdant and bountiful land that was Rhyl.
Killing the Dragon The expansion of the Blood of Saemon was unkind as they sought to settle and spread by force of arms. When the final movement to wage war came, the fighting was fierce and no quarter was given from either side. The powerful magics wielded by elves and humans seeking to remove the chaos and violence that a dragon were of an origin that seemed the dragon was more vulnerable to. It was cornered in its nest and slain in CY 1002. It is thought that little remains of a record of this endeavor because of its savagery and brutality and the devastation wrought that took thousands of years to recover from before living creatures would return to the area. Many powerful priests and wizards died.
Scarce Knowledge / Hard Difficulty
Though it is not well known and mostly forgotten, the Mushrooms of Rhyl in the Great Forest of Rhyl have a higher tendency to grow in the areas once Frost Melded; The Wylden of Rhyl somehow influences the areas of the Dragon of Rhyl’s breath was used – sites for hunting or fighting.
Uniquely, it never slept, always on the prowl. It was possessed of a fearsome breath weapon like never seen before or since; It never manifested like other dragons’ and had its own properties. It’s physical form shook the great forest of Rhyl with its anger of being disturbed with tribute. It seemed to seek dominion over the entire area, like that of some ego-driven young dragon or dragon-dream rather than one ready to evolve and move on in their cycle.
The northern hemisphere once held many sleeping dragons, and their dreams predated the lands around them – sometimes savaging neighbors and demanding tribute. Like all dreams, their experiences become those of their source – all that they learned, so did it. These dreams seemed real and solid to all others upon the world, so powerful were they. By the time of the arrival of the Blood of Saemon, there were several dragon territories that had clashed with each others, the southern humans led by the Celestine, elves & faeries and beasts of the Steel Realms. The territory of Rhyl was one of the largest dragon fiefdoms.
Rare Knowledge / Very Hard Difficulty
The death of this dragon marked the official end of Draconis Omphalos and the beginning of Helca – Draconic Exodus.