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The Dead Hand (syndicate of Rhyl)
Posted on October 15, 2025 in Steel-Realms
The Dead Hand is the only syndicate of Criminal Presence in Rhyl. Most think of them as nothing more than a smuggler gang, and they prefer it and foster that. They mostly operate on the edge of Lake Caolite in the city of Solavia’s Landing; Their mark/symbol is a reference to their prominence on the lake’s edge in Rhyl (also called the “Emeraldheart”).
Symbol: A black hand grasping a green heart
Reputation: The name seems to stem from their reputation for ‘dead man switches’ – traps left on dead bodies to foil pursuers. They also have a proclivity for rather nasty and creative unmanned traps. The syndicate is known for hiring out to send “messages” and they use traps rather than live assassins. They avoid noble targets and focus on groups & institutions, and business espionage.
They stay away from anything military or that would draw the ire of any authorities – their operation is low key and minor… though more prolific than most realize.
The Culture Within: There are two cultures within the enterprise – the petty smuggler one and a higher order of “The Syndicate”. The first is somewhat simple and petty, dealing with ports and smuggler routes and processes. The later is organized and focused and deals in more high end goods – even interfacing with other criminal enterprises to ensure no one draws the ire of the authorities.
The “Dead Mans Hand”: Rumors and whispers abound about providing materials to House Narcosa on the Salt Shore – bodies (and/or parts) for their necromantic experiments.
Locations
- City of Correl (Capital of Meargensdale; Rhyl)
- City of Rhylan (capital of the Grand Duchy of Rhyl)
- City of Saltmarch (Salt Shore, Rhyl)
- Flat Peak Ridge (hill folk settlement of Rhyl)
- Klyben (primary trade city of Rhyl)
- Solavia’s Landing (Rhyl)
- The Salt Shore (Rhyl)
Ultra-Low Profile: Though they have a presence in Meargensdale Vale, they keep a low profile to not be in open conflict with local trade or criminal interests or those of the Northern Merchant Cities.
Prohibited: They are NEVER along the Red March – any who violate this are killed.
- Past Problems: The group in North Gate Garrison has been wiped out a few times in the past – violating the restriction of dealing with military grade supplies.
Candy Cap Mushroom Harvest (Rhyl)
Posted on October 15, 2025 in Steel-Realms
The Candy Cap Mushroom Harvest by the Greykin Hill People. It is brought to Nupath in Rhyl to sell. It is collaborative, and the harvest distributed so that no family gets much more than another.
These folk have seemed to tap into the quality of Wylden for their own benefit. They do not overly exploit it, producing the nearly the same amount every year, despite population and demand changes.
The Candy Cap Mushroom Trade Pipeline: The Greykin Hill People have cultivated the Candy Cap Mushrooms of Rhyl. It is a sweet mushroom that only grows in their areas with their techniques, and it makes the meat of the huge cave millipedes sweet from consuming it.
Effect(s) of Candy Cap Mushrooms:
- Candy Cap are sold in Nupath. It is considered a delicacy, though it is common for the locals. Individually it seems to have a flush effect, causing something akin to a long, slow release of serotonin.
- The Greykin Hill People trade some of the Candy Cap Mushroom Harvest to the The Kemethian Fisherfolk for Kemethian millipedes, and they in turn prepare and sell it to others from Kemethian Station in the Barony of Kopriane and the whole County of Dunaine as a well known delicacy.
- Very little of the “pure product” gets out. Even more rare is the trade in the mushroom themselves – 100 grams goes for 100sc.
i20™ Item Details
iCore™ Item Details
Pages on the web site lean towards i20™ text flavor, discrepancies will be noted in the iCore™ tab.
Nupath (Greykin settlement; Rhyl)
Posted on October 15, 2025 in Steel-Realms
Nupath is the only Greykin Hill People formal settlement within the Grand Duchy of Rhyl. They exist in caves in the area, a tradition of their Nurth origins, but congregate and sell their wares in the village of Nupath. Everything about the place seems organized and well maintained, though simple. Although on the outside, and fairly recent, they do partake quietly in the culture of Rhyl and this is patriotism is reflected in the settlement.
Rulership: Hetman (elder)
Population: (Greykin) 400 permanent, 200 transient.
> 2000 live in familial units in caves in the surrounding areas.
Nupath has a place where outsiders are welcome to stay, but few do. Despite the lack of visitors, those who do speak of nothing but overwhelming generosity and quality (though simple) of the place and fare. There is no jail or watch normally. There are volunteers who watch outsiders and will keep the peace, but the folk here tend to be very mild, easy going, and play many small board and card games. The locales make delicious mushroom (cave mana) bread with garlic and butter.
- Stable with mules
- Chickens, goats, and pigs being raised on a couple small ranches right off town.
- A tavern that only has homemade ciders and ales
- A large boarding house that rents rooms, 1, 2, and 5-6 per room.
- There is a large area for a festival and celebration a couple times per year with places for tents, livestock, contests and bleachers.
Wild Grain Valley
The far end of the Valley there have been planted hearty, cold climate apples and plum.
Cavern Homes
All the cavern homes are about a quarter mile from the village off a massive ravine. A few other caves are off smaller cuts, and one (the original) under a outcrop, with its own water source in it and the primary cave mana farm.
Goats and sheep are raised in these areas too.
Moon Falls
The Moon Falls is a small waterway flowing out of the hills. It has a small flow rate, but its a cut channel and drop make it a natural point of marvel. By the time the water hits the pond 60′ below, its mostly mist. On nights where the moonlight hits it, it attracts several visitors to appreciate its wonder.
Moon Cave of Ezrilus
High up, just by the mouth of the falls, there is a cave that is fully illuminated on nights where the moon of Connace has full ascendancy. It is also a church of Ezrilus. It is not a gathering place except for certain days of festival. The follower of the goddess number about a dozen, but spend most of their time among the populace, assisting with gardens, sickness, and every day life.
Encounters & Dangers in the Area
See Encounters in the Grand Duchy of Rhyl for common potential scenarios of notable events and creatures.
- Normal Settlement Encounters > Patrols | Recruiting | Sellers | Begging | Crime
Places & Things of Interest
- Candy Cap Mushroom Harvest (Rhyl)
- Quorthal Mineral Springs (Nupath settlement)
- Yillak Ravine (Nupath settlement)
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.
CY 7018 A band of nurth and half-breed Orrish leave the Dark Lands, led by Mia, a cleric of Ezrilus and her adventuring band. Like the Grollen, they leave their dark evil ways behind (guided by Ezrilus) and find refuge in a mountain valley with enough area for a few crops and good water to supplement their dark land cave mana crop.
Rhyl General Events
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 The Grand Duchy of Rhyl.
CY 5580 Fall of Dundaria in the North – Frostfang spreads, the Lich Lord power rises. Horses of the undead, fortunately disorganized (at first), sweep south and west from the heart of old Dundaria.
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 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 7007 The area of North Gate Garrison freed & The Red March created; Money, supplies, and manpower flow into the north to fight the Lich Lords.
Common Knowledge / Easy Difficulty
For those native to or long-dwelling in the region, ALL Common Knowledge may be Pervasive.
Over time, the goddess directed her followers to bring a few similar minded refugees, cleansed their dark taint, and settled them.
Uncommon Knowledge / Average Difficulty
Over time, by CY 8000 approximately, the followers of the goddess simply left them to fate, and stopped protecting them directly. By then they were a known and tolerated fixture of the area. Human outcasts and refuge seekers had begun to settle with them, providing new bloodlines.
Scarce Knowledge / Hard Difficulty
Nupath gots its name from the clan folk’s optimism, originally “new path”.
Rare Knowledge / Very Hard Difficulty
Mia and her adventuring band were attempting the Heroes Ride and were trapped by Orrish forces. They had sought refuge in a set of ruins against the far side of the Tolkisson Mountain Range. It was smaller ruins, not occupied by goblins or orks. The tribe of outcasts was bordering on starving to death and was caught trying to steal their supplies. Instead of slaughtering them, she made a deal with them to have them guide them through the mountains and in exchange she would find a place for their clan of 100 to settle. They skirted the edge of the Valley of Sighs, taking a chance, and managed to get out with the dark dwellers guiding them.
Wylden
Posted on October 15, 2025 in Steel-Realms
One of the greatest experiences of Rhyl is what Rhylians call the quality of “Wylden“. It is a natural strength of wilderness and wild species that live there. Faeries still exist in the deep forest, the land is bountiful – excessively so, strange mists and fogs drift in places, bizarre creatures appear in the deep woods, there are multiple elven Wealds, a plurality of species makes it a home and coexists (though no single society is particularly ‘tolerant’). Some have even likened The Red March to an ongoing blood sacrifice that stimulates the land. Although the High Temple of Aerna and many Justicars are found here, it is predominantly Green Church and friendly to the Wyld Faith. There are many lines of The Laey in the North, contributing to this impact.
The power of Grave Beckoning is tied to being bound to the Wylden in the north of Kaald and Rhyl.
Certain crops cannot be domesticated here, and many things found in the wild refuse to thrive under domesticated or wither in the face of organized harvesting – especially the Mushrooms of Rhyl.
The Har’ahdu Cunaigh – Aelfpath of Helca twines through the Great Forest of Rhyl.
Places & Things of Interest
Tar-Utsuo (hidden lake; Rhyl)
Posted on October 14, 2025 in Steel-Realms
] Tar-Utsuo (“The Darkened Eye”) is the massive underground lake in west side of the Ghouls Teeth Peaks and home to the Whip-Tail Troglodytes that once served the White Dragon Ssiluzra of the D’qua maJheen Draconic Clan. They retreated from the lakes and marshes and were hunted to extinction after the dragons of Rhyl were gone. The last tribe went underground to this massive cavern and lake.
Rulership/Governance: {Integrity ?} None recorded
- Recognized Administrative Center/Seat of Power: None – all above ground structures were razed.
Population: Unknown – There may be a few remote dwarven or human outsider steadings.
> Note: There is no official census provided.
The lake is one source for water of the Gaur Dinuae Forest and ___ River. There is a massive underground lake and tunnel system as part of the cavern that is 120m tall and 600m long, about 150m at its widest point and the western end is nearly 120m deep as well. Slime tubes come in carrying debris and fresh water from outside runoff bring nutrients. The water is cold and clear mostly except at the SW area where water pours in and silt/debris settle.
Alliance with the Elves of Gaur Dinuae
Battle with Lich Lords Forces
The troglodytes have their own scouts and means to provide warning of an effective ambush on Lich Lords forces. The troglodytes see them as a constant source of food. One underground, any animation is no match for the troglodytes. The tribe is called “Lagozed” and numbers about 1200.
Encounters & Dangers in the Area
See Encounters in the Grand Duchy of Rhyl for common potential scenarios of notable events and creatures.
- Normal Settlement Encounters > Patrols | Recruiting | Sellers | Begging | Crime
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.
Rhyl General Events
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 The Grand Duchy of Rhyl.
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 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 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 7007 The area of North Gate Garrison freed & The Red March created; Money, supplies, and manpower flow into the north to fight the Lich Lords.
Common Knowledge / Easy Difficulty
For those native to or long-dwelling in the region, ALL Common Knowledge may be Pervasive.