Tag: cult-exp
The Witch-Harriers of Montwold (Rhyl)
Posted on April 29, 2026
The Witch-Harriers of Montwold are a group of halflings trained to sense and defend against occult and mystical forces that may assail the Montwold Pass Protectorate – even what may be normally considered allies. This last part is well known, and most of the elves and humans around the protectorate try not to snoop on their neighbors as these agents will go missing (it is beleived through the actions of these ‘harriers’) and never be reported.
May the spirits of the most ancient of this world from the days before counting show the way to the path of the righteous and just and guide the hand of this servant who follows in their hoofsteps.
i20™ Member Details
Background: No Luck.
Meditation skill, Stealth, Camouflage, Druunad lang,
Must be good aligned.
1 Sorcery Point: Subtle Spell
1 Focus: Encode Thoughts & Detect Good & Evil as a ritual ONLY and it is materials only (must have Concentration and a Arcane Focus)
At 4th: Magic Initiate further training (6 months train + 5 years service or some recompense to offset)
Protection from good & evil + Guidance, Resistance cantrips + Detect Good and Evil is now a normal spell as well
iCore™ Member Details
Pages on the web site lean towards i20™ text flavor, discrepancies will be noted in the iCore™ tab.
Chronicle/Facts of the Group
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 Group
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.
Tree Vipers of the Naighvelaugh Weald (CLOSED)
Posted on April 14, 2026 in Steel-Realms
The Tree Vipers of the Naighvelaugh Weald are tree running savage elven warriors. They are camouflaged and move through trees and over rocks with ease. They quickly cover natural terrain, climb, jump, and tumble using every feature and drop silently from above – like a tree viper – to kill their enemies. When not fighting, they paint themselves with bright organic colors of blue and green. Often using make-up to make it seem as though they have enormous snake eyes and terrifying outsiders. Despite their affiliation with Epona in the Weald in general, these warriors obviously follow the Green Church, but through Ssissllenn.
The tree Vipers are given a healthy respect even by the Klaurians, though not known much beyond North Pines or The Autumn Wall. They are known in all directions as cunning and violent defenders of their homeland by those nearby.
Closed Ranks of Service: The Tree Vipers operate in service to the Naighvelaugh Weald. They do not retire outside the Weald; Their bond with the animals and trees of their Weald defines them and binds them tightly to it. They do not train their young adult life only to leave – they are committed to the community and do not reveal the secrets of their training or tactics to outsiders. The few who have managed to break their bonds of commitment are almost always hunted down, unless they merely retire quietly.
Cultural Experience
This is a Cultural Specific Background, part of the collection of Steel Realms Character Cultural Experiences.
i20™ Character Details
Tree Viper warriors of the Wyld Elves are ALL Barbarians.
Throat-Worn: Animal Handling grants the Throat viper pet – wraps around their throat for warmth; attacks anyone trying to do anything in their sleep or bites the owner to wake them up. Its presence gains the elf +1 intimidate checks.
Wrist-Worn: Or snake can wrap around wrist if the owner uses a dagger or similar shorter weapon, as a Bonus Action, the snake can bite for for d4 + poisoned 1/Short Rest; # times = Proficiency Bonus @ 3rd level and higher.
Tattoo of Ssissllenn: The elf gains Advantage on saves vs snake venom
> injects venom to grant a use of reckless rage, but dies at that point and 1 month of mourning before new one.
Camouflage (adv) DC 12 = +1 intimidate due to the disconcerting snake appearance using war paints.
Fast Movement adds 5’ only, but to jump distance as well; if a suitable platform can be used and 10’ movement it can add a d6 damage the first time only when engaging a new enemy.
iCore™ Character Details
Pages on the web site lean towards i20™ text flavor, discrepancies will be noted in the iCore™ tab.
Halfling Cultural Experience of the Montwold Protectorate
Posted on April 14, 2026
The
Halflings of the Montwold Pass Protectorate live slightly less than the normal age range, usually no more than 100 years, and never develop Delayed Decrepitude like some of their ilk.
Dog Soldier
Posted on December 8, 2025
The Dog Soldiers are the professional mercenary bands of Grollen that roam the central and north heartlands. In the last centuries, these have been put together by the Grollen community itself because as single and small groups, Grollen losses to the population have bleed their species dry over millennium. Now most who wish to “leave” or experience the larger world do so through the Dog Soldier bands – 100% Grollen operated, always with the help of elder(s) and/or shaman of Ezrilus. The larger bands are hired out for skirmishes and battles, contributing to the tribes welfare and satisfying the bloodlust of the species on outsiders. The survival rate of Grollen in such situations is much higher, and the species population decline has slowed. Dog Soldiers may leave the companies for the grater world, but because of the bonds made in them, they ALWAYS will obey the oath of loyalty and obedience to their pack/tribe as well as an order from ranking Dog Soldier company members or clergy of Exrilus.
Prohibitions:
- They will always obey the oath of loyalty to their tribe/pack.
- Cannot attack any other Grollen or the Grollen Homeland
- NEVER fight other Dog Soldiers or Clergy of Ezrilus.
- Followers of Exrilus are treated on a case by case basis; mages often follow the goddess and this has caused some known issues.
i20™ Character Details
iCore™ Character Details
Pages on the web site lean towards i20™ text flavor, discrepancies will be noted in the iCore™ tab.
COST = 5cp
- Traits: Code of Conduct: Dog Soldier (prohibit fighting others and Ezrilus clergy), Combat Discipline, Toughened (another measure if already possessed), Familiarity: Shield
- Skills: Language: Mercat 3, Melee 1, Soak 1
- Tattoo > Dog Soldier company tattoo; +5 chi pool if energy pool already possessed.
- Combat > ‘Shield Bite‘
Cultural Experience of Rhyl
Posted on July 29, 2025 in Character-Experience Steel-Realms
The Cultural Experience of Rhyl (“Rhylian” culture) has, in addition to their own tough and resilient traditions & norms, a flavoring of the Freelander Way. Refugees from the fall of Dundaria to the Lich Lords thousands of years ago changed the traditions and culture – it shares more with Kaald than it does with the rest of the Heartlands of the Noble East. Many adventurers from this area that stay in the north take the Undead Hunter Background of the Steel Realms.
- Characters from Rhyl are NOT ALL required to accept this specific Cultural Experience, but must accept all elements if they do choose it.
- Citizenship in The Grand Duchy of Rhyl requires both pledges of Rylan the Living + Oath of the Day Watch.
Story Hook ++
This presents a good opportunity for adding Character Story elements to the Character.
Rhyl is a land of passion and intensity. The Freelander Way and the High King’s law both have influence here, creating a fierce cultural and political tension. They make a culture used to war and conflict, that seizes every opportunity at stability and peace. Surrounded by threats – The valley of Sighs, the great armies of the Lich Lords, the Tolkisson Mountain Range with the Nurth under it and the politically hostile cold Hinterlands north of it, the Wyldes and freelands to the west of it, and the mysterious dense ancient forests taking up a great portion of it and hiding dangers. Here is the combined legacy of the Rhylan kingdoms, Dundarian refugees, pine tribes, giants, Klaurians, elves and men and long abandoned Ducateon enclaves that the dwarves have laid claim to.
Egalitarianism in Rhyl: The blending of so many influences has created a decent level of egalitarianism in Rhyl, maintaining the ancient Lodge Tradition in Rhyl.
Undead Hatred Due to their proximity with North Gate Garrison. Ranger, World Watchers and Scouts in the north use mostly melee weapons due to the reduced impact of archery and ranged weapons by undead, especially animations.
Unless a specific location offers alternatives, Steel Realms Characters coming of age in/from this locale will shape their perspective to the primary experience of Cultural Experience of Rhyl.
- A Cultural Experience is on top of any background, archetype, or species character elements; Normally a PC may only have a single Basic Cultural/Regional Experience at the time of Character Inception. A group of characters with the same cultural experience can come together to form a shared Cultural Bond.
Character Facets
General Background Restrictions: None (possible limitation by Social Standing/Status)
Attribute Emphasis: Fortitude over aggression.
Racial Composition: Humans (Gladnorean/common; Ilbarsi, Pinetribes), Elves (Plains/Wyld elves + one Half-Elf community; most smaller faerie races retreated to the heart of the forest), Ducateon (Tolkisson Mountain Range), Dwarves (mountains and hills in Ruhn-Aahn & Sun Stone Top); A few Giant Kin/Goliath families do exist in the northern reaches of the deep forest and the mountains opposite of it, as well as pockets of old blood descended from Giants like Stoneforge Valley. You will sometimes find Half-Ork, mostly raised under the watchful eyes of the Green Faiths. The lightly populated Halfling Montwold Pass Protectorate is technically part of the duchy, but they view themselves as members of North Pines culture.
Communication: The folk of Rhyl have a distinct ‘northern accent’ and are not known as great communicators. So much goods and people pass through the duchy to support The Red March that all Rhylians are multilingual, but they practice an economy of speaking. They prefer to say as little as possible to accomplish what they need for everyday life, but are more loquacious in their personal time with friends. Dance is popular and somewhat important in Rhyl and is often used as enhanced interpersonal communication in courting, dating, and just fun. They do have a formal Education in the Grand Duchy of Rhyl and many are literate to some degree.
i20™ Character Facet Details
- Disposition: Hearty (+1 Constitution; max. unchanged)
- Disposition: Quiet (-1 Charisma; max. 19)
- PRIMARY EDUCATION OR BASIC SOCIETAL EXPERIENCE OF: check Social standing; for the PC, if they are Average (or better), they gain a Basic Primary Education
- Lore: Grand Duchy of Rhyl +2
- Lore: Gladnor +1
- Lore: Merchant Cities of the North +1
- Feat: [Equiv.] Choose from any of the Upbringing’s
iCore™ Character Facet Details
Perspective: How they see Themselves
Cultural Analogs: None – It is a blending of surrounding cultures and a constant influx of outsiders.
COMMON NAMES: Masculine > ; Feminine>
Common Cultural Perspectives of the Character Concept
- Behaviors/Mannerisms/Traits:
- Values/Principles/Ideals:
- Motivations/Goals/Bonds:
- Faults/Weaknesses/Flaws:
Prevalent Cultural Themes of the Character Concept
Perspective: How Outsiders see Them
Notable Cultural Relations
Notable Race Relations
Perspective: How they see Outsiders
Tours of Duty in the Grand Duchy of Rhyl
- Aderod’s Shield (Hornguard outpost of Rhyl)
- Bophate’s Stretch (Hornguard outpost of Rhyl)
- Ceith East (“Blade” of Ceith Grebatain)
- Ceith North (“Blade” of Ceith Grebatain)
- Ceith South (“Blade” of Ceith Grebatain)
- Gaelen’s Mount (Hornguard outpost of Rhyl)
- Mistwhirl Tower (Hornguard outpost of Rhyl)
- North Gate Garrison Tour of Duty (Realms Levy)
- Taplight Keep (Hornguard outpost of Rhyl)
- Tower of the Dragon’s Eye (Hornguard outpost of Rhyl)
i20™ Class/Path Availability for Locale
Bard Archetype Options
iCore™ Class/Path Availability for Locale
Pages on the web site lean towards i20™ text flavor, discrepancies will be noted in the iCore™ tab.