Surefoot Shelf (ruins; halfling garrison of Altair Pass)

Posted on July 4, 2026 in Steel-Realms

On the eastern side of Altair Pass was a small garrison of Halflings called Surefoot Shelf, protecting the primary passage road as it went towards the Montwold Protectorate. The halflings decided to take a stake in making sure their own lands were protected and warned. It was a garrison of about 250 civilians and ‘soldiers’. The place was known to be shrouded in fog a lot, difficult to see much less assault. Their patrols were known to somehow use this fog as well, and it would make them difficult even for the undead to see.

The history of this place is chronicled in The History of the Grand Barony of Altair and Altair Pass.

The Fall of the Grand Barony of Altair (event)

Posted on July 4, 2026 in Steel-Realms

The Fall of the Grand Barony of Altair is part of the larger THistory of the Grand Barony of Altair and Altair Pass. In CY 6909 some great calamity befell the grand barony. Its ruler was overcome by some agent of the Lich Lords and embraced the Cold Bargain to become a ghoul. His prize was the daughter he had lusted after, but promised to a hero who had won her hand in marriage.

The Deepstone Archive of Rhylan in the north holds the original records of this battle from survivors. While most facts are held in duplicate in other libraries, there are a few facts that are ONLY held in the original recordings that are the ONLY source. These are marked with Restricted.

Since CY 6909 the castle lies in ruins, brought down by the legendary blade of Stone Cutter. The hero Rothir ‘The Bold’ of Pomata wielding it was able to tear asunder the walls of Altair and rescue his bride (of the baron of Altair’s family) from the evil clutches of Wehtsaq, then called King of Ghouls. He had turned a large portion of the populace into ghouls that were ravaging the lands in every direction.

For months the plague of undead had ravaged the barony until the castle and all of the lands under its protection had fallen. Then a retreat began, mostly spilling eastward into the Altair Pass, seeking refuge in the grand Duchy of Rhyl.

Battle of Bosin Run

Battle of Bosin Run in CY 6910, February; The Altainen Rock Elves fought and died to the last. They, as a people, came out of their high mountain weald, and choose to interpose themselves between a horde of fleeing civilians and the undead army seeking to end their lives and raise them as servants to the Lich Lords. This battle happened at a place known as Bosin Run. A creek bed dry for part of the year, but flowing from the fall and winter water build up. The bridge at Bosin Run became the choke point where a thousand faery folk met their end, in an action they knew was only a delaying action. The undead eventually killed them all, at the cost equal to their own number – an incredible kill ratio for the living.

Death of a Faerie People: As their fate of utter annihilation dawned upon them, they called upon The Rimbus spirits to not let them fall, and all died standing, swinging their weapons to the end and becoming an unmovable petrified wall the hordes broke on. All Faerie kin in the Steel Realms felt their final sacrifice. The earth spirits prevented the bodies of the elves from becoming new ‘recruits’ in the Lich Lords army, and took the fallen bodies into the bosom of the earth.

Battle at Corbean’s Crossing

Corbean’s Crossing was a dry creek bed that had once handled fast rushing run off in the spring. It was a deep cut that had been filled in for safe passage over going in both directions. Its sources had long since been diverted elsewhere and it was monitored for safety.

Halfling Slaughter: Calling upon their own strange magic, the halfling garrison from Surefoot Shelf waited on the east side of the continuing passage, shrouded in a fog that his them even from the eyes of the unliving. As the undead column moved east, the fog bank they could not see, that hid the halflings, ambushed in on its north side. They too were nearly completely destroyed – 200 of 250 died that day. A strange tribe of high mountain halflings that assisted their brethren that day as well.

Restricted There are tales of halflings in the mist, shrouded and silent. And a light that blazed in their eyes, like a beacon of otherworldly hell itself, and the unbridled anger and utter hatred they unleashed that stopped the foe and held the line. It is attributed to myth, but the real records reflect no lie of what happened that day – the evil joy the killing brought on was no literary imagining.

Restricted At the battle of Corbean’s Crossing, the Druunad revealed themselves. Historically, they are recorded as a strange tribe of high mountain halflings that assisted their brethren. In fact, they shored up the resolve and fought next to them, obfuscated among them with their mystic powers. A few oral traditions survive among older and bardic story-holders, but any definitive knowledge has faded from memory – as the Druunad keep themselves hidden away.

Battle of Lengtreth’s Stand

Here the combined forces of refugee humans and halflings fleeing the fallen Grand Barony of Altair made a stand while retreating east. A force of beleaguered knights and their retinues and volunteers Led by Sir Lengtreth (of eastern Altair) made a final stand against the pursuing undead to cover the 8000 civilian refugees fleeing east.

The main force double timed in a circle, attempting to occupy the time and senses of their pursuers. It worked and this was long enough for the Klaurians of North Pines coming from the south to smash into the flank of the Enemy with their full force after traveling 2 days without rest. Over 2,000 full blooded Ker-Sabohr joined in the slaughter without rest or a second thought.

Restricted The Ker-Sabohr gored with their antlers and stomped their Enemies into a bloody pulp in an orgy of violence. Frightening tales exist of that day, of the massive Klaurian forces laying waste to the remains of the undead army and strange creatures summoned by Whestaq, the Ghoul-King.

The Klaurian Cleansing

The Klaurian shamans stopped whatever curse had befallen the barony at this battle as well – halting is passage eastward behind the undead army it seemed to feed.

The main force of another 3000 Kalurian soldiers come out of North Pines and then sweep west across the land of the barony, killing all remaining humanoids and undead and the ghoul infection was finally ended.