Tag: loc-dunst
Wolfwood (forest of The Saelish)
Posted on August 15, 2024 in Steel-Realms
Wolfwood is a small forest of The Saelish, in its NE area. Wolfwood butts up against the Eastbeam Hills to its south. The loose community of Skullbridge is nestled where the two meet, away from many other more civilized lands of The Saelish.
Wolfwood gets its name from the wolves that hunt in the forest and hills of the area.
The edges and heavily logged interior of this forest have grown at an accelerated rate in different areas since around CY 8500 – believed to be part of the effects of The Odyssey of Elancil’s Wound. This has caused logging and conflicts over it to accelerate as well.
Culture, Education & Traditions of the Riverdans
Posted on July 25, 2023 in Steel-Realms
The Culture, Education & Traditions of the Riverdans is mostly a mono-culture from more ancient days. The Riverland Culture is based on ancient eastern traditions and have merged some newer ones over time. The Riverdans of Dunstrand have incorporated many elements of the culture of the duchy at large.
Defining Ideal: The Riverdans has always seen themselves as a bastion of independence & freedom within The Grand Duchy of Dunstrand. They safeguard the traditions of the Fallen East, personal freedom, the nobility of service, and bloodline purity. "Where the river Nanford once flowed, so flows the blood and honor of tradition and loyalty."
Granted Rulership: The Riverdans have their own ancient laws and each ruler has, by Ducal decree from the founding days, authority in their own fief; Each small territory has its own hereditary ruling family – a fiefdom where the ruler has absolute, near autonomous control (unlike the official ‘counties’ and smaller peer titles of the Duchy). Where the hereditary families still rule, these lords are addressed as Barons by outsiders, otherwise ‘Liege-Steward’ or ‘Lord-Steward’ with a family name; All rulers are knighted by the Duke or one of his senior heralds, and as is to be addressed as ‘Sir’ or ‘Lady’ at a minimum by other peer nobles of the duchy.
Self-Sufficiency: Given the politics arrayed against them, the river land folk try and be self sufficient locally. The river-side territories on the south are mostly lush flood plain lands. The river rarely floods any more, and all settlements are built on rises above the river levels, but when it does, it deposits silt and nutrients; orchards and grasses are plentiful and there is more than enough for all. Rare raids by descendants of the Pine Tribesmen (no longer barbarians of the north, but tame hill men) still living in isolated pockets for fruit and grain do occur.
Trade and Barter: The silver crown is accepted currency everywhere, but many transactions between those who live here are on a barter system due to the monetary poverty of the fiefs. When dealing over long distances and with other fiefs and large institutions, the rulers of the western river lands look to Silver Lining Lenders; This organization is also present for all manner of individual and small business services.
Free From House Malor: The practitioners of mystical arts are EXEMPT from the famous Malorian Prohibitions the govern the use of the mystical arts within the boundaries of the Grand Duchy of Dunstrand.
Hweran Lizard Folk clan of Dunstrand
Posted on July 6, 2023 in Steel-Realms
Although the Hweran Clan of Lizard Folk Newtlings of the realms has three families or tribes of Lizardfolk in Dunstrand (population of about 1800), their most sacred spot is the Wonald Delta of Crestwold. These “Weighty Tails” range all over Dwindor along the Black Shore, but prefer the cleaner waters of the delta and moorswood. They have a mutual aid pact with the druids of the Pranin Moorswood. They raise alligators and birds, and have begun a fish farming operation in the last hundred years. They are rarely seen despite growing numbers, as they try to avoid clashes with other humanoids. They are constantly at war with their more base and violent cousins, the Troglodytes. Troglodytes breed faster, care nothing for resource management and are violent and war like. Their clashes with other humanoids often get the lizardfolk lumped in with them, and subject to the ire of others; They have mutal trade and defense with the family along the Hoolip Coast.
A lizard folk live predominantly in the delta and some of the woods and along the Hoolip Coast, even into Loamwold. There are three separate families. The one on the delta is the biggest. The one on the coast is the best developed for. They get seawater, freshwater and lots of marine life to feed on, they are the richest and they trade with halflings and sometimes smugglers and merchants. The lizardfolk extract poison from a fish and are immune to its effects which otherwise immobilize. Or they have seriously reduced effects.
Lizardfolk Crafts
Eelskin Sheath
Eelskin Sheath is made from the large freshwater black eels of the Wonald Delta. It grants minimal Resilience. It is treated with a special slime coating. When it gets wet, its flexible. When it dries out, it becomes like a form fitting sheath. It is organic, and only lasts 30 days. The coating, if sealed in a container, lasts until used. It can be used under any armor or over clothes or bare skin.
iCore™The Order of the Striking tail
The Order of Striking tail in ma is what the name translates to of the monks. There are only about a dozen of them at any given time – tribal champions. It all started when a monk from an ancient order that no longer exists. Washed up from a shipwreck. They nursed him back to health and an exchange. He taught them the secrets of vibration and the way of the quivering palm (scales). They are uniquely adapted with their sparse life and spartan needs. This monk could have been from the south. The language in words of the moves is essentially Synedcian.
Hoolip Coast and Westwoodlands (Pranin)
Posted on May 22, 2023 in Steel-Realms
The Hoolip Coast is a specific place of note within the Pranin Moorswood, named for seasonal red tides brought from the juices of the Hoolip Berry that wash out to sea from Maldoolin in Loamwold and flow along this area. It is a calm spot along the rough coast of the Pranin Moorswood leading to Sabin Bay. The infamous Greafears Maw sits just off the north side of this coast.
Mostly mangroves grow here on the waters edge and some willow trees. There is a path along the coast that leads to Sabin Bay, and from there to the safe Moorland Cut that allows boats to enter the north fork of the Murchart River where easterly winds help shallow draft boats tack up the river to Torrelsons Ford. Sometimes smugglers find refuge from bad weather in small shallows here.
The western most area is mostly free of the sharp rocks of Sabin Bay near the border with Loamwold. It is teaming with fish and birds. It was once an area known as the Loamwold Cut or “The Loam Loch” – where the Nanford River and Murchart River met and flowed west into Coldstream Inlet (now Coldstream Channel) and to the sea. The currents (and possibly the Druids of Pranin) are mostly fresh water in the area. Pieces of the Hoolip Coast are claimed by Loamwold, but they and the druids seem allied in keeping further exploitation at bay and so conflict has never developed.
Lizardfolk Settlements: A family of the Hweran Clan of Lizard folk serve as a buffer between humans, halfling, and druid interests and raise fish, muscles and urchins to trade with all three with.
Westedge Woodlands
The halflings of Loamwold fish and live along here, a few even have homes here in the Westedge Woodlands, loyal to the druids and keeping their ways and the general peace.
The Mud Riders
Rumor has it that there are human dwellers here, a people known as the “mud riders” will serve as guides through Pranin. They are wary though, and don’t trust outsiders. If they will not work with travelers if they are threatened – they will abandon them, force them back into the Deepwold, or hail a coastal merchant boat or smuggler to get to Torrelsons Ford. The druids of Pranin and the Mud Riders have a relationship – the folk are avid Wyld faith worshipers, and leave the giant constrictors of Pranin (sacred to Ssisslenn) alone.
Mud Riding: These folk get the name because they have been seen from a distance to “ride” along what appears to be clumps of mud somehow. In reality, they have a special relationship with the alligators of the coastal and moor area, using them as transport. They provide easy food (fish and lizard) and safe nests and in return, the gators guard them and move among them without issue. The folk do not fear them, though they are not pets. The folk guide the gators away from the sacred snakes as well.
Shrine of Ssisslenn: The Mud Riders maintain a Shrine that is a holy place to both Darupet and Ssisslenn.
Notable Ruins (of The Saelish)
Posted on August 30, 2022 in Steel-Realms
The Notable Ruins (of The Saelish) are all ruins of fortified keeps and castles that have been abandoned all over The Saelish. The area was whipped into a frenzy many generations ago by a multitude of known and unknown forces, with Nurth and Orrish overrunning the southern area around Birch Cut. Many of the castles/keeps were made with assistance by the Dwarves of the Enclave of Redlaen, which is why the ruins still stand.
- Minystra (“Duskhaven Castle”) – no one goes near here; haunted.
- Mcosterain Keep
- Castle Audbrey (still inhabited, but mostly in ruins)
- Mcinveress Keep
- Mccollec Castle
A dangerous place of crumbling stone. Sacked by the Umbakians, it is a symbol of the failure of the local spirit. Defeated in battle, it held for only 3 days behind its walls before the young and foolish Breyndayn Mccollec surrendered – believing his people would be spared. They were. The down was knocked down to the last pebble and caslte looted and burnt.
- Mccurhn Keep
- Raed River Keep
