Tag: loc-rhyl
The Weather in the Grand Duchy of Rhyl
Posted on October 17, 2025 in Steel-Realms
The Weather in the Grand Duchy of Rhyl is often cooler and wetter than the rest of the heartlands of The Noble East of the Steel Realms. The seasons in The Grand Duchy of Rhyl: summer is only about 2 and 1/2 months. Spring and winter are drawn out and fall is cold with slow winds.
The cold winds coming through North Gate Pass are fortunately broken up by the Bronze-Edge Tableland. All of the forests on the west side of the tablelands are super dense, filled with fog and very wet. The eastern forest are a little sparser and broken up by many small meadows and diverse wildlife.
Mountain Shadow in the East: The Tolkisson Mountains cast a shadow early in the day on the Eastern lands but they warm up And the Vinewood Forest there absorbs heat more and keeps the meadowlands east of it more dry. It snows regularly in the east and north areas bordering the mountains and winds move swiftly blowing mists on top of the tableland where weather systems gather and change.
The weather over North pines is different than the rest of The Weather in the Grand Duchy of Rhyl, obviously some mystical effect keeps North Pines warmer than the rest of the forest. It has less cloud cover.
Weather on the Autumn Wall: Along The Autumn Wall it is always Autumn unlike the rest of The Weather in the Grand Duchy of Rhyl. The snow doesn’t stick but it gets wet and slushy. It is never very warm but warm enough. Constant blasts of winter storms come raging through the North Gate pass, harbingers of assault by undead.
Hartwoods (Briarwood/Beast wood) of Rhyl
Posted on October 17, 2025 in Steel-Realms
The Hartwoods of Rhyl (Briarwood & Beastwoods) here follows the later Rhylian design of form over function as opposed to the majesty of the normal Steel Realms version, They are less visually impressive than their Central Heartland counterparts. These use heavy trees over briars and thorns. These are capable of forming a fire-resistant quasi-palisade wall, and being used as emergency fire materials or shelter for the winter storms and Lich Lord fangfrost blasts. Fallen trees are preserved and merged with the living to form arched halls where at least a Shrine where the Altar is located. In places near forests in Rhyl, some smaller faerie races hide in their boughs and trunks still; Each of them has an attendant of either human, elf, or half elf. Each has a faithful watcher – a natural creature that always follows them. In an emergency related to undead incursions, it follows the usual defenses for followers and non-followers alike as a refuge.
Seeking one of the Hartwoods: The common Rhylian Hartwoods can be arrived easily. They are never at the center of town, and their entrance will face away from the busiest street around them. An arched entryway, usually with wild flowers growing just inside marks it as an open invitation. If run by the Green Church, it will have a stable pathway in and out during normal times. They are a constant presence marking a deep connection to Faith in Rhyl.
- Unlike normal hartwoods that divide between the Green Church in civilized places and Druids in wild places, the Rhylian Briarwoods have both Priest and Druid.
Enemies of the Lich Lords: The Vexation of Nature is enacted vs undead in the Hartwoods of rhyl, providing refuge from any Hoarplagues sent from the cold north. The small animals and plants attack any animations on entry, en masse. To have this constantly running requires a greater amount of sacrifice. To this end, the inhabitants of Briarwoods in the north are generally poorer and live more simply (though with greater cause) than their counterparts in the central heartlands.
Refuge for some Outcastes: Half elves who don’t want to stay in Ten Stacks often find adventure or seek belonging closer to cities in the Hartwoods of Rhyl.
Briarwoods of Rhyl
To Briarwoods of Rhyl is warm and inviting, with all natural motifs and architecture that tries to complement the civilized world around it in places where it sits amidst a large settlement. In Rhyl, the hartwood traditions have less beauty, and are less inviting of the natural wonder. The provide more a sense of quiet power and a resoluteness.
- City of Correl (Rhyl)
- City of Redmark (start of ‘The Red March’)
- City of Rhylan (capital of the Grand Duchy of Rhyl)
- City of Twin Springs (Rhyl)
- Dilean “Meadowsedge” (Rhyl)
- Eagle Vale (Rhylan Grant; Rhyl)
- Enthavelaugh (Elven Weald, Rhyl – Gaur Dinae)
- Greenstone Walk (Rhylan Grant; Rhyl)
- Haivelaugh (Elven Weald, Rhyl)
- Honeybark Meadows (Rhylan Grant; Rhyl)
- Honeystone Lake (Rhyl)
- Naighvelaugh (Elven Weald; Rhyl – North Pines)
- Ostravelaugh (Elven Weald, Rhyl)
- Piestchulin’s Grove/Piestchulin Woodlands (Rhylan Grant; Rhyl)
- Rhysvelaugh (Elven Weald, Rhyl)
- Rime Basin Peaks
- Saltmarch (Salt Shore, Rhyl)
- South District of Klyben
- The Fortified city of Alstaad (North Gate Garrison)
- The Lodge of the Songbird (Heralds Hall of Rhyl)
- Thorkins Turn (Rhyl)
Beastwoods of Rhyl
The Beastwoods of Rhyl follow the general conventions of the Briarwoods of Rhyl – simpler and less formal when it exists in the midst of civilized places. Sacred to Darupet and the Numinous Spirits of the Wild, the Altars are bone and pelt. The bones and pelts serve as source material that manifests sacred creatures of normal and giant size to defend the sacred ground and followers.
- Caproot Glade
- City of Fortun (Rhyl)
- City of Redmark (start of ‘The Red March’)
- City of Rhylan (capital of the Grand Duchy of Rhyl)
- City of Sheffet (capital of Kopriane; Rhyl)
- Cunee Abbey (disrepair; Rhyl)
- Eagle Vale (Rhylan Grant; Rhyl)
- Enthavelaugh (Elven Weald, Rhyl – Gaur Dinae)
- Flat Peak Ridge (hill folk settlement of Rhyl)
- Greenstone Walk (Rhylan Grant; Rhyl)
- Haivelaugh (Elven Weald, Rhyl)
- Highspear Grove
- Honeybark Meadows (Rhylan Grant; Rhyl)
- Naighvelaugh (Elven Weald; Rhyl – North Pines)
- Oracle of Elkhome
- Ostravelaugh (Elven Weald, Rhyl)
- Piestchulin’s Grove/Piestchulin Woodlands (Rhylan Grant; Rhyl)
- Pine Sap Meadow
- Rhysvelaugh (Elven Weald, Rhyl)
- South District of Klyben
- Sunland
- The Bone Field (Klaurian Sanctuary)
- The Dew Glen
- The Fortified city of Alstaad (North Gate Garrison)
- The Lathered Reach
- The Lodge of the Songbird (Heralds Hall of Rhyl)
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The Vinewood Scar
Posted on October 17, 2025
The Vinewood scar is a deep gouge into the Vinewood Forest running east west, starting on the west side of the forest. It was made by an attempt to enact a ritual of The Shattering on the area. When that failed, the ire of the Lich Lords unleashed a Grave Quake that blighted the whole are with churned up gravesoil. It was eventually logged and all the corrupted trees burned. A few “Scar Spears” were made – the undead seemed particularly vulnerable to it. The Har Cunetha wield the remainder of these black, burned spears crafted from The Vinewood scar.
Loochrighten had been a key figure serving on the Autumn Wall – this was the Lich Lords revenge!
Current State: Nothing grows here now. Frost covers the ground by midnight, it twinkles a sickly miasma of black-green, and foul mists rise off the land. The remains of a rock ledge by a short hill can still be seen – where the elven knight Loochrighten once had his domicile and ruled much of these lands, when the Weald was most of the forest. Green mists sometimes drift off the patch – always away from the fores though.
Encounters: The small faerie folk left the Vinewood Forest mostly because of this, and avoid this area completely. Netheb the Aged came to The Vinewood scar in CY 9051 to look into the effect and see if the order could do anything – it is said he still monitors it personally.
- Green mists sometimes take skeletal form, but have never harmed anyone directly – just frightens people from the area and provides a source of many rumors and stories.
- Sometimes willow-wisp of elvish spirit that died here rises up as corrupted souls, so great was the evil intent.
- Unscrupulous have come seeking powerful evil spirits and power.
The Port City of Alacaster (Rhyl)
Posted on October 16, 2025
The City of Alacaster is the primary port city for agriculture outbound from the open The Rhylian Plane. It is a quiet port with a small artisan district, and not much traffic goes through it as not much agriculture leaves Rhyl – any excess goes to feed those fighting at North Gate Garrison.
The biggest exports are ink, pottery, and papyrus.
It has been known by many names – it is perhaps the most sacked city in Rhyl. It has gone by the names “Chandrilard”, “Scalebane”, and “Herom”. The shaman Amigen, of the fame of the Pelt of Amigen, laid siege to it – this was the first time it was sacked.
Umbakian Priority
The Umbakians have a reserved status here for any going to Clallums Cross, the High Temple of Aerna and to any of the Justicar Sacrariums in Rhyl.
Toldreth’s Harbor
This is a very modern harbor, having just had a major reconstruction of its breakwater in CY 9019. There is always one ship from the Navy of Rhyl here – its primary port is Solavia’s Landing. There is a naval barracks and dock here as backup. Some shipment for the military of Rhyl itself come into this harbor because of the naval presence allowing for more security.
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. 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.
The Rhylian Plane
Posted on October 16, 2025
The Rhylian Plane is the wide open rich agricultural land between the Great Forest of Rhyl and the Bronze-Edge Tableland. It has no full cities, and few towns. IT is mostly villages and fame steadings. It is sometimes called the the “Chairlands” as a feast reference for its agricultural nature and the proximity to the tableland. This location bears the Frost-Melded mark an ancient encounter with the Dragon of Rhyl.