Tag: loc-rhyl
Har Cunetha (elven rangers)
Posted on July 28, 2025 in Steel-Realms
The Har Cunetha (har-coon-ath-a) are the warband of elven rangers that operate outside and inside the Haivelaugh Weald. It consists of about 100 elite warriors that are expert marksmen, tough soldiers, and skilled riders. They are all taught to be self sufficient if need be, mobile, and to strike and fade as a primary tactic. The Har Cunetha and their mounts feed extensively on the mystic honey and mead of Honeystone Lake – both them and their horses have a distinct yellow eye color from it that almost seems like it is glowing. Sometimes one or more of the World Watchers travels with them.
Force Majeure: The elves of the Haivelaugh Weald are the most active and dynamic in The Grand Duchy of Rhyl, and have paid the price for it. They are still aggressive and prideful, but more cautious about committing their support without ensuring their own safety – necessitating the powerful and mobile Har Cunetha and the Heralds of the Har Cunetha.
One of the set of Kinsaerel’s Weave for detecting Hags is in Ducal Estate of Summerblaze and one is carried by the leader of the Har Cunetha.
One-with-their-Mount: The Har Cunetha do not use saddles or stirrups. The magical long manes of their horses rise to the touch of their bound companion – securing them tightly, and actively preventing them from being dismounted. The horses have a “work harness” that carry a small sack, bedroll (though the mount and rider often lay together for warmth), and weapons. The 1m long tail hair helps to secure their gear and assist in readying it for instant use. The horses come from a herd that was once bred in Elik-Sa from the halfling war pony stock there.
Hard Reputation: If they want to find you anywhere in Rhyl, they will. Even mounted, they CAN be completely silent, but they mostly announce themselves to ensure proper regard is given to them. If they attack, it will be with every ounce of mystical and mundane measures at their disposal, holding nothing back. Their name is even avoided superstitiously by those outside the Weald. They are lustful drinkers and dancers, and loyal to their Weald, their mounts, their companions, the elves of Rhyl and those that fight for the living of Rhyl against the undead. Everything else is a distant priority.
Dreamscaped: The riders are all saturated with Kythia’s Soulbreath.
Alert in Service: Riders of the Har Cunetha take the Mare’s Milk & Honeystone Pollen on the road to keep exhaustion and sleep at bay. It gives them Advantage on checks to wake up from sleep and resist sleep (fully countering the Kythia’s Soulbreath) & can dispel exhaustion for Long Rest but it catches up (to the point if death – mission most important though) – milk skins they carry in horse leather cured with bees wax and pine tree resin. Its a heady smell, only faerie can tolerate without gagging.
Agents Afar: The Heralds of the Har Cunetha have the ability to send messages to the Har Cunetha upon the wind, that will find them wherever they are and carry a message back.
Chronicle 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
They use horses as mounts when outside the woods themselves. Sometimes they use Tell Cunetha as a base of operations.
When dealing with outsiders in a ceremonial or non-warfare scenario, the Har Cunetha wear their best leathers and weapons made from the materials at Honeystone Lake, giving off a sweet scent to those nearby.
Scar Spears: The Har Cunetha wield the remainder of these black, burned spears crafted from The Vinewood scar. They are particularly egregious to undead controlled by the Lich Lords, possessing some link to them that make them vulnerable; And they are sinister in appearance, adding to their reputation.
Common Knowledge / Easy Difficulty
When ranging far outside their Weald, these soldiers take the Sweet Feed of the Hythleit Grassland the Weald is known for to satisfy their faerie metabolism and enhance their health. Their impression on the senses is sometimes taken advantage of by the riders for amorous reasons. Many of the half elves of Ten Stacks are a direct result.
Uncommon Knowledge / Average Difficulty
At least half their number are senior members – adding powerful priests, magi and the like to their number. This force does not merely have a presence of function, but they are there to intimidate and keep those nearth the woodlands of their realm in check. When assembled in full and thundering over the lands on a mission, those that see them have a habit of hiding, even if they know they are not being looked for.
Deep in all Elven Wealds of Rhyl, the locations of Tell Cunetha & Houska Castle, and the Three Blades of Ceith Grebatain have a Call Stone as well for the Har Cunetha.
Scarce Knowledge / Hard Difficulty
In CY 9046, the Stonebreaker Company answered the call of the The Hornguard of Rhyl and the Har Cunetha of Vinewood Forest to lead a counter attack against the forces of Lord Heatherguard and collapsed the famous Heatherbrook Pass (from the Heather Reach in Fallen Dundaria). Their largest wielded massive hammers that got to work on cliffsides and collapse them on unwary Lich Lord troops.
Laey Network for Defense: The elite Har Cunetha make extensive use of the Laey Lines and network that ultimately connect them to the heart of the forest of Ryhl. Tell Cunetha – where the riders meet sometimes – has a branch laey line as well that connects it directly to the heart of the Haivelaugh Weald. The Three Blades of Ceith Grebatain that guard the east of the elves are also connected with laey power. The Laey network channels power to the riders and their mounts to be able to outmaneuver, track, harry, and take down powerful creatures in the Vinewood area and beyond its borders because of it.
Rare Knowledge / Very Hard Difficulty
The Foothound Origins: The head dog from the breeding program of Blacknail the Hag gets sold in CY 8949 and eventually a descendant gets to be part of the Har Cunetha Pack that patrol the areas on the edge of The Valley of Sighs and the strange things that come from the shattered walls between the worlds. Honeystone Kennels started off as a way to handle the excess hounds, the best are reserved for the elves.
In CY 9046, the Har Cunetha made an excursion to bring back some of the last of the wild Capsein Heather over the high mountain Heatherbrook Pass. Though successful, the pass had to be destroyed by the Stonebreaker Company.
Origins
The Har Cunetha started by a count’s daughter, marrying an elf, they begat a female half elf (she looked full) who married a full elf, she gave birth to twins – a son and daughter. After the Weald of Vinewood was diminished, they trained hard and sought to create a group within it to interface with outsiders… They were deemed ‘not elf enough’. They started the outsider ranger group. The son was killed. The daughter retired, married a full elf in the Honey Meadows. Now one of the family always serves.
Among their number are part-elf or faerie blood that can pass for humans; these two or three, always minimum two, are often sent as representatives ahead of the war band to meet with non-elfs and provide a friendlier face to prepare them for the war band’s presence. It is not generally needed these days in many places, but as an homage to the half-elf origins of the ranger band, this tradition is continued. The Heralds of the Har Cunetha often work directly with these half bloods.
Tell Cunetha (ruins)
Posted on July 28, 2025 in Steel-Realms
Tell Cunetha is a ruin that marks the southern boundary of the Haivelaugh Weald in North Vinewood Forest. It was once a natural fortification of the elves, then a human fort where elves and men met. This location bears the Frost-Melded mark an ancient battle with the Dragon of Rhyl. The limits and stipulations for Historical Designation and Exploration in the Steel Realms are well documented. This is documented and noticed for explorers to stay away.
It is located OUTSIDE the The Vinewall.
After it fell into disrepair, it became a World Watcher keep, and finally it is used in times of active war as a local lookout (usually requiring repairs first).
The Har Cunetha sometimes use it as a base when they need to operate outside the Weald boundaries.
This place is a Safe Haven for members of the Rhylander Green Conjurists.
Chronicle 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
Common Knowledge / Easy Difficulty
There is a full record of all Heralds of the Har Cunetha in the ruins of Tell Cunetha.
Uncommon Knowledge / Average Difficulty
Deep in all Elven Wealds of Rhyl, the locations of Tell Cunetha & Houska Castle, and the Three Blades of Ceith Grebatain have a Call Stone as well for the Har Cunetha.
Rare Knowledge / Very Hard Difficulty
Laey Network for Defense: The elite Har Cunetha make extensive use of the Laey Lines and network that ultimately connect them to the heart of the forest of Ryhl. Tell Cunetha – where the riders meet sometimes – has a branch laey line as well that connects it directly to the heart of the Haivelaugh Weald. The Three Blades of Ceith Grebatain that guard the east of the elves are also connected with laey power. The Laey network channels power to the riders and their mounts to be able to outmaneuver, track, harry, and take down powerful creatures in the Vinewood area and beyond its borders because of it.
Broken Shoulder Lowlands
Posted on July 27, 2025 in Steel-Realms
The Broken Shoulder Lowlands adjacent to the North Vinewood Forest is part of the elven Haivelaugh Weald. It contains water sources, copper, and iron, a few gemstone deposits (including obsidian) and a small quarry.
Yellow Jasper: For thousands of years, yellow jasper has been mined in the hills of the Broken Shoulder Lowlands by the elves, at a sustainable rate. The elves keep the source locations a secret, but it is one of the only exports they make.
Honeystone Lake is a long, narrow lake at the base of Broken Shoulder Lowlands, between it and the Hythleit Grassland.Haivelaugh (Elven Weald, Rhyl)
Posted on July 27, 2025 in Steel-Realms
Haivelaugh Weald is an Elven Weald of the Steel Realms – typical Elven Weald. The weald encompasses North Vinewood Forest (protected by The Vinewall), the Hythleit Grassland, and the Broken Shoulder Lowlands that contain water sources, copper, and iron, a few gemstone deposits (including obsidian) and a small quarry. The elevated Hythleit Grassland strip at the base of the mountains to the east and forest to the west is used for pastures, and home to deer, beaver, waterfowl, and a variety of flowers and wild grains.
Force Majeure: The elves of the Haivelaugh Weald are the most active and dynamic in The Grand Duchy of Rhyl, and have paid the price for it. They are still aggressive and prideful, but more cautious about committing their support without ensuring their own safety – necessitating the powerful and mobile Har Cunetha and the Heralds of the Har Cunetha.
- Typical of Elven Wealds of the Steel Realms, this faerie home is lit using Elven Lake Lamps including the annual festival; This eerie glow sometimes seen by outsiders and centennial festival add to the typical mystery and wariness of the Elvish home.
Governance of the Weald
“Green Sleeves“: Huldra Greenspeaker is the office for Weald who represents it to outsiders. The Heralds of the Har Cunetha can sometimes speak for the Green Sleeves of the Haivelaugh Weald.
Rulership/Governance: {Integrity ***} – uses Elven Wealden Titles.
- Administrative Center/Seat of Power:
Population: Approx. 20,000 Wyld Elves
> Note: There is no official census provided.
Protector Spirit: Ratuk the RAM – the senior followers are involved in both Defense and Faith of the community.
+ Hartwood Presence: This location leans heavily to the Wyld Faith, and has the presence of both Rhylian Briarwood and Rhylian Beastwood.
Although not officially part of the Weald, the town of Ten Stacks is watched over, as the half elves there are relatives and with the depleted population trying to recover, the half elves are considered an important part in regrowing their population.
Resource Accord with Rhyl: The active version of the Rhylan Weald Accordance that govern resource management is carved upon a preserved tree stump in the City of Klyben in the North District of Klyben for all traders to be able to reference. Per this accord the elves post signs using bright yellow ribbons (from Ten Stacks) to mark their Weald Boundaries.
- Typical of Elven Wealds of the Steel Realms, this faerie home is lit using Elven Lake Lamps including the annual festival; This eerie glow sometimes seen by outsiders and centennial festival add to the typical mystery and wariness of the Elvish home.
- This locale produces Sap of Wound Closure and trades with other Wealds in Rhyl.
Products and Trade of the Haivelaugh Weald
Like most Wealds, it is self sufficient in terms of sustenance for its inhabitants. Like most Wealds, the honey produced is prized by locals, as well as most of the foodstuffs.
Hythleit Sweet Feed: Every year an amount of Sweet Feed is sent to North Gate Garrison. These are meal bars loaded with sweet grains, honey, fat, protein and minerals. Perfect for ranging and scouting long distances. World Watchers moving through the area often are presented with this to help them in their travels.Carved yellow jasper, Amber, honey, sweet-preserved ‘rations’, and the occasional “sweet sword” and “sweet armor” novelties will be sold to outsiders. Also, some yellow dyes based on goldenrod are sold to outsiders, though most of that goes through Ten Stacks.
Characters of the Haivelaugh Weald
Characters with their origins here have the Wyld Elf of the Weald Experience available to them. Those entities Flora Bound to the Wealds have access to the powers described under the Common Amesha Element of the Wealds of the elven faith of the Steel Realms.
List of Elven Wealds of Rhyl
The Har’ahdu Cunaigh – Aelfpath of Helca twines through the Great Forest of Rhyl, also connecting all the Elven Wealds within the Grand Duchy of Rhyl.
Vinewood Forest
Posted on July 27, 2025 in Steel-Realms
Vinewood Forest is a large forest of pine and fir mixed with some maple (with stands of apple and Star Magnolia in the east edge) in eastern Rhyl. It was once a resource managed by humans and elves alike, though the larger southern area was given up by the elves long ago and is very slowly and gradually shrinking due over logging (the human rulers are aware of it and trying to agree in unity to do more to manage it better).
The winter-blooming Cunee Heath is found on the northern edge of the Vinewood Forest and through the South Cunee Meadowlands.
The dwarves of Sun Stone Top are allowed to harvest some trees every year from the eastern edge, overseen by the elves. This area is clearly marked – no one else is allowed to take from it. The southern most tower of the Three Blades of Ceith Grebatain can see far below into the south Vinewood Forest.
Vinewood Cut is a gap between the southern edge of the Vinewood Forest and north end of the Enecio Peaks. It is the primary east-west travel routes within the County of Dunaine and its neighbors to the west.Chronicle 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
Common Knowledge / Easy Difficulty
The Vinewall once encompassed the entire Vinewood Forest. A few remnants can be found – vines with blossoms still woven around the roots of the largest of trees. These have been fading over the last few centuries.Active Resource Management: The druids of the Vinewood Forest, Gaur Dinuae Forest & Great Forest of Rhyl and those of the many mountains and streams ensure water and soil health, and work with the World Watchers & Dryads of the Wyld to ensure proper monitoring and attendance of the forest needs as a resource to all.