Tag: prec-virtue-umbak
The Rails of The Red March
Posted on May 27, 2026 in Steel-Realms
The Rails of The Red March cross the Bronzed-Edge Tableland carrying traffic and supplies for The Red March to supply The Autumn Wall. The “Red Rail” is a set of rail lines that runs the entire length the marching road that leads to North Gate Garrison to supply the existential war against the Lich Lords. A set of rails leads to it, and one away – both connect at the ends of The Red March.
You are not sure what they are exactly, but paralleling the road is a set of large rails. You’ve seen rails for things to slide on, even short rails for transport between buildings or rooms, but these look like you could set a wagon on top of them. They are metal, embedded in stone slots and seem immovable. They appear to be well used, clear of all debris and corrosion on the top. You look into the distance. The rails follow the land, in as much a straight line as possible, rising with the elevation as they go north, and dropping south. There are signs in multiple languages warning of patrols, “constant watching from a distance”, and the danger of being ‘obstructive’ in any way.
Cultural Overview & References for the Grand Duchy of Rhyl
Maintenance: In the intervening ages, damage done to the rail track has been repaired by skilled dwarven and human masons and smiths. The druids have bound elementals to the newer sleds on the rail, less efficient and stable than the Umbakian technology it was initially built with.
Governance Martial law and necessary changes are obvious along the track of The Red March all the way to North Gate Garrison.
Transport Carts/Railwagons of The Red Rails
A cart races past you, making a strange whining sound as it goes. The cart is massive, with a metal base and sturdy wooden rails and frame sitting on top. You could easily fit 5 to 6 wagon loads on the platform. On the front is an odd small ‘cabin’ for lack of a better word, size enough for two to three humanoids. The platform seems balanced on something you cannot see, that seems to creak and shift slightly as it moves – reducing the worst of the rough ride as it moves.
Halfling Rail Riders: Halflings work the mechanisms in the cabin. Long ago, it was revealed that the sizes of the loads meant one or two humans could not do much in the event of repair or attention needed to the cargo or interior of the railwagon. It was more efficient to have 3-5 halflings as crew with full tools and equipment. Plus the speeds seemed to frighten them far less that other humanoids – to these “rail riders” it almost seems like a game.
Chronicle/Facts of the Rails
Item Powers (common and Attuned) can be found under Common Knowledge tab.
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.
Trivial Outcome / Very Easy Difficulty & Pervasive Knowledge
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.
Food and warriors are the most important cargoes.
Rumors About the Locale
Rhyl Formative Events
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 6909 The Fall of the Grand Barony of Altair from a curse by the Lich Lords. The main passage of troops and supplies from the hinterlands and nfar north to the The Grand Duchy of Rhyl is sacked by an undead army led by a ghoul king.
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.
> For 3000 years, the Kingdoms of old Rhylan was the primary form of Rulership in the territory of the current Grand Duchy.
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.
Simple Outcome / Easy Difficulty & Common Knowledge
For those native to or long-dwelling in the region, ALL Common Knowledge may be Pervasive.
Antithetical to Magic: While there is no formal declaration, there have been incidents that hint at and rumors that speak to the magic or effect that powers the rails interfere, suppress, or even drain other magic items. Transportation of mystical items is recommended to take some other means of travel. Such travels usually avoid the Bronzed-Edge Tableland all together – opting for secure main roads on both sides going north-south.
Minor Outcome / Average Difficulty & Uncommon Knowledge
Magic Suppression of the Carts: In fact it is not the rails, but the carts, that are designed to drain mystical power of items carried in them.
Origins: The Automata Brigade of Virtue and Reason in Umbak built the original Red Rail system along The Red March using a form of Magitech/Technomancy.
Scarce Knowledge / Hard Difficulty
The original Umbakian rails were made with the Virtue Forges, and the Virtuous Precision of Umbakian Processes.
Virtue Bound (broadswords) of Umbak
Posted on November 16, 2025
All of the Virtue Bound (also known as Heavy Virtue) blades of Umbak are heavy broadswords, forged with the strength of the Church of Light (Ikribu) and the “light of virtue” – spirit entities that heated the steel beyond the temperatures of normal forging using the Virtue forges like the lesser powered Virtue Forged weapons. Only the most powerful Umbakian knights and Justicars of Balthazaar carry Heavy Virtue blades made with the Virtuous Precision of Umbakian Processes. All of these types of blades are made for someone and have a history, though they will all look the same.
Virtue Bound Blades
i20™ Item Details
Min. Strength 14; Durable (+1 Resilience), 2d4+1 dmg (5/8/16), Pulverize 1, -1 Initiative, won’t corrode/rust and cannot be corrupted by Ironrot.
- Bound Virtue: 1 Essence Attunement – Has all the properties of Silvered Weapons of the Steel Realms – it never needs re-coating; Wielder may spend (no limit) 1 Synergy to deal 1 extra damage on a hit.
- Enmity: Against unvirtuous wielders, it will do their Proficiency Bonus in damage when wielded every round.
iCore™ Item Details
Pages on the web site lean towards i20™ text flavor, discrepancies will be noted in the iCore™ tab.
Blood Blades of Umbak
Posted on February 27, 2016 in Steel-Realms
Eleven noble families of Umbak were bound in service to the King of Umbak upon its founding. Over time, in the first 400 years, one more family was bound per century for a total of 15 blades – the prototypes of the Heavy Virtue blades. The Blood Blades of Umbak are bound by to the blood of the family that wields them. They were said to grant prowess in battle against the foes of Umbak. They are largely a mystery – not generally talked about – though their crafting and distribution are widely recorded. The blades are attributed all manner of rumors and legends – few if any ever proven. They are simple and unadorned – but all bear a unique crater’s mark and an ancient symbol of Balthazaar. Some bloodlines have gone extinct over the ages, and new ones are bound to them.
Common Effects: Against foes without blood – animations, constructs, machines, etc. it does Pulverizing damage. The blade itself can take 5x the normal amount of damage before breaking.
Item Powers (common and Attuned) can be found under Common Knowledge tab.
Chronicle of the Blood Blades of Umbak
Information Sources: Mundane Reference | Associated Phenomenology Only | Specific Lore
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.
Trivial Outcome / Very Easy Difficulty & Pervasive Knowledge
Simple Outcome / Easy Difficulty & Common Knowledge
Of the 15 made, one has been broken, three of the original family bloodlines have died out and 2 of them have lands outside the original Kingdom of Umbak – rendering them reduced in effect – though the common belief is that they function the same anywhere inside the kingdom.
i20™ Gravewalds Ax Details
Lesser Attunement (1 Essence)
iCore™ Gravewalds Ax Details
Greater Attunement (2 Essence)
If the wielder is of the family the sword is blood bonded to, any actions within the [original] boundary of Umbak gain the benefit of Higher Purpose (per Trait); this requires a swearing of the original Oath of Service to the King of Umbak. If the wielder has a conviction > 1 for Balthazaar, they also gain a +1 base damage while defending the kingdom or enforcing the rights of Umbak.
As a Preferred Weapon of a follower of Balthazaar, the character can spend 5 synergy to directly negate an Onus or Bad Luck placed upon them, which they will immediately become aware of while holding the blade.
Minor Outcome / Average Difficulty & Uncommon Knowledge
These were made with the Virtuous Precision of Umbakian Processes by the automata of Umbak.