Tag: smallfolk
Shoulder Blades Pass (pass through Giant’s Steps hills)
Posted on February 3, 2026 in Steel-Realms
Shoulder Blades Pass is a means of traveling between The Wyldes and the Great Forest of Rhyl in The Grand Duchy of Rhyl. It is a east-west pass through the high hills that separate these lands. There is a long standing truce and treaty for the free and open use for anyone wishing to travel through it. The tribal elders of The Wyldes are more concerned about who travels through here, and there are scout stations and small hamlets on the west side to monitor this.
Rulership/Governance: {Integrity ?} The pass is mostly seen as a neutral territory, though Ducal officials may lay official claim to it.
- Recognized Administrative Center/Seat of Power:
Population: Unknown if any but a few of the Smallfolk of Faerie that live in the pass itself.
> Note: There is no official census provided.
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 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.
Common Knowledge / Easy Difficulty
For those native to or long-dwelling in the region, ALL Common Knowledge may be Pervasive.
It is said that spending too much time in the pass itself brings strange dreams.
Scarce Knowledge / Hard Difficulty
The giants send aid to the Ducateon in CY 3516 – 3947 during the Troll Wars / CY 3949 giants begin their ‘retreat’ feeling betrayed. The area becomes a pathway of all Giants seeking refuge in the north.
North Vinewood
Posted on July 27, 2025 in Steel-Realms
North Vinewood Forest is the home of an Elven Weald and generally thought of as off limits to anyone but the elves. No logging is done here. The dwarves of Sun Stone Top are known to make camp on its edge when they need to travel to human settlements – but they never take anything or disturb anything (per request).
Rulership/Governance: {Integrity Weald: *****} The whole north is the seat of the formal Elven Weald; Subject to the jurisdiction of the ducal authorities if need be.
- Recognized Administrative Center/Seat of Power: None for the forest itself, the Weald has its usual features.
Population: Smallfolk of Faerie number in the hundreds, protected by the Weald, but remain unseen.
> Note: There is no official census provided.
Prominent Markers: Markers are posted in the languages of the realms: Gladnorian, Feyloise, and Dundarian. These warn travelers to never venture farther than a few steps into the forest and not to log or burn anything on pain of death.
Stands of Maple: There are several large stands of old maple and newer ones growing. The elves of the Weald have a trade deal with the Marack family of Autumnleaf Ale Houses and they age some of their products in.
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
Gaur Dinuae Forest (Rhyl)
Posted on July 16, 2025 in Steel-Realms
The Gaur Dinuae Forest – “Forest Between Two Rivers” – is the eastern forest of mostly pine and ash in The Grand Duchy of Rhyl that butts up against the Tolkisson Mountain Range to the east. It has been heavily logged, and since the end of the Rylan-Elf wars is in the process of being managed like the Forest of Rhyl now, with the assistance of the local Elven Weald.
Rulership/Governance: {Integrity ?} There is no holder of title over the forest – only the Elven Weald that takes up most of it.
- Recognized Administrative Center/Seat of Power: None for the few small forest steadings.
Population: Smallfolk of Faerie in unknown numbers stay hidden mostly, a few small logging settlements on the forest edge operated by humans and elves.
> Note: There is no official census provided.
Stands of Spruce and Apple: There are several large stands of old spruce and newer ones growing. The elves of the local Weald have a trade deal with the Marack family of Autumnleaf Ale Houses and they age some of their products in and make winter cider with the apples.
Gaia’s Spring Abundance: The druids of the Gaur Dinuae Forest & Rhyl Forest and mountains and streams ensure water and soil health, and work with the World watchers to ensure proper management of the forest as a resource. It is no longer shrinking, but it is not growing, due to the rebuilding of a lot of structures in the last 500 years. The elves of the Weald in the Forest ensure the wild grains, peas, and beans are protected as fodder for the war horses that is kept in Pacification Garrison of Icewatch/Lorman’s Lament nearby.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
Navel of Rhyl Forest (‘Songhome’)
Posted on September 27, 2021 in Steel-Realms
Deep near the heart of the Great Forest of Rhyl in the northern Steel Realms is a place known as Songhome – the Navel of Rhyl Forest. It is a place of great beauty, filled with strong hills, many glades and springs, and filled with light animal and bird sounds. This locale has all the common properties and powers of Navels of the Wylden in the Steel Realms. There is always a World-Tree of the Wyld in the Navels of the Wylden – this one fed with dragon blood, making it especially potent. Normally, at the deep heart of all The Great Forests, in the Navel/Hart where the center of power is, is a mated pair of Unicorn protectors – though only Heliki the Eternal has ever been contacted.
Rulership/Governance: {Integrity ?} NO FORMAL AUTHORITY CLAIMS IT.
Population: Smallfolk of Faerie in large numbers, a few select elves and creatures of the Feywyld have been seen.
An animus font pulses at the forest’s core, releasing energy into the Laey of Helca. They Laey is anchored in this place with barbs that channel elemental energies. Creatures that find their way here are generally welcome, except those of non-faerie Faeybrin origins – men and their primitive ilk. They are mostly immune to its true beauty, and see only resources to take where others see a thing that must be kept safe and preserved. Magic is stronger at the Navel, and it leads many intruders to their death. The forest itself actively seeks to keep this place hidden from those that would despoil it. Paths change, watering holes go foul, trees and foliage block the way and all other manner of attacks by swarms and changes to the terrain that impede such travelers. Faerie kind, the gentle halflings, and Skraelings are given more leeway than others, and even the half elves of certain perspective seem to be able to move through its deeper reaches – even getting to meet and speak to the legendary druid guardians. Not even world watchers are welcome without an invite or parley first.
The Har’ahdu Cunaigh – Aelpath of Helca twines through the Great Forest of Rhyl.
Klaurian Refuge in the Rhyl Forest: Among the refugees of The Blood of Saemon were a band of Klaurians. After the great battle in the Valley of Sighs subsided, they quietly left, following a beacon calling to their chief and shaman. For ages they were thought to have gone extinct, but they settled in the deep Rhyl Forest, and drew power from the Navel to keep themselves hidden until their numbers increased and they migrated to North Pines. They -They grew even bigger, and became its premiere guardians – the Kalurians (originally Klaurian was their clan name). They are massive, powerful, passionate, militaristic, and compulsive protectors of the forest.
- These places have a tendency to form a Dew Gate in the navel, drawing elementals, malicious small folk of the Faeywyld, and the child-thieving hags of lore in search of easy mortal prey; This has led to the Plague of Hags.
- It is thought that Vaaurouch of The Rimbus is still alive and being venerated in the Navel of Rhyl Forest.
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.
Rumors About the Locale
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 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 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.
Common Knowledge / Easy Difficulty
For those native to or long-dwelling in the region, ALL Common Knowledge may be Pervasive.
Rare Knowledge / Very Hard Difficulty
A Drawing of Power: It is believed that both the walls (The Autumn Wall and The Blue Wall) hem in the power of the Lich Lord. Their own strength relies on some power that draws away the killing cold blasts of the Frostfang that would push its icy embrace across the lands. In addition to their own mystical manifestation, these walls also siphon some small bit of power from the Frostfang winds, feeding their own capabilities and exchanging, diverting or altering the actual weather in their area – diminishing it in Kaald and exchanging it on the The Autumn Wall at North Gate Garrison casting its cold temperatures and windows to disperse in Great Forest of Rhyl.
The Dew Gate in the Navel of the Great Forest of Rhyl pulls through some of the wintery weather, dumping it in the Faeywyld as a roaming storm of sleet and snow, and drawing the ire of those that make their home there, accounting for A Plague of Hags in The Grand Duchy of Rhyl.