Tag: srlm
Runel Rats
Posted on November 20, 2024
The Runel Rats in the North Merchant Cities is less an official sect and more of a tradition. It is not a formal institution, nor does it have any universally recognized authority or hierarchy. About 20% of the independent magi in the region participate in, usually the ones with association of the criminal elements. The river rat is the symbol of cunning and capability, and they are the giants among their own kind. This symbolism is what its members present. Without a formal institution or organization to back them up, the tradition serves to augment their powers to make them competitive, but keep them free of high visibility political entanglements.
Control: Many die seeking it out. The mighty Beyne River has remnants of the Sea King experiments dwelling in it – giant water rats in this case. These beasts are favored by the rat spirit of Irrigi as top level predators in their environments. They are survivors and have a reputation with their presence along the river – especially partnering with smugglers that move goods along its length. They are known to be able to lead rats to sever ropes, move packages, spoil goods, and other ‘tricks’ that infuriate inhabitants.
Joining: The area around Karolak has the most ‘followers’ of this tradition. Priests of the rat god seek out their initial training by adopting a colony and learning to use them to survive – often killing existing followers and usurping their colony. The prospective follower of Irrigi enters into a river nest or into the sewers of one of the cities on the river that they are assured to be found in. With an open wound, they find a giant rat, capture it, and mix their blood into their own open wounds. The disease and infection kills many, but those who survive the ritual can call themselves Runnel Rats (of Irrigi). The wound will scar to roughly shape like a rat, known simply as the ‘rat mark’. Irrigi is not known as a truly attentive principal, and looks to the survival of the strongest as a guiding principle. Those who survive are often seen as having a multitude of rats as pets and watchers.
It is said that most of the leaders of the Mud Vipers in Richfield are Runel Rats.
La Celle-Saint-Cloud (entering Falcon Reach)
Posted on November 5, 2024 in Steel-Realms
The town of La Celle-Saint-Cloud stands as the primary entrance to the territory of Falcon Reach. A spur road that goes around the branch of the Falcon River that separates Falcon Reach runs through the city. There is always light traffic on it.
An obelisk standing stone is a trail marker that marks a spur that clearly leads to a city in the distance. A city that sits on a slight rise. Further north at rise becomes a slope that rises a good kilometer or more through hilly terrain to a plateau far in the distance. There are multiple settlements with their trail markers of white limestone clean and gleaming in the late morning sun. The vast majority of the trade coming in and out seems to favor the river here and take a spur to the main road to the east. There is a way station marking the place as Gold Robe Crossing in multiple written languages.