The Calamitous History of The Steel Realms

Posted on October 29, 2024 in Steel-Realms

The impact of the The Calamitous History of The Steel Realms is generally understood; Prevalent recorded knowledge.

The calamitous history is the direct cause of its lack of progress (especially in Science and Technology on Helca) and unity. Forces have aligned against the living and Lands of Light to constantly besiege it. This has resulted in the once united species and nations of the realms seeing large areas of the eastern continent as The Broken Lands. In recent memory, the The Long Summer of Elancil in CY 9000 provided a small respite in the constant string of calamities. This string of calamity includes large-scale deaths, massive threats and setbacks that have forced the population to rely on direct ties of religion and occult ideas rather than the slow progress of discovery and science.

A State Purposefully Maintained?

Some sages and those of great wisdom believe the pace of progress as been forcibly manipulated.

An Unsolved Problem: All things being even, the minor manifestations of divine power can be countered when the followers are leveraging them to attain political goals. A divine principal and their followers may have overall goals, but every ounce of energy isn’t focused on a single goal to which all all others are subverted. That is a global crusade, and only the Orrish and the Unholy Trio yet practice it – it is their sole purpose and it has become that for their Followers. The Godspeak Accord has limited the amount of crusades because principals have agreed not to manifest directly or by Avatar in order to preserve the planet from destruction that was wrought in the Valley of Sighs. Trampled terrain, sundered Earth, clouds of disease and malaise that roll across the countryside. Geysers of foul muck and mud and blood. Storms that come into being rage and fizzle out sometimes last for years and sometimes only moments. Some of them gather and fling magic, corrupt auras, and manifest spirits that still haunt the location and rip apart the surroundings with a magical rending that blasts bare down to rock and strips flesh from bones or changes flesh on the bone or the bones within. This tenuous balance remains in place, waiting for a solution or for the Godspeak Accord to be cast aside and global armageddon to begin.

Inhibited Scientific Progress: In some cases those responsible or foreseen by the gods as having a pivotal part have been killed. They are nameless and their lives would have come to mean something had they been allowed to flourish. There is the problem with the Orrish followers of the Church of Darkness in regards to progress. Progress of science would undermine their ultimate crusade from within. So they themselves cannot have progress. But progress within the greater realms can be leveraged by them, controlled by their clergy and those few they allow to understand such things. In reality, it is the gods of light who have controlled or smashed progress to control its pace. Balthazar is the only exception and he is within a constant struggle to advance the ideas of technology in progress and the reliance that within such an order, a solution to the orish problem can be found. The forces of nature are without an actual side. An ebb and flow is natural, and they see things on a longer time scale and tend to side with the view of awakened Helca itself. In that eventually the Orrish problem will be resolved and they will leave Helca and it will be allowed to develop without such a vile intent and torturous influence.

GM Only Notes for the Steel Realms

Posted on October 29, 2024 in Steel-Realms

The setting of the Steel Realms has some key features that explain how it came to be in its current state, and even informs its development for the future. Most of this is embedded in the lore and campaign information, but some issues are GM Only Notes for the Steel Realms. These are not critical for the Living World aspects or for game play within it, but for GMs wondering about certain events and entities, these issues may provide a more coherent context.

Vaide’s Escape Exlixir (for ghouls)

Posted on October 27, 2024 in Steel-Realms

Although Lichryan Sanatives are for the protection and healing of the undead and undying forms employed by the Lich Lords, some that are not their servants have developed items accomplish the same or more. Clavel Vaide weas a ghoul of immense age and power, a thousand years old or more. He worked extensively to collect a volume of lore in these regards. Some of the items he recorded his experiments for are Exanimate Items.

Ghoul’s Change Elixir

The ‘ghoul’s change elixir’ (Vaide’s Escape Exlixir (for ghouls)) is a potion that was made by Clavel Vaide that can roll back the physical hunger characteristics and hunger of a ghoul that is not yet feral for a day cycle. It also has the effect of changing the countenance of the imbiber for the same time – a completely physical restructuring so they can mask their identity and aura perfectly – Clavel used them to escape several situations. It has no effect on already feral ghouls. It changes the physical appearance, so that a hungry ghoul may blend in for a moment or escape detection. Upon the living it wreaks a terrible cost, though in rare instances, the living may experience a permanent body change that is not accompanied by a toxic reaction or violent physical wound and alteration. A double dose upon the living ensures a violent physical change that is permanent and reduces the Essence of the imbiber. Over time, some have show taints of marks – though never where it can be seen casually.

This particular elixir works upon the the Undying, the undead, and even the awe-cursed Celestine heritage – it relieves their hunger for 3 day cycles and suppresses their nature (vs. Detect and Protection).

• On the living, it will cause permanent disfigurement. It can kill.
• Upon the Undying, it can cause permanent disfigurement. It can only kill on the worst possible outcome.
• Undead will benefit as normal, though only ghouls will gain a new visage.
• Celestine drinking these can die, can reduce or enhance their awe-curse slightly – permanently in a bad outcome

Where there is a scale, use the Save result: Success +1, Fail -1, Dire -2, Major +2, Devastating -4, Extraordinary +4.

= TAINTs and MARKS were seen in many (not all) cases of a normal person or Undying drinking one.

1. Looks; DC 12 Constitution save > Success = +1 category / Fail = -1 category
2. Decrepitude: Delayed vs. Accelerated
3. Appearance: Youthful vs. Wizened
4. Vigor (constitution, endurance, vitality)
5. Reactions (speed, dexterity)
6. Strength (muscle, might)
7. Appearance Feature
   1. Hair, Bald vs. Body Cover, Long vs. Short, Wire-like vs. Soft & Silky, Beard/Mustache/Goatee color and fullness
   2. Skin, Dry & Irritated / Scales / Slimy; Patchy vs. Complete
   3. Eyes Color, Shape, Position
   4. Height
   5. Weight
   6. Handedness Switch; # Fingers