Tag: srlm
The Southern Edgelands of the Forest of Rhyl
Posted on July 4, 2026 in Steel-Realms
The Southern Edgelands of the Forest of Rhyl within the Grand Duchy of Rhyl are the lands between the southern edge of the Great Forest of Rhyl and the Beyne River to the south. The edgelands drop significantly in elevation the further south and west you go. These lands were once densely forested but the wars in the north caused them to be over-logged and a wasteland of ugly mismanagement and abuse. They were once home to the Faerie Smallfolk but their habitat and population was destroyed by the logging.
The Southern Edgelands of the Forest of Rhyl were once the most logged part of the Great Forest of Rhyl, logged for thousands of years. These lands were completely reinvigorated and have grown at an accelerated rate in different areas since around CY 8500 – believed to be part of the effects of The Odyssey of Elancil’s Wound. This has caused logging and conflicts over it to accelerate as well, though it is far better managed than before. The treeline area is heavy logged by individual settlements and a few designated logging Camps, such as the Ferrywood Logging Camp.
The forest growth is accelerated at a rate of 10x normal. So it only takes 10 years to see a tree grow to its hundred year old size.
Rulership/Governance: Hartbaten House of South Reedland Stretch > Within this territory, these is NO acknowledged rulership – in fact, they are not welcome. The word and servants of the Wyld Faith and the Druids are the law here most of the time.
Cultural Overview & References for the Grand Duchy of Rhyl
Basic Experience
The soil seems alive as mist travels through the brush in a multitude of places. The soil also seems warmer to the touch around the trees – the mystical power of Rhyl forest or some such. Well known, but seemingly innocuous. Birds and small rodents are easy to spot – abundance is everywhere. There is a strange sound in the air, like the creaking of ropes. You soon realize the tales of its magic are true – it is the sound of the trees growing in real-time! It is eerie and unsettling. Powerful forces are at work, yet the local Flora and fauna seem to ignore its unsettling effect.
Continuing on…
As you travel through the strange lands that are already cut, you see the trees in various stages of regrowth and hear them straining as they grow all around you. The experience of the mystical “edgelands” of the great forest of Rhyl is something to behold – and not something you feel you could sleep through it is so loud in some places.
- Any travelers, beasts of burden, or domesticated animals will be unsettled if they are not used to traveling this path.
Site Aspects/Features
Rejuvinated Land: These once over-logged edgelands are covered by trees, meadowlands and prairie where several creeks and streams feed beaver dam lakes and eventually run south of the sloping grasslands toward the Beyne River.
The accelerated growth of the Southern Edgelands of the Forest of Rhyl are oddly amplified during the Time of the Cold Moon; No one knows why, but the normal madness and violence associated with that time is largely absent within the territory.
Controlled by Rhyl
A large portion of the South Reedland Stretch borders them to the east as the river flows west from Lake Caolite.
Patrols: Rhyl patrols the region to ensure no permanent claim markers get set allowing the North Merchant Cities to encroach. These are often a few ducal guards and a small band of mercenaries that can be found making mounted patrols.
Sparse Settlements
Within the edge of the forest are old homesteader ruins, overgrown logging plots, several small settlements inhabited by hearty descendants of the Pine Tribes and homesteaders that take sap, wood, bark and several other goods to sell to the locals in the more civilized larger settlements nearby. There are no settlements on the border of the edgeland near the Albocris Estate.
Encounters & Dangers in the Area
See Encounters in the Grand Duchy of Rhyl for common potential scenarios of notable events and creatures on the periphery or where they make sense.
- The faerie smallfolk make Faerie Crop/Grass Circles in the grasslands along the border of the Southern Edgelands of the Forest of Rhyl. They will do this to scare travelers who stay too close for too long in an area not designated as safe by agents of The Wyld from the Druidhold of Broken Shell– logging camps, official estates, grazelands, steadings and camps.
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.
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.
Rumors About the Locale
- The Faerie Smallfolk will curse anyone coming through their lands.
Simple Outcome / Easy Difficulty & Common Knowledge
For those native to or long-dwelling in the region, ALL Common Knowledge may be Pervasive.
Within the Southern Edgelands of the Forest of Rhyl, the effect that causes the forest to grow and the regrowth that makes several places a lucrative logging site (with the druid’s permission of course) also causes animals that eat of the plants and drink the water to grow larger than normal.
Minor Outcome / Average Difficulty & Uncommon Knowledge
The Faerie Smallfolk of the Southern Edgelands of the Forest of Rhyl are known to befriend and use the enhanced size animals to safeguard their homes.
Rare Knowledge / Very Hard Difficulty
A few in the Druidhold of Broken Shell, the Fate Weavers of Oreshalk, and some locals in the Southern Edgelands of the Forest of Rhyl know the truth of the continued existence of this last of the The Green-Glint Hydrae of Rhyl.
Ablocris Estate (Rhyl)
Posted on July 4, 2026 in Steel-Realms
The ‘Albocris Estate‘ is the name given to a collection of territories and settlements centered around the Monastery of Ablocris in the South Reedland Stretch of the The Grand Duchy of Rhyl.
Origins: This name only came about after the War of Rundleman’s Revenge – it is a very modern label from the last hundred years. Previously the main settlements were associated just as ‘The Monastery Lands’.
Role of: Hartbaten House of South Reedland Stretch > Within this territory, these is NO acknowledged rulership – in fact, they are not welcome as it is Umbakian owned land.
Features & Aspects of Note
The reinvigoration effect of the Southern Edgelands of the Forest of Rhyl seemed to bypass the entire area. Though the monastery lies away from the forest, often times the effect has a minor effect on bordering territories – there are none on the estate or monastery proper lands.
Avoided/Abandoned: The ‘estate’ is avoided by patrols and travelers alike. The entire area is viewed with suspicion and a bit of dread. Only one of the local homesteaded farms has managed to grow – most get abandoned and a new family lays claim after 20 years or so. The reinvigoration of the Southern Edgelands of the Forest of Rhyl seemed to bypass the entire area.
- Most of the normal markers present on Umbakian lands have been overgrown and/or overturned (by an unknown hand?).
Although it lies on the border of the Great Forest of Rhyl (its eastern edge about 6 miles south-southwest of the Ferrywood Logging Camp), it is not considered part of the bordering Southern Edgelands of the Forest of Rhyl because of the strange history, Umbakian ownership, and unnatural events that seem to emanate from there now.
Encounters & Dangers in the Area
Encounters here will fall within the parameters of Encounters for the Ablocris Estate.
Places and Destinations of the Great Forest of Rhyl
Posted on July 4, 2026
The Great Forest of Rhyl hides many known and unknown Places and Destinations of the Great Forest of Rhyl.
Surefoot Shelf (ruins; halfling garrison of Altair Pass)
Posted on July 4, 2026 in Steel-Realms
On the eastern side of Altair Pass was a small garrison of Halflings called Surefoot Shelf, protecting the primary passage road as it went towards the Montwold Protectorate. The halflings decided to take a stake in making sure their own lands were protected and warned. It was a garrison of about 250 civilians and ‘soldiers’. The place was known to be shrouded in fog a lot, difficult to see much less assault. Their patrols were known to somehow use this fog as well, and it would make them difficult even for the undead to see.
The history of this place is chronicled in The History of the Grand Barony of Altair and Altair Pass.
History of Ilyndria Forstshine
Posted on July 4, 2026
History of Ilyndria Forstshine
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.
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.
Rumors About the Locale
Simple Outcome / Easy Difficulty & Common Knowledge
For those native to or long-dwelling in the region, ALL Common Knowledge may be Pervasive.
Minor Outcome / Average Difficulty & Uncommon Knowledge
Rain of Ice (CY 9012) Any icy rain attacks the spring heart of Ilyndria, along with a horde of ghouls coming from Valemount.
Attacked from Valemount (CY 8843) Repeated attacks by hordes of zombies and skeletons coming from Valemount.
Council of Peace Decrees Exilion Alliance (CY 8106)
Scarce Knowledge / Hard Difficulty
One of the last societies openly venerating The Rimbus.
Rare Knowledge / Very Hard Difficulty
The elves of Ilyndria rescued all the young of the Altainen Rock Elves and eventually some three dozen of the petrified statues of the last defenders of the The Battle of Bosin Run were found and brought back to Ilyndria Frostshine in the hopes they could be revived some day.