Tag: srlm
U’runde (Tower of the Branch)
Posted on November 5, 2024 in Steel-Realms
One of the two “towers” in the Black Hillz that defend against the incursions of Tallow’s Deep. They sit within beacon sight to each other. U’dethe is the one that guards the jagged road to the base of the mountains 800 feet below. U’runde is the forward tower, on constant heightened vigilance with ranging patrols. They are both supplied by Climante Keep at the base of the Tolkisson Mountains. ‘Tower’ is a misnomer – these are walled keeps that are provisioned for prolonged sieges, though each has a centerpiece massive high tower with a beacon that can be seen from civilized lands 50km away. They are strictly military in operation, and have few civilian logistics staff or processes. Both have their own reinforced and well defended underground cisterns, and the presence of the Curtain of Night requires they be built to withstand flooding from the deluge of rain that often accompanies it. Troops are rotated between the two towers constantly, for the heightened readiness of U’runde takes a toll.
U’runde – the Tower of the Brach – is the first line of defense in the Black Hillz. Their daily job is to conduct long and short range patrols for Orrish presence, and test waterways, known caverns, and avenues of attack from Tallow’s Deep. At night, the Light of U’runde shines directly on the split entrance to the path to Tallows Deep like a searchlight.
Chronicle of the Tower
Information Sources: Mundane Reference | Associated Phenomenology Only | Specific Lore
Knowledge is broken down by ease of discovery/availability; 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.
Pervasive Knowledge / Very Easy Difficulty
This place is famous all across the realms for centuries of unending vigilance and militarism in fighting the Orrish forces of Tallow’s Deep.
Common Knowledge / Easy Difficulty
Heartlands Spark > Set in Grand Duchy of Dunstrand of the [Fantasy] Steel Realms, as a Living World storyline.
CY 91689 A massive battle took place here, drawing in forces from as far away as the Barony of Matchalk. The tower of U’dethe was set ablaze with a sickly bruised flame, corrupting the forms of the defenders. The Orrish spilled out of the Black Hillz and fought the forces of the High King’s army from the garrison at Climante Keep to a standstill. The Curtain of Night swept forward, along a several kilometer front, pouring black waters down and flooding swathes of the Tallowed Uplands in the Black Hillz and driving the forces of light back – a new foothold was achieved! It has isolated the tower of U’runde, now under constant siege and supplied through the mystical arts of the druids of the Wyld and Lightbringer clergy.
U’dethe (Tower of the Root)
Posted on November 5, 2024 in Steel-Realms
One of the two “towers” in the Black Hillz that defend against the incursions of Tallow’s Deep. They sit within beacon sight to each other. U’dethe is the one that guards the jagged road to the base of the mountains 800 feet below. U’runde is the forward tower, on constant heightened vigilance with ranging patrols. They are both supplied by Climante Keep at the base of the Tolkisson Mountains. ‘Tower’ is a misnomer – these are walled keeps that are provisioned for prolonged sieges, though each has a centerpiece massive high tower with a beacon that can be seen from civilized lands 50km away. They are strictly military in operation, and have few civilian logistics staff or processes. Both have their own reinforced and well defended underground cisterns, and the presence of the Curtain of Night requires they be built to withstand flooding from the deluge of rain that often accompanies it. Troops are rotated between the two towers constantly, for the heightened readiness of U’runde takes a toll.
U’dethe – the Tower of the Root – guards the pathway out of the Black Hillz down to the civilized lands below. Their daily job is to ensure no ambushes can be prepared, and to keep the pathways of the movement of troops and supplies open to Climante Keep at the base of the road. .
Chronicle of the Tower
Information Sources: Mundane Reference | Associated Phenomenology Only | Specific Lore
Knowledge is broken down by ease of discovery/availability; 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.
Pervasive Knowledge / Very Easy Difficulty
This place is famous all across the realms for centuries of unending vigilance and militarism in fighting the Orrish forces of Tallow’s Deep.
Common Knowledge / Easy Difficulty
Heartlands Spark > Set in Grand Duchy of Dunstrand of the [Fantasy] Steel Realms, as a Living World storyline.
CY 91689 A massive battle took place here, drawing in forces from as far away as the Barony of Matchalk. The tower of U’dethe was set ablaze with a sickly bruised flame, corrupting the forms of the defenders. The Orrish spilled out of the Black Hillz and fought the forces of the High King’s army from the garrison at Climante Keep to a standstill. The Curtain of Night swept forward, along a several kilometer front, pouring black waters down and flooding swathes of the Tallowed Uplands in the Black Hillz and driving the forces of light back – a new foothold was achieved! It has isolated the tower of U’runde, now under constant siege and supplied through the mystical arts of the druids of the Wyld and Lightbringer clergy.
Black Hillz
Posted on November 5, 2024 in Steel-Realms
The Black Hillz are the lands where the Curtain of Night constantly moves back and forth (hence the term ‘black hills’ for the moving evil shadow) depending on the fortunes of the Orrish in their fortress of Tallow’s Deep. The High King’s rangers have a constant presence here, as do the twin towers (a misnomer really, they are each a full walled keep) that sit at the end of the valley about 800 feet high that drops out into the bordering civilized lands. The first settlement is about 20 miles away, along wetlands with game in abundance, fed by a mostly underground river coming out of the Tolkisson Mountain Range.
The Black Hillz lands closes to the Orrish (often called the “Tallowed Uplands”) themselves are barren and inhospitable. Countless thousands have died here over millennium. The Curtain of Night has shadowed the area too often, and nothing grows any more. There is no cover, and massive forces have trampled anything that might have once lived here. The ridge/valley has been left strewn with boulders rolled onto it for cover by both sides.
Chronicle of the Black Hillz
Information Sources: Mundane Reference | Associated Phenomenology Only | Specific Lore
Knowledge is broken down by ease of discovery/availability; 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.
Pervasive Knowledge / Very Easy Difficulty
This place is famous all across the realms for centuries of unending vigilance and militarism in fighting the Orrish forces of Tallow’s Deep.
Common Knowledge / Easy Difficulty
Heartlands Spark > Set in Grand Duchy of Dunstrand of the [Fantasy] Steel Realms, as a Living World storyline.
CY 91689 A massive battle took place here, drawing in forces from as far away as the Barony of Matchalk. The tower of U’dethe was set ablaze with a sickly bruised flame, corrupting the forms of the defenders. The Orrish spilled out of the Black Hillz and fought the forces of the High King’s army from the garrison at Climante Keep to a standstill. The Curtain of Night swept forward, along a several kilometer front, pouring black waters down and flooding swathes of the Tallowed Uplands in the Black Hillz and driving the forces of light back – a new foothold was achieved! It has isolated the tower of U’runde, now under constant siege and supplied through the mystical arts of the druids of the Wyld and Lightbringer clergy.
Folded Edge Smithy
Posted on November 4, 2024 in Steel-Realms
The Folded Edge Smithy is settled and worked by about 50 dwarven smiths and their extended families – originally from the Redlaen enclave. It is part of the Gaeraen’s Vein Ironworks.
Gaeraen’s Vein Ironworks
Posted on November 4, 2024 in Steel-Realms
Gaeraen’s Vein Ironworks is located in the primary section of the Hawktail Hills within the Riverdan of Pelmon. Discovered in CY 7418, not long after Cathwell’s Silverworks, the iron vein was large and deep. So large in fact, that a refining operation was made on site. Soon afterwards, a smithy was propped up to make basic armor and weapons for the surrounding regions. Nestled deep in the hills, its location was its primary defense.
Chronicle of Gaeraen’s Vein Ironworks
Information Sources: Mundane Reference | Associated Phenomenology Only | Specific Lore
Knowledge is broken down by ease of discovery/availability; 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.
Pervasive Knowledge / Very Easy Difficulty
Gaeraen’s Vein Ironworks is located in the primary section of the Hawktail Hills within the Riverdan of Pelmon. Discovered in CY 7418, not long after Cathwell’s Silverworks, the iron vein was large and deep. So large in fact, that a refining operation was made on site. Soon afterwards, a smithy was propped up to make basic armor and weapons for the surrounding regions. Nestled deep in the hills, its location was its primary defense.Dwarves had been brought in to assist with the initial assessment and work of the silver mine, and a scouting party on their time off discovered the vein of iron ore and a set of caverns nearby. The dwarves laid claim on the iron, and set up refining and a smithy in the caverns nearby. Soon, the armaments coming from the smithy began to be highly valued. The Folded Edge dwarven ironworks/smithy is now renowned all over Dunstrand and beyond.
Common Knowledge / Easy Difficulty
The caverns got settled, but over the years, dwellers in the Underlands have appeared there, and they were abandoned and made a dug-in settlement set up to manage the mining and ironworks. Now the caverns of Hraendul’s Bluff are nothing more than a kill pocket, and the Orrish and other monsters just keep trying to break through. Better to entice and control the intruders. A fake encampment and at least 30 dwarven scouts and a small group of priests keep the shrine of Ikribu empowered as a decoy, waiting to sense and alert the ironworks proper of attempts to enter again and destroy the dwarves.