Bloodhawks

Posted on October 31, 2024 in Steel-Realms

The Bloodhawks of the Hawktail Hills region of the Riverdans are legendary for their aggressive and literally, ‘bloodthirsty’ behavior. They are near golden eagle sized Red Tail Hawks. They get their name from the red colored talons and tail feathers that are dipped in blood as they have a taste for it and are known to savagely tear apart victims, seeming to relish the viciousness and bloody mess.

The Shrine to Haedorn the Vigilant

Posted on October 31, 2024 in Steel-Realms

The Shrine to Haedorn the Vigilant is a centerpiece of life in the village of Boulderwick in the . A few make a pilgrimage to it each year, and it pays homage to the man that was instrumental in the settlement of the region. The location is also enshrined as sacred by the Green Church and some traveling acolyte and/or attendants will always be around.

Description: A large man, though lithe with a breastplate and greaves, and massive bulls warning horn hanging from a chain around his neck. He looks to the sky, holding a spear butted to the ground, while his other hand shades his eyes.

The Legend of Haedorn

Truly Vigilant: Haedorn was set to watch for an advancing expeditionary force in the battle to settle the Riverdan of Pelmon. The mercenaries had been hired by the Merchant Cities to take the pass to the Blue Willow Basin/Valley in Pelmon from the edge of the Hawktail Hills. One of the infamous Bloodhawks of the mountains kept drawing his attention, swooping him until he moved a less covered position higher up (which became Redtail Spire) at which point he managed to spot the band of 200 or so mercenaries moving on the base of the hills, maneuvering to the pass. He was able to blow his horn so that it echoed in the hills from the peak, in order to warn the reserve force that was covering flanking maneuvers and the ambushed the mercenaries and drove them from the field.

Homage to the Bloodhawks: Redtail Spire is where weekly raw meat offerings are made to the Bloodhawks of the hills that keep them away from the militia headquarters and groups of militia wear red cloth bands with red tags to identify themselves. Really, its the blood the rags are soaked in regularly and their scent that keeps them away – those seeking to deceive the bloodthirsty creatures have never lived to spread the word of their failure to keep them off their scent. Folks now think it is some mystical bond, but it is bulls blood from bulls raised in Boulderwick.

Boulderwick

Posted on October 31, 2024 in Steel-Realms

The village of Boulderwick is located where a stream spills down the hills off the mesa-like ridge of Haedorn Uplands. The village mostly farms a couple small hill valleys of the ridge, and keeps the Asked and Answered Riverdan Militia supplied. Boulderwick is “anchored” on one area with amassive 9m tall boulder that has a flattened platform on top and stairs carved into it.

Characters coming of age in/from this locale will shape their perspective to the primary experience of Cultural Experience of the Riverdans.

The herd of cattle, with the bulls sacred to The Shrine to Haedorn the Vigilant is managed by the inhabitants of Boulderwick. The blood from the bulls is used in the dying process of the Asked and Answered militia red markings.

Bentwatch Keep (ruins)

Posted on October 31, 2024 in Steel-Realms

The ruins of the ancient tower-fortress of Bentwatch Keep are located on the mesa-like ridge of the Haedorn Uplands.

Haedorn Uplands

Posted on October 31, 2024 in Steel-Realms

Rising up at nearly 500 feet is a stretch of the back side of the Hawktail Hills called the Haedorn Uplands. Here you will find large boulders dotting the mesa-like ridge, the ruins of the ancient tower-fortress of Bentwatch Keep, and the current village of Boulderwick – home to the Asked and Answered Riverdan Militia.

Characters coming of age in/from this locale will shape their perspective to the primary experience of Cultural Experience of the Riverdans.

On the border where Glois, Cerran’s Grant and Pelmon meet is the Haedorn Uplands that watches one of the only entry points to enter the hills and navigate through them to the Blue Willow Basin.