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.
GM's Guide/RefIt is a major repository of Equitus Crystals. It is world that is alive, and a world that defends itself, keeping away all the others in the multiverse, allowing the the inhabitants to evolve and drawing power from the Greate Ones nearby to shield it from the Olde Ones machinations.
Posted on October 28, 2024 in Steel-Realms
Animal Bond
Posted on October 27, 2024
Hear-Ye! Hear-Ye! Read all about it! The Herald’s Quarterly. A semi-regular quasi-quarterly journal of events in The Steel Realms published by the World Watchers.
Herald’s Quarterly 9169, 2nd Quarter CY 9169 Month 4 – 6 > The Light’s Embers
Heartlands Spark > Set in Duchy of Dunstrand of the [Fantasy] Steel Realms, as a Living World storyline.
Linnis Faer’s (ruling family of County Faer of Dunstrand) golden-haired middle son Gerald, leading a host of 60 cavalry, and Count Badgericus’ (of East River Run county in Dunstrand) nephew Sir Leon Badgericus leading 100 infantry and a skirmishing force of combined Riverdan warriors, met a host of Orrish in the uplands of the Riverdan of Pelmon. A large battle was fought against a host of abominations and beasts. It is said they were taken captive – the prize of nobles both of the Lightbringer faith was too much to resist. Nobody sure where they are at now. Other captives were killed and their bodies mostly eaten and remains left for all to see. Especially gruesome were the 40 dwarves that had been brought as sappers and miners to collapse the caverns the Orrish were coming from – the few captured were flayed alive. It seems the old Orrish-Dwarven/Ducateon enmity is alive and well. Folks are calling it the Battle of the Light’s Embers – as the 2 Lightbringer’s forces have ‘diminished the light in Dunstrand’. Many Orrish were killed as well, and a new Ork leader among them has risen up and is building another host. The Riverdans is assembling their own local army, though it seems delayed by their fractious political nature.
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.
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).
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.
Posted on October 27, 2024 in Steel-Realms
The Blue Willow Basin/Valley is framed/surrounded by the The Hawktail Hills in Pelmon.
The river valley once was a major tributary to the Nanford River, now its a fen ridden flood plain. The river is known as the Marshsail River – for the broken chunks of marshland that float down it.
Around the basin, and up into the hills that surround it, many trees grow. These include beech, birch, willow and others.