Tag: srlm
Hornbreaker, sword of the Riverlands
Posted on March 16, 2025 in Steel-Realms
Hornbreaker, sword of the Riverlands was a sword made by the noble ruling family of the Riverdan of Tuflim. The blade was crafted at the Duderet Armory of County Faer in CY 7249, made to be wielded by Astayd Vongleur, who had become the champion of the Riverdan of Tuflim – anointed by her own family. It had no name when it was made, but was a symbol for the family and folk of the Riverdan to rally around.
Item Powers (common and Attuned) can be found under Common Knowledge tab.
Chronicle of Hornbreaker
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
Hornbreaker, sword of the Riverlands was a sword made by the noble ruling family of the Riverdan of Tuflim. The blade was crafted at the Duderet Armory of County Faer in CY 7249, made to be wielded by Astayd Vongleur, who had become the champion of the Riverdan of Tuflim – anointed by her own family. It had no name when it was made, but was a symbol for the family and folk of the Riverdan to rally around.The longsword, while made by a famous Duderet Armory of County Faer, was not engraved, or heavily stylized – by all accounts it was unadorned and plain other than the large yellow family stone in the pommel – though it was silvered.
- Rumors say the warlord was funded by the Twin River powers.
- Rumors say the warlord was a dark worshiper.
Common Knowledge / Easy Difficulty
The blade was famously wielded by the warrior woman of the noble family of the Riverdan of Tuflim named Astayd Vongleur (’vhon-glu-er’ Lineage) in a great battle. Astayd was a 2nd daughter of the noble family of Tuflim at that time, but had left to seek her fortune and returned as one of the World Watchers of the High King.
As you grasp it, you can faintly hear a horn sound, then it is broken as if it were struck. Faintly the wind carries the sound of cheers, then it fades.
Item Purpose: Rallying troops.
Common Properties
Blood & Service Bound: Some of its abilities are tied to the family bloodline and the role of World Watcher.
- Brilliance: The large yellow faceted tourmaline gem (the family’s gemstone) in the pommel doubles the area of any ‘light’ spell/effects when cast on it. This reflects off the blade and creates a dazzling effect that impresses those around it.
- +1 Resilience
Lesser Attunement (1 Essence total)
- Rallying: The blade assists in rallying others around it.
- Courageous: The blade imbues its wielder and their mount with courage.
i20™ Ghostkeeper Details
Family Bloodline > Dancing Lights # times per day = Proficiency Bonus of wielder.
As long as it is wielded in hand by the possessor, they gain the following benefits:
- Adds +1 hp to any use of Second Wind
- +1 on any Bardic Inspiration used on the wielder
- +1 hp to a use of Inspiring Leader by the wielder, and wielder does not count for # affected
- +1 on any checks to Orate by the leader, the sword vibrates slightly and carries the sound of the speech twice as far.
If a Bard wielder uses Inspiring Leader or Orate, they dont have to speak the same language as long as they can move and make eye contact and the target is not considered alien.
- World Watcher and family blood > Wielder has Advantage on any check vs. Fear/Frightened condition; includes mount if mounted.
- World Watcher > Empowers and enforces any Sworn Oath
iCore™ Ghostkeeper Details
Estimated Value: ? (Silver Crowns)
Item Source: i20™ 2023
Uncommon Knowledge / Average Difficulty
It gained its name in CY 7259, at the battle of Bentwillow Creek in the east of Bar-Innis, during the first major battle it was used in. Astayd and her cavalry rode their wedge deep into the ranks of the warlord Kurst. Kurst was a local war-band leader that had gathered mercenaries, bandits, and thieves to him, and controlled three small hamlets and the crucial trade town of Bentwillow Cross. He had come as a mercenary himself years before, and abandoned the Baron who had hired him when he could not pay. Without direction himself and owed money, he killed the local lord’s son and drove his family out. He gathered the soldiers he once commanded and the worst armed men of the local region and set out to conquer. He was trying to expand his territory from eastern Bar-Innis into the Riverdans in a big way – he saw the Riverdans as weak during a time of political unrest and easily culled. In a large pitched battle, she cut down the horn signaler and helped turn the tide for her Riverdan folk, fighting alongside a couple hedge knights or the earldom and the Baron of Bentwillow. A local knight of Bar-Innis was able to kill the warlord who was fleeing without the cover the horn could have signaled. This ended a period when the Earldom of Bar-Innis was in unrest itself from larger political changes and on the verge of civil war.
Scarce Knowledge / Hard Difficulty
The sword passed to her descendants and it was lost on the The Maithen Plateau of The Riverdan of Tufflim in CY 8802 when the host on the plateau was scoured by the druids, along with the inhabitants and Orrish besieging it. At the time, it was being wielded by a brave hedge knight – sir Luther Gadroit of Umbak – who was betrothed to the daughter of the Lady of Tuflim at that time.
Duderet Armory of County Faer
Posted on March 16, 2025 in Steel-Realms
The Duderet Armory of County Faer is a long famous Prestigious Armament Crafter in County Faer of the Grand Duchy of Dunstrand. They have been operating since CY 7357 – near the founding of the county.
Crafter’s Mark: This armament tradition has their own identifiable Prestige Mark.
Prestigious Armament Crafters of the Steel Realms
Posted on March 16, 2025 in Steel-Realms
There are and have been many famous Prestigious Armament Crafters making notable Armaments of the Steel Realms. Local crafters will be found among locale information, but truly prestigious ones achieve fame across the entire realms.
Crafter’s Mark: All famous recognized crafter (or their guild/trade/school) have a Prestige Marker that is identifiable.
Black Mother’s Sourlings
Posted on March 12, 2025 in Steel-Realms
The source of the group of creatures most often referred to as the “Black Mother’s Sourlings” are fungal creatures, slimes, and the like. Initially born from a Mother’s Patch using magics of the Black Mother of Shadren faith. Although thought of as part of Creatures of the Dark Lands, many have escaped and proliferated outside of them now.
Part of the Bestiary of the Steel Realms
These creatures are generally found in the dark shadows of the Dark Lands, Underlands, Orrish communities, Nurth communities, and sometimes just dark places in the lands of light.
Black Slimes: These slimes are used to defend Nurth nests, holy places, and the priests and significant champions of the Shadren faith. The most powerful of them wear the creature like a second skin, and it will not harm them by either touch of spores. It enhances their ability to hide and ambush, and can be commanded to ‘leap’ from them to targets by the wearer. they have no odor except when the flesh they touch is burned and their spores are released – often blinding the victim.
Death Fungus: These are used to defend Nurth nests and holy places of the Shadren faith. This fungus appears reddish-grey, often being mistaken for stained stone walls and has no smell whatsoever, regardless of activity. It fluoresces in UV light, making it nearly useless against Ducateon. In places and among forces of mixed Nurth and Orrish, the Nurth have been known to grow these to assist with mutual defense.
Green Slimes: These are used to defend Nurth nests and holy places of the Shadren faith. The slimes are horridly toxic, often causing minor but permanent scars and wounds reducing the targets maximum Health and easily smelled nearby when activated. Some species, such as Grollen, can sometimes detect their faint odor when nearby if they have been in the area for a while.
Shrieker Guardians: The Nurth have given over the Death Shriek Ritual to make the Shrieker to the Orrish through the Shadren faith of the Black Mother.
i20™ Creature Details
Black Slime (a single ‘nest mother can be found defending true nurth communities), Green Slime (on a Major hit, the target suffers 1hp of permanent damage – double for Extraordinary), Shrieker (guardians), Death Fungus (violet).
iCore™ Creature Details
History of the Mathien Plateau
Posted on March 11, 2025 in Steel-Realms
The History of the Mathien Plateau is well documented, but little remembered. The once settled area of The Maithen Plateau is now abandoned, most of its inhabitants died in a cataclysm, and so few remember its chronicle these days.
Chronicle of the Maithen Plateau
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
Information Sources: Mundane Reference | Associated Phenomenology Only | Specific Lore
The History of the Mathien Plateau is well documented, but little remembered. The once settled area of The Maithen Plateau is now abandoned, most of its inhabitants died in a cataclysm, and so few remember its chronicle these days. The Maithen Plateau is in Hopalen Mountains – a spur of the Hawktail Hills – in the Riverdan of Tuflim.
After the battle with the Orrish that tore the area apart, a few attempts were made to reclaim it and rebuild. However, the terror of the Fall of The Dog Fort permeated the ground over which the Orrish spilled so much blood. People had visions and dreams that infected them with the memories of the dying – and so it was abandoned.
Common Knowledge / Easy Difficulty
The area was rich in resources – multiple mines and settlements and even some agriculture. Orrish came many times, and the Watch Vault of Kunlay was built to hold in their incursions.
Uncommon Knowledge / Average Difficulty
“Calamity of White Lake“: When the forces of the Orrish overran The Maithen Plateau settlements in CY 8802 and The Watch Vault of Kunlay, the druids summoned a powerful anima spirit like they did at Spakaya (The Dog Fort), that drew forth all the water in the underground area and White Lake to sweep everything aside. A raging, frothing water steed led the front of a massive wave, drawing it along, and grinding the retreating forces that had overwhelmed Kunlay back into its breach, cracking rocks and sweeping them back into The Underlands.
Those that were left in hiding were rooted out by a combined host of Riverdan soldiers, a platoon of the earl’s archers and mercenaries hired by the Earl of Bar-Innis and knights of County Faer swept through the entire Maithen Plateau area and butchered them, sparing none then went on to do the same at Spakaya.
Scarce Knowledge / Hard Difficulty
There is residual power left in the anima fount the druids opened to scour the plateau.