Tag: srlm
Cults, Orders and Sects of Merkaine (Lady of Fire)
Posted on January 9, 2024 in Steel-Realms
Lady of Fire/h2>
– This is the dominant order of the faith. It has common Group/Institution elements.
Cleric, Paladin – These are archetypes dedicated to serving and representing the faith in iconic roles as part of their function; Others may be available as Followers at GM discretion – serving as institutional officers, community officers, or simply through Conviction and shared liturgical beliefs.
The Common Face of Faith: Like most Faiths of the Steel Realms, there may be a multitude of denominations that make up Cults, Orders and Sects of Merkaine. These share the common Workings of Faith, promoting worship to prove the truth of the Divine Principal's ideals and tenets, and allow Followers a means to prove worthy to wield power and secure a place in the promised afterlife. Merkaine has a Dominant Presentation of their faith, clergy, and institutions that the folk of the realms look to.
Options for PC’s in the Steel Realms
i20™ Faith Details
Clerics in service to the faith have the callings (subclasses) of Light, Life, Order, and Nature; Others may be available at GM discretion or through other cults, sect, or orders. Paladins in service to the faith have the callings (subclasses) of Ancients and Devotion; Others may be available at GM discretion or through other cults, sect, or orders.
iCore™ Faith Details
Shialine (agent of Malek)
Posted on January 5, 2024 in Steel-Realms
Shialine was a young priestess of Ikribu, who was raised through the church quickly. Her vanity led her to feel that she deserved more than the life of the clergy, that Ikribu should be showing his light directly through HER. Vanity and pettiness led her to leave the church and seek out Everdark, who was more than happy to convert Ikribus’ prize priestess.
Fallen Priestess: While the attention and rewards were closer to what Shialine wanted, it eventually became clear to her that she was nothing to Everdark, merely a trophy. She again fell from grace, and gathered a following to bring down the church of Everdark. Malek was pleased by the chaos she generated, and was particularly interested in the worshipful following she’d gathered. He whispered in her ear constantly, convincing her that she in fact was a god, that the people were RIGHT to worship her. When she was fully convinced of this he pulled her from her earthly realm, and showed her the life of gods.
Malek’s Chosen: Shialines following was never as large as any other churches, which only triggered her vanity further. Malek taught her how to generate power through means other than worship. He told her how to see the change of power as a from of worship to her. Betrayal and theft soon became common practices for her followers. This is what led to her down fall later. Shialine always had 7 male Champions of the church, each with a different title and task. Blink and Cabuse became 2 of those champions, going so far as to kill their predecessors (not uncommon). Blink had been too focused in his travels to ever have time for women, and was a virgin when he entered the faith. Once he saw the depictions of Shialine, and heard the story’s of her beauty that inspired men to worship, he swore that his first love would be to his goddess.
A Son is Born: Many years went by, and Shialine took Blink in her arms, leading to the birth of Anlach. She refused to let Blink take his son to the mortal realm, leaving Blink to begin his plotting to bring Shialine down.
Cabuse had lost his champion status when his body was inhabited by the ancient spirit of Whisper. His family was of a bloodline meant to give Whisper fresh hosts as the years went on. Cabuses’ lineage had a history of being able to see other planes of existence, and through Shialines power Cabuse had been able to travel to some of them. When Whisper took him over, he used the power of Djerduth to take this ability to an entirely new level. Whisper having his perception filtered by that of an insane childlike being, remained Blinks friend. In what was the largest betrayal in the church of Shialine, Blink had Cabuse take him to Shialines realm, where they stole Anlach and took him to the Steel Realms. The betrayal led to Blink falling from grace, but for Shialine it created a paradox of sorts. Her church had always thrived in the belief that the change of power was HER power, but all the power generated for this betrayal had no focus, nowhere to channel her will. the from of that power was within her, and she had no ability to stop it as that power tried to follow it’s source. Shialine was pulled through Cabuses’ portal as it closed, falling to the steel realms in her physical from, and her Deity status staying behind. It took several years and many fights, but she did eventually come to accept Blink again, and stayed with him and their son, until she could return to her ‘rightful place.Reliquary
These are known holy items associated with her. They are all assumed to be lost.
i20™ Holy Dagger of Shialine Details
iCore™ Holy Dagger of Shialine Details
Holy Dagger of Shialine: 6 base dam. If wielded by a follower it grants full armor negation and the wielder can burn 10 synergy to reduce the targets last used skill by 1 for 10 rounds.
i20™ Shiruken blessed by Shialine Details
iCore™ Shiruken blessed by Shialine Details
Shiruken blessed by Shialine: 2 base dam, 1 am to throw, causes aggravated wounds that get worse if left alone past 5 rounds. Fully armor negating for followers. On a full hit the target makes a will vs the thorwers conviction or permanently lose a point of san.
Lock of Shialines Hair: This can track down those seeking or in service to Malek, no matter the protections they have made, mystical or otherwise.
i20™ Lock of Shialines Hair Details
iCore™ Lock of Shialines Hair Details
Lock of Shialines Hair: Grants a direct link to shialine for follower (probably worthless now due to her fallen status.) Still valuable to followers or collectors. Sacrificial value may vary. (Personal note to you berger: Shialine hated everdark, was hated by malek, and was jealous of ikrubu.)
Thlunumbaros Lamaserai
Posted on January 5, 2024 in Steel-Realms
Thlunumbaros Lamaserai; The institution maintains the Standard Occult Reliquary of the Steel Realms for members.
Prevelance
The order has 1 guild house and 3 towers of power (where blood cauldron ceremonies are practiced).
Stone Tree of the South
The symbol of the Sundered South is the symbol of the order.
This order has only been established for two centuries, about CY 8912. Many orders come and go, especially when their founder dies. This order has proven especially resilient – and has risen to power in the far fringes of Balletogue and the eastern borderlands. They make their home in the desolate Dotham Valley Basin – in a small side valley called the Valley of Stone Trees as some horrible event in the past caused many of the trees to turn to stone. Most have crumbled over time, but many remain, creating a bizarre backdrop to the Guild’s compound – at the center of which is a massive tower called simply, The Palace.
‘In the palace no one is safe; every passage and corridor holds a web of intrigue. Each room a gathering of hidden currents. A word spoken in confidence at sunrise may be common knowledge to all by night fall – and him that spoke may not live to see another day.’
They seem to focus heavily less on the formal instruction of magi, but more on banding together for common cause – whatever these are remain a mystery to outsiders.
Rumored to all be Set worshipers… also rumored to be monks and other things. They are also rumored to be steeped in the practice of employing Blood Spirits and the Cauldron of Blood.
Prominent Members
Eaton Sandhurst
Brown Brother
Path of Influence: Arapia – Magus to the Baron of Reigel (one time apprentice to Eaton; broke due to ethical differences)
Ranks (low to high):
- Gold
- Blue
- Red
- Brown (only 10)
- Black (only 3)
Mode of Sorcery Teaching: The occult mode for
the organization is Dokiel.
Gorvyrm, Master of the Blood Vurms
Posted on December 28, 2023 in Steel-Realms
The Blood Vurms were originally created by Gorvyrm, Master of the Blood Vurms. Some of their stock was once stolen from the The Fields of Blood by the Orrish to create their Bloodworms pits.
Hearth of the Frozen Fire
Posted on December 27, 2023 in Steel-Realms
The Hearth of the Frozen Fire is a massive sacred hearth in the great hall of castle which is the home of the King of Stillness in the capital of Juniper, in the far, far north. It burns with a cold blue fire. It is the anchor to the land, to the Blue Wall, that gives feelings and a semblance of life to Theodrose and his Crystal Rider retainers.
The Hearth of the Frozen Fire is known to serve as a channeling point for the power of the Blue Wall away from its environs itself. It helps to keep the once murderous forces of Theodrose the Spectre Lord, king of Kalascor in the north, bound to the people and land he now serves, and to warn him when the power of the Fangedfrost shifts its normal course.
It is not common knowledge, but it allows communication between the Thedrose and the priests of the elemental goddesses, and the Order of Davros.
All of the Crystal Riders and Theodrose of the north are bound to this hearth. When they die, 33 years later their spirit will emerge from the ever-burning hearth of Merkaine in Castle Vulgarate.