Tag: srlm
The Dwindor Covenant
Posted on September 13, 2023 in Steel-Realms
The Covenant (pact) between The Witch of Dwindor Swamp and her agents.
The Ancient Covenant
The Witch of Dwindor is Dunstrand. Her will is the light that guides the hidden powers that move, make, and destroy the fortunes of the ancient vale of Dunstrand. Every creature in the vale is her eyes, ears, nose and mouth; what they perceive she may perceive. I too am an extension of her senses and agent of her will in all things. She is the shadowy mother of intrigue, the iron maiden of war, and the withered crone of disaster. She is the vengeance that flows down from the peaks, rivers, and clouds over those that would bring down her spirit and drench the vale in the blood of strife. I deliver wrath upon those she decrees. So to do i operate to ensure those she deems worthy flourish in her machinations. While i am within the vale, she is the ultimate power I look to, the answers to what I seek lies within her vision and so i align my efforts and goals to elevate her and the power of the vale.
The Dwindor Bond
In order to keep watch over and secure the sleep of the evil burried in the swamp, there must always be a “Witch of Dwindor” who takes the Dwindor Bond. It requires Meditation, and a familiarity in ceremony and ritual.
The ‘womb’ of Dwindor can only be entered by those who have been Blood Pledged to the Dwindor Bond.
Pledge of the Blood: The next generation must be pledged at any given time. If not, the next of kin of the current witch will be hunted and killed by the swamp denizens.
Oath of Service
The oath that those who serve her now is much abbreviated. It is simple, and goes thusly:
“While in Dwindor, I bow to her wishes in everything – though they be in opposition to mine. The Witch of Dwindor sees more than I and I, as her agent, will fulfill her requests with all the powers of my disposal.”
D20
ICoreD20 Adherent of the Dwindor Witch
The character commits themselves to the a power base of the Vale of Dunstrand and the interests of the Witch of Dwindor. Their power as an agent is measured in Pledged levels (# of levels the character has achieved while in service to her). While they do have an extra measure of power, none of them work against the Witch herself. The character fulfills as Geas and sacrifices 1 Essence at the time of their oath, and a Geas at each 4 levels. While within Dunstrand, her Adherents gain the use of one of the following powers per level pledged (does not change once taken):
- Required: Under the effects of a Gentle Repose spell.
- Advantage on saves vs. Poison and Disease from sources in the swamp.
- Advantage on Sanity saves from sources of fear/fright in the swamp.
- Advantage on Survival checks.
- Advantage on Nature checks.
- Immune to the Entangle spell.
- Immune to Thorn Whip and Ray of Frost cantrips.
- Ability to cast Fog Cloud 1/Short Rest; it does not obscure the vision of the caster.
- Ability to cast Pass Without Trace 1/Short Rest.
- Gain the benefits of Non Detection.
- Ability to cast Purify Food and Drink 1/Short Rest.
- No Moor Cat will attack the character.
Her true followers are actual Druids, Clerics, Warlocks and as a patron of Eldritch Knights and Arcane Tricksters.
Incarna Servant of the Dwindor Witch
- Negation Reservoir (Void)
- Aethereal Presence Spectrum
- Unarmored Maneuvers
- Accelerated Healing
- Accomplished Activity
- Adaptable Form
- Agile Communicator
- Ambidextrous
- Anemia
- Appearance
- Armored Maneuvers
- Armored Skin
- Assets
- Aura of Fortune
- Aura of Luck
- Bad Luck
- Berserk
- Blood Deficiency
- Bound Fates
- Challenged Communicator
- Chi Reservoir ( Kinetic Anima)
- Climbing
- Communication Expressions
- Decrepitude (Accelerated/Delayed)
- Deep Sleeper
- Fates Warning
- Flora Bound
- Flying
- Focus Reservoir ( Psychic Anima)
- Good Luck
- Inhibited Healing
- Iron Will
- Jumping
- Kinetic Affinity
- Light Sleeper
- Mana Reservoir ( Occult Anima)
- Martial Mastery
- Natural Hunter
- Nightmares
- Observant
- Occult Familiarity
- Running (movement)
- Shared Litany (Follower of Faith)
- Steeled Reserve
- Super Senses
- Swimming (diving)
- Toughness
- Uneducated
- Wonderment
Silver Lining Lenders
Posted on September 9, 2023 in Steel-Realms
The territories of Richfield, Bar-Innis, Loamwold, and Tarmysia use a local organization of the Silver Lining Lenders. It is centered in the city of Mev in Bar-Innis in the Grand Duchy of Dunstrand. They use bonded mercenaries to move monies and goods, and never take risks. They generally move goods of land. While the Riverdan Lords are highly suspicious of outsiders and insular in culture, those in western Dunstrand have been known to use their services. Their mission remains mostly the same as the original vision.
Basic Services: They serve as a lender, a vault, and issue bank notes for major legitimate businesses in their territory. They will hold a maximum of 5000sc for a small monthly fee – they are not a secured bank and generally do not deal in transactions larger than that.
Mission:
Institutional Relations: Historically, there have been tensions from large bank and lending institutions like Bank of the Silver Stacks and Silver Lining Lenders. While nothing major has ever happened, the Office of the High King’s Vaultworks (and sometimes World Watchers)
Chronicle of Silver Lining Lenders
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
Richfield, Bar-Innis, and Tarmysia use a local organization of the Silver Lining Lenders. It is centered in the city of Mev in Bar-Innis of Dunstrand.
It is an old family, Miriam Orlaheim, who began her tenure of her house in the Lowland Council of Bar-Innis. She and her husband opened a family business lending money legitimately to smaller organizations and private parties. She did not marry after becoming a widower at a young age, but married her three sons into prominent Tarmysian families. Over several generations, her sons and their offspring, part of the Tarmysian culture, became dominant money lenders and holders in Tarmysia. She passed her business on to her sister’s daughter. Within 100 years they served the Lowland Council and all its territories, and Tarmysia. Within 200 years, they had the dominant share in all of Bar-Innis and within 300 years secured the same position in Richfield and some of the west-most Riverdan territories.
All of the “Fish Barons” of Tarmysia and their families will deal with their organization almost exclusively – the trust was built up over hundreds of years and through much forbearance.
Common Knowledge / Easy Difficulty
They NEVER move product along the Black Shore or over water via a boat, and will not deal with West River Run.
Although the halflings of Loamwold deal almost exclusively in barter for their economy, when there is a need for finance and covering of upfront costs, Silver Lining Lenders has been there for them in the last 200 years as well.
CHRONICLE > Dunstrand Rising is a Living World campaign set in Grand Duchy of Dunstrand in the Steel Realms of the [Fantasy] Steel Realms Setting (planet of Helca).
Impact of the War: The war has obviously hurt business, but hurt family ties as well. There are many descendants that were employed by and were held in esteem by the organization. The free and independent spirit of the Tarmysians partially infected the priorities and outlook of the company. This is in jeopardy with the ongoing war. The organization does not want to see a peace because they will lose their place and their legacy in Tarmysia if Gwinn takes it.
Uncommon Knowledge / Average Difficulty
There have been some bad “transactions” in the past between East River Run and West River Run.
Scarce Knowledge / Hard Difficulty
They are rumored to also serve as a bank and mover of funds for the League of the White Lily in most of the territory they have a presence in.
Dunstrand City of County Dunstrand
Posted on August 28, 2023
Dunstrand City is the capital of the Duchy of Dunstrand and the home of the ducal family, the Forthright’s.
Quizmans Magusterum > Arcane Mercantile
Posted on August 24, 2023 in Steel-Realms
Quizmans Magusterum exists within many bazaars, apothecaries, and curio shops that cater to the occult in between the merchant cities of the north and south where Theurgi Emporium holds sway, you may find a stand or placard that offers the services of Quizmans Magusterum – “standardized occult formularies”. These are a series of ingredients that many a shop keeper will pay for to make several standard potions and elixirs and are made to order. There are terms of service from this mysterious outfit, and that it that certain limits be put on selling to a single group – as in don’t. They only sell to “licensed” franchises. Theft from one franchise can bar you from others. Messages can be sent to an address in Oerdney, capital of Gladnor. Like most traditions/orders of the occult, they share a common Occult Culture in the Steel Realms. The institution maintains the most common elements of the Standard Occult Reliquary of the Steel Realms for members.
Operating Principle(s): “Always on hand, to allow adventurers and glory hounds an equal chance at the aid they need to achieve great things.”
Competitors/Rivalries/Prohibitions/Decrees
The competition between the institutions of Quizmans Magusterum and Theurgi Emporium stays peaceful and this is closely monitored to prevent violence by the Guild of Solars.
Goods and Services
These are typically limited to , careful ledgers are kept and reported. The materials confound attempts to reverse engineer. Most goods are in sealed containers and last for a couple rounds only when exposed to air; they are guaranteed to last at least a decade if they are not jostled. A “perma-seal” can be affixed to containers to last indefinitely for 50sc.
- There is no “buying in bulk” discount; there is a hard limit on an amount any individual group may purchase that is tracked.
Services
The standard Ryadian Oblis (Identification of Mystical Items and Effects) is provided; There is no limit on this service in terms of frequency/amount, per the occult accord of orders.
Goods
- Fog in a Bottle: Produces a large cloud of fog to obscure the area.
Value: 150sc - Feel Better: A normal healing Potion; this competes with Lily Healing items outside of the areas of western Dunstrand.
Value: 250sc - Dust of Revealing: A dust cast over an area that glitters when it touches something magical.
Value: 175sc - Spider’s Step: Allows the imbiber to climb, jump and scuttle/run like a spider.
Value: 250sc - Liquid Courage: Imbiber gains Fear immunity for 10 minutes.
Value: 250sc - Marching Powder: Increases the movement rate of the imbiber.
Value: 250sc - Wizard Fire: Fragile bottle that shatters and self-ignites of fire that burns a single humanoid sized target and lasts 2 rounds.
Value: 50sc - Compass of Evil Detection: A device that is reusable, a go that is poured onto it and fizzles and evaporates for 10 minutes, pointing in the direction of the evil.
Value: 150sc device + 50sc per dose
i20™ Quizmans Magusterum Goods and Services
Common Elements
Made to order: 1 day to prepare. Cost: Common elements are around 100-300sc. A PC group can purchase a maximum of their 1 + the number of positive Reputation/Notoriety levels; negative levels increase the period by 1 month per.
- Fog in a Bottle: Fog Cloud x2
- Feel Better: Healing Potion
- Dust of Revealing: Detect Magic over a 10×20 area 10’ high
- Spider’s Step: Potion of Climbing and Jumping
- Liquid Courage: Fear immunity for 10 minutes
- Marching Powder: Longstrider for 1 hour
- Wizard Fire: d6+1 fire damage
- Compass of Evil Detection: Detect Evil spell
Knowledge/Facts About Quizmans Magusterum
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
It is a highly secretive “service” and source. It is thought to be a venture of criminal minds, of the Sisterhood of Dohar Jaideen, and many a conspiracy theory abounds. In times of war and civil strife, the shipments generally stop coming.
Rare Knowledge / Very Hard Difficulty
The reality of the operation of the mercantile organization is that it is backed by the Guild of Solars and the Salamanders Guild.
Theurgi Emporium > Arcane Mercantile
Posted on August 9, 2023 in Steel-Realms
The Theurgi Emporium is a network of arcane merchants mostly in The Merchant Cities of the South with connections in the Vale Evander and some in the Guild of Solars. They have offices in many places in the south, and some even in the largest of the Merchant Cities of the North. It has rumored connections to the elven kingdom of Ynth and mages there. Like most traditions/orders of the occult, they share a common Occult Culture in the Steel Realms. The institution maintains the most common elements of Standard Occult Reliquary of the Steel Realms for members.
Operating Principle(s): “Purveyors of the Mystical for All.”
Competitors/Rivalries/Prohibitions/Decrees
The competition between the institutions of Quizmans Magusterum and Theurgi Emporium stays peaceful and this is closely monitored to prevent violence by the Guild of Solars.
Goods and Services
These are typically limited to , careful ledgers are kept and reported. The materials confound attempts to reverse engineer. Most goods are in sealed containers and last for a couple rounds only when exposed to air; they are guaranteed to last at least a decade if they are not jostled. A “perma-seal” can be affixed to containers to last indefinitely for 40sc.
- There is no standard policy for “buying in bulk” discount; individual franchises have discretion.
Services
The standard Ryadian Oblis (Identification of Mystical Items and Effects) is provided; There is no limit on this service in terms of frequency/amount, per the occult accord of orders.
Goods
Knowledge/Facts About Theurgi Emporium
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
Rare Knowledge / Very Hard Difficulty
The reality of the operation of the mercantile organization is that it is backed by the Guild of Solars and the Salamanders Guild.