Navel of Rhyl Forest

Steel Realms

Deep near the heart of the Rhyl Forest in the northern Steel Realms is a place known as Songhome – the Navel of Rhyl Forest. It is a place of great beauty, filled with strong hills, many glades and springs, and filled with light animal and bird sounds.

An animus font pulses at the forest’s core, releasing energy into the Laey of Helca. They Laey is anchored in this place with barbs that channel elemental energies. Creatures that find their way here are generally welcome, except those of non-faerie Faeybrin origins – men and their primitive ilk. They are mostly immune to its true beauty, and see only resources to take where others see a thing that must be kept safe and preserved. Magic is stronger at the Navel, and it leads many intruders to their death. The forest itself actively seeks to keep this place hidden from those that would despoil it. Paths change, watering holes go foul, trees and foliage block the way and all other manner of attacks by swarms and changes to the terrain that impede such travelers. Faerie kind, the gentle halflings, and Skraelings are given more leeway than others, and even the half elves of certain perspective seem to be able to move through its deeper reaches – even getting to meet and speak to the legendary druid guardians. Not even world watchers are welcome without an invite or parley first.

Klaurians: Among the refugees of The Blood of Saemon were a band of centaurs. After the great battle in the Valley of Sighs subsided, they quietly left, following a beacon calling to their chief and shaman. For ages they were thought to have gone extinct, but they settled in the Heart. They grew even bigger, and became its premiere guardians – the Kalurians (originally Klaurian was their clan name). They are massive, powerful, passionate, militaristic, and compulsive protectors of the forest. They consume fermented mare’s milk, and spend much time revelling in dance and song. To this day it is accepted that if you see one of their kind, you have gone too deep. They have no known mercy and only communicate through chosen speakers for the Wyld Faith.

Anima Manifest: The Numinous Mundi of Helca manifest strongly in all the Navels of the great forests of Awakened Helca. A Laey line of power always flows directly through the the Navels, where they offer succor and health to those of who have taken the “Green Passage” (such as Druids, Rangers, and their associated World Watcher presence in the Steel Realms.

Realm's Aptitude Powers: Divine, Occult, and Psychic