The Blood Sky over The North

Steel Realms

The Blood Sky over The North is a Steel Realms Timeline Tale; recorded knowledge as one of the Events & Tales of the Steel Realms. On CY 9184, month 12, a stillness descended over the north. Above eastern Kaald, North Gate Pass (with North Gate Garrison) and Fallen Dundaria, shooting stars filled the sky, but they were red, and left glowing red streaks. These landed somewhere in the Lich Lord land.


Chronicle/Facts of the Event

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Trivial Outcome / Very Easy Difficulty & Pervasive Knowledge

Information Sources: Mundane Reference | Associated Phenomenology Only | Specific Lore

For those native to or long-dwelling in the region, ALL Common Knowledge may be Pervasive.

Rumors About the Event
  1. Many in the North felt The Blood Sky over The North was related to the Hag’s Hatred.

Simple Outcome / Easy Difficulty & Common Knowledge

For those native to or long-dwelling in the region, ALL Common Knowledge may be Pervasive.

The event took place about an hour after sunset on CY 9184, month 12.The last fell before dawn.

Minor Outcome / Average Difficulty & Uncommon Knowledge

They leave sparkling red streaks across the sky as they crash down deep in remote places. These sparkles looked almost drop shaped as they fell lower, like glowing blood from a wound in the sky.

The weather had become strangely stable and calm, and there were virtually no clouds in the sky above The Hinterlands, and the powerful gusts coming from Lichrya to the east had fallen silent.

The druids and priests along the Autumn Wall struck them from the sky or extinguished them.

Blood of the Mother: It came to be called the “Blood of the Mother” – though no goddess ever took credit for it. Several rocks exist, still glowing and protected from the elements. These respond to neither the sensing of grace or the occult.

Though the trail of lights fell in many places, they seem to have no effects b ut to make whatever they touched a glowing magenta until washed off.

While none of these shooting stars of the The Blood Sky over The North (CY 9184, month 12) crashed into the Grand Duchy of Rhyl, the glittering trail of lights did descend upon The Sky Stair Peaks & Altain Mountain Range in general, Montwold Protectorate, even some of the Gaur Dinuae Forest as well as North Gate Pass (with North Gate Garrison).

Scarce Knowledge / Hard Difficulty

While no prophecy or alarmists warnings or proclamations fit these possible portents, it is seen as a bad omen – though for the Lich Lords, their enemies, or anything or anyone else is anyone’s guess.

Their nature was never revealed, despite attempts by divine and occult authorities.

Rare Knowledge / Very Hard Difficulty


Corpsefire Days

CY 9184, Month 12 The Fields of Blood were affected in some way by the The Blood Sky over The North. An unknown bacteria affected the plants there from the falling debris. The corpses grew rapidly and the number had tripled the harvest for the year for the Winter Host of the Lich Lord’s.

It was discovered though, that those Animations of Helca affected by The Blood Sky over The North had to be used quickly as they were also vulnerable to fire and their form unstable to just about everything within months. Several hundred were so saturated that they released the inner radiant fire when they were struck and/or died. It was found by the Lich Lords that the creatures and spirits of the Valley of Sighs ignored these creatures – giving them a wide berth.

Several units had gone to the front in Kaald and North Gate Garrison before this was realized. They also were sent to terrorize the eastern edges of The Grand Duchy of Rhyl.

CY 9185, Month 2 These fire-born corpses were sent at first into the inhospitable territory of the Dark Lands. After they moved or worked a certain amount, first their eyes would glow, then their skin would glow as well. This glow was like a fuse, and when they died they would explode – casting the shimmering poisonous glow all around them. While they were effective in poisoning a few water sources with their radiant energy, and fought the same, their inner glow made them easy to spot.

CY 9185, Month 3 They were sent to the lands of the living. The forces of the ranger brotherhood of _ began to track them and kill them from a distance. Eventually, the dozen or so were killed, after poisoning a few hundred, but only killing a few dozen. They were led by a half-giant kin wight once of the kingdom of Dundaria called Athoz. His real identity was long forgotten.

CY 9185, Month 4 Athoz the half giant Wight led forces affected by the The Blood Sky over The North for the Lich Lords; He was subsumed by his desire to wreak revenge upon the living that walled him in his grave alive. He was tracked and attacked repeatedly, and was harried across the countryside. He left a wake of poisoned ichor behind him. It will take the Reclamation of the Wyld offices hundreds of years to heal the soil, water, and crops it destroyed.

Though thought dead, he managed to return to his masters, hacked and torn, with a report of their accomplishments.

CY 9185, Month 4 Units of the Lich Lord’s animations fighting in Kaald and North Gate Garrison appeared to be infused with some inner fire, making them vulnerable to fire themselves but releasing a magenta hued shimmering poisonous fire themselves when they died and killing those of the living it touched. It is believed to be related to The Blood Sky over The North.

The radiant impregnated corpses gradually sloughed their flesh and fell apart.

The Lich Lords were able to seal many in the frigid sheath of the Cold Bargain for a time to consider how best to use them as weapons. Rather than using them militarily, they plan to use them to poison the waters of defenders in stealth operations in the north along the front lines.


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