Noxious Realm of Downpour and Despair
Darklord: Lady Rookstride
Genres: Disaster Horror and Folk Horror
Hallmarks: Caustic rainfall, insulated communities, nature gone insane, desperate cannibals
Mist Talismans: Cracked potion bottle that emits a sterile chemical odor, tattered parisol, wooden Holy Symbol of The Fates
Rookhelm is a Realm forever pinned under an endless blanket of gloomy, grey clouds that mute the sun into a hazy, small spot of forlorn light in the sky even on the clearest of days. Perpetually overcast, there is always at least a slight drizzle of caustic rain that irritates any organic flesh that it touches. This is, at best, a slight annoyance, but when heavy rains drench the land and the noxious clouds above weep down their stinging tears, the wise seek shelter as soon as possible, or fall victim to painful chemical burns on exposed flesh.
As a result of this caustic rainfall, the lakes and rivers of Rookhelm are contaminated and unfit for drinking. The very environment rebels against this perversion of nature, and plant life grows aggressive and hungry for sustenance. With their water sources polluted, the native animals are befouled and unfit to consume as well. Similarly, crops grow tainted and offer no nutritional benefit.
The only method of purifying the food and water of this insane place is through the ingenious invention of its Darklord, the mysterious, deviously brilliant Alchemist known only as Lady Rookstride. After creating a White, flaky powder that purifies any contaminated food or water it comes in contact with, Lady Rookstride offers her so-called Salubrity Ash to those who can offer her suitable tribute. Those who do not acquire a dose of the Lady's brilliance often fall to starvation, or the cruel insanity that comes with cannibalism.
NOTEWORTHY FEATURES
Those familiar with Rookhelm know the following facts:
-It is perpetually raining (from a light drizzle to a feverish downpour) in this gloomy Realm, and exposure to the toxic rainfall on bare skin can be uncomfortable (at best) to downright painful (at worst), depending on the intensity.
-The water, crops and wildlife are all contaminated, and their meat and drink offer no sustenance. One must boil water to purify it for drinking. Sources of food are far less simple to safely consume...
-Lady Rookstride is a peerless Alchemist who has concocted a marvelous powder named Salubrity Ash that can be sprinkled onto food and water to instantly purify fit and make fit for consumption. Without this miraculous powder, starvation, sickness and death will rack the land. She does not give her Salubrity Ash away freely, however, and only trades a cask of it to a settlement in exchange for tribute at the start of each month. She is the uncontested law within Rookhelm’s borders.
-Magic is rare in Rookhelm, and those who practice the arcane arts are looked upon with suspicion. Similarly, magical items are exceedingly rare. Even druidic magic is feared, for the land itself is twisted and warped, and this has also corrupted the normally pure, primal forces that druidism manipulates.
-The Darklord’s brutal, cruel bodyguard is known as Sir Ashlane, and his weathered, aged appearance conceal unnatural strength and frightening combat capabilities, all of which are rumored to be due to the endless vitality and strength potions that his employer pays him in.
-Some desperate souls resort to cannibalism to satiate their endless hunger, turning into twisted, deformed wrecks called Calibans.
-There is no organized religion in Rookhelm, but some settlements revere capricious spirits of fortune collectively called The Fates.
-A constant sheet of ever-falling, flesh-disintegrating rain acts as a border around Rookhelm, and Lady Rookstride makes certain to always keep her borders up. No one native to Rookhelm may escape as long as she holds the realm under her purview.
SETTLEMENTS AND SITES
Rookhelm has a number of curious (and dangerous) locations of interest, many of which play into Lady Rookstride’s morose, mysterious history.
Rookstride Manor
Located in the lush, rolling Kolphesh Hills, the lavish abode of the Darklord of Rookhelm stands behind tall and pointed iron gates. Within its maze-like construction, Lady Rookstride endlessly attempts to outdo her latest alchemical concoction, never finding herself wreathed in the praise her brilliance rightfully deserves. Few have ever entered the black gates of her abode and lived to tell the tale.
The Village of Hallondry
By far the most populated settlement in all of Rookhelm, Hallondry is a tightly knit community brought together by mutual struggle and the need for unity in the face of adversity. Being dependable is the most important thing to Hallondry’s residents, who spend the majority of their time trying to gather fitting tribute for their monthly visit from Lady Rookstride, who offers them a cask of her miraculous Salubrity Ash in exchange for an ever-increasing display of gratitude and fealty. As the months drag on, the Tribute she expects only amplifies.
Rotsplinter Woods
Strangely enough, wild animals are not the most dangerous predators in the dark, foreboding woods known as Rotsplinter. Due to the toxic nature of the rainfall in Rookhelm, the plants and trees and flowers of Rotsplinter have gone insane with hunger, and seek to devour any warm, blood-filled thing that they can wrap their vines or branches around. A lone Elven visitor from another Realm makes his home in the winding trails of Rotsplinter, aghast at how nature has been twisted and warped in this horrid, strange land.
Gristlewick Caverns
This winding series of caverns is home to a growing community of cannibals whose desperation turned to depravity, forever twisting their physical bodies into monstrous Calibans, who live only to consume flesh and blood. Their savage society is led by a fearsome and violent psychopath known only as Sharptongue.
Thademont House
This nefarious estate is nothing more than a charred, blackened husk of a once fine structure. Thademont House has been burned down for as long as anyone cares to remember, and the area still radiates a pulsing, otherworldly heat, even though the horrendous fire that gutted the place has been snuffed out an eternity ago. The air is still hot with the stink of sizzling flesh, and very few living beings choose to spend any more time there than is absolutely necessary. No one in Rookhelm can recall a time when the large house was not a burned-out husk.
Lake Swillig
A large, foreboding lake surrounded by marshland plays home to all manner of disturbing aquatic creatures and beings. It is not uncommon for these gilled horrors to make their way to land and cause mischief or destruction. A crazed fisherman keeps his small home near the Lake, on constant alert for whatever slimy abomination might creep out of the dark waters.
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