Solderlith Steward

## Solderlith Stewards

Solderlith Stewards are constructs found within the Valley of the Winged Throne.

## Description

Shaped akin to a large humanoid standing around nine foot tall encased in plate armour, Solderlith Stewards appear to be a construction of metal, stone and radiant flame, utilising all in turn for sake of offence and defence alike. According to Mother, the Solderlith Stewards have protected the Valley for generations having been first created after an attack by the gold dragon Galgiltardhi, who sought to claim the treasures of the castle. While they were eventually defeated, it proved the need for additional bolstering of the kingdom's defences and defenders alike, heralding their creation.

Recently however, the Stewards seem to serve primarily to hunt down incursions into the demiplane by creatures such as Phaechrar, seemingly attracted to the Valley of the Winged Throne due to its vast size and scope of existence.

## History

Solderlith Stewards were encountered by an adventuring party in 134WD when they found themselves in the Valley while on pursuit of a Phaechrar to capture and study. From afar, they witnessed the Steward create a long chain-like whip from radiant light that it used to strike down one such aberration, before moving in to tear it in two using its glowing gauntlets.

## Research

### Completed by Anivia Reman

Working off memories of the appearance rather than a physical specimen invariably results in some increased challenges to the research process, but through efforts to compare understanding of visuals, movement and abilities with those others with some knowledge, research by means of comparison to a number of historical armour detailings, guard organisations and other useful or perhaps relevant details starts, finally, to be yielding some form of result.

As per the findings on much within the Valley of the Winged Throne, fundamentally the Solderlith Stewards appear to be an amalgamation of several details scattered from across the Realms at various points of history - and further afield besides. The helms, featuring an upward curved frill on either side are in themselves passingly reminiscent of the cranial morphology of a brass dragon, and in as such similar in some senses to the armour worn of the elite guard of the Empire of Raq, coached and trained in ancient fighting styles as they were by the Emperor's Counsel, Havaelirro. Conversely, the heavily interwoven design of the plate is instead more akin to that worn by the elite troops of the Realm of Gawylthlan, the Slate-Stone Kingdom's long-standing martial heritage having long bred the finest armourers in Ahlus.

However, Gawylthlian stylings are often brutalist and functional, and thus the embellishments upon the armour depicting flames, vines or veins - there seems to be uncertainty on the definitive nature of this - are instead more like the highly-detailed enamelled surfaces utilised by some amongst the Duchies of Tynd, although said etchings are usually done with layers of coloured glass set over the metal, instead of into the metal itself. Nonetheless, in reference to the deities with which they are most aligned and most deeply revere, the flames, vines or veins may align with the Duchies of Gornach, Griesada or Mannefeld, representing the fire of Taranis' eye, the blooms of Buwello's passage or the trails of ore set by Ilemer. Alternatively, the patterns could be the ripples of a whirlpool, as depicting on much of the armour of Kingbourne, and its geographical successor, the Hollow Concord. Looking further afield, many extraplanar forces seeking to intimidate do so with depictions of skulls, affixing bladed spikes to their armour - particularly so the combatants of the Blood War, although such adornments are equally found in more mortal places too, particularly amongst the stalwart and steadfast defenders of nobles throughout the ages intended to shutdown dissent by means of appearance before even a blade need be drawn. Finished with the depiction of a dragon skull upon the centre of the breastplate, this appears to be a reference to the reason of their origin - the assault on the Valley of the Winged Throne by the dragon Galgiltardhi - whose skull is now displayed within the main entry courtyard.

Naturally, there is a long-standing history of creating constructs wrought from stone and metal, both of which appear to be the source of primary structure to the Stewards. Both Stone and Iron Golems are hardly common in their occurrence throughout Ahlus but certainly not unheard of or unusually novel, although the means and manuals to make them was very rarely known, even amongst spellcasters. Prohibitively expensive, it can only be guessed at the resources necessary to produce the dozen or so seen throughout the castle. While only passingly witnessed, the energy contained within the Stewards appears to be primarily radiant in nature, suggesting a divine origin, and thus perhaps instead simply created rather than more formally manufactured over the course of numerous days, weeks and months.