In Kalah's Shadow, the fight for Yrskala - D&D3.5 system [NC][EX] [NEED DM]

[Bayushi]

DUNGEON MASTER NEEDED

When coming up with a premise for the game, oddly enough, Inglorious Basterds came to mind. So, here is a more fantasy variant, which would use the AD&D 3.5 ruleset.

Please do not ask to play in the game just yet, not until a Dungeon Master has been found.
Feel free to express interest in playing, or even offer ideas... or better yet, offer to DM the game?

DUNGEON MASTER NEEDED



Citizen!

You are called upon by your Queens, your people, and your Kingdom.

Someone must be made to pay for the brutal invasion and enslavement of your land and people. Your remaining free people make ready to invade their own homes once more, and they need YOU to go forth and make ready for their arrival.

You must find and work with the underground resistance lurking in the sewers and the farm fields of your Kingdom, and you must make them wish they'd never even heard of Yrskala.

You are to track down the sadistic Priestess' of Kalah, the goddess of the Kalashites, and make an example of them. Do worse to these monsters than they do to our brothers and sisters. You are to put fear in the hearts of the Invader.

If you are caught, you know nothing. If you are caught, you will know little but sorrow, torture, and even rape. We cannot help you if you get caught. So don't get caught.

Good luck, Soldier!


MAP of Yrskala

Be Warned! Full size map is 3004x2419 pixels!

TIMELINE of YRSKALA
Recent History:

-800 ID: Invaders from the east, crossing the Endless Depths, are repulsed at the Human townships of Daggerfall, Meadowvale, and Swordchapel. The elves make their presence known, coming out of the woodlands and flanking the invaders with heavy archers and War mages.

-550 ID: The Remote Elven city of Mountain Crest is assaulted by a small army of short humanoids. After the city is razed, all but a handful of the elves slaughtered, the Dwarves parley with the elves, agreeing to help them rebuild their city as an apology for their unexpected assault. The Elves facilitate contact between the reclusive Dwarves and the Humans.

-520 ID: A second invasion from across the Endless Depths lands northeast of the Lady's Shallow Lake, coming around the north end of the Seaward Mountain range. The invaders advance quickly, using Kingdom roads to ride swiftly to the Kingdom's capitol, Hammerfall. While the invader lay siege to Hammerfall, the Queen and her retinue escape to Swordchapel, pursued by the Invader. With the aid of a Dwarven assault as the Queen fled, they made to the southern reaches, past the Doldrums wasteland, setting up camp and building a fort at what is now known as Lady's Respite.

The garrison at Meadowvale sallied forth and drove the Invader into the Dwarves, who brought them low from behind.

-500 ID: Separate castles and fortresses were constructed on the large isles within the Sea of Tears, should the Invader lay siege again.

-200 ID: The Elves reveal their presence once more, announcing that the large island to the Southwest of the lush farmland known as the Azrith Plain was their Kingdom. While people could visit, the land was sacred to the elves, and no other enterprise or invasion would be permitted on the island.

-150 ID: In return for their claiming the island, which the Elves named 'Sanctity', the Elves using the power of nature, fertilize the smaller Island to the east of Sanctity, south of the Azrith River's mouth. Using techniques learned from the Dwarves, the Elves construct a large town on the island for the Humans to occupy, later named Gwenbrook, named for the Elven Queen, Gwenylvien.

-1 ID: Reports from westward patrols out of Hawk Hallow report what appeared to be a large army massing just outside of the Kingdom in the desert known as the Shattered Wastes.

-2 months ID: Reports reach Hammerfall that the large army has begun an invasion, and were driving on Hawk Hallow. The Queen, Lady Anatoliya orders that all craftsman pack their tools and available crafts, and begin to sail to Lord's View and Lady's Grace.

-2 months -0 ID: The new Invader drives on Hammerfall, stymied time and again by elven archers and war mages. Unfortunately for the elves, they were driven north by the massive army, their backs to a large lake, formerly Lake Silver Falls. The elves were rounded up with little mercy, the women enslaved and the men drowned in the lake, giving the lake it's new name, Elfdrown Lake.

0 days ID: ID... Invasion Day. The grand human city of Hammerfall falls with little to no violence, those who hadn't left being taken by the invader and placed into slavery.

ID +3 months: The elves of Sanctity contact the human settlement of Gwenbrook, kept safe from the invasion by the water, which the Invader, known as the Kalashites, would NOT cross. Elven diplomats sail aboard human warships to Lady's Grace, bringing a request for an alliance to retake Yrskala.

ID +6 months: Elven scout units return with reports on the mainland. The invaders, the Kalashites, have enslaved the human population, using them as slave labor. The elves captured were used as pleasure slaves(women) and pain slaves(men and women both). The Halflings who had not fled with the humans to the Islands had relocated to the Dwarven strongholds; which still stood, the Kalashites wary of Dwarven prowess in defending their homes.

ID +7 months: Various Humans, Elves, Halflings, and Dwarves are formed into small teams and are being sent to the mainland to act covertly against the Invader. That day is today.

Kalah
Mistress of Pain, Painbringer

Symbol: A nine-tailed Scourge
Home Plane: The Barrens of Doom and Despair
Alignment: Lawful Evil
Portfolio: Pain, hurt, agony, torment, suffering, torture
Worshipers: Beguilers, torturers, evil warriors, the Kalashite
Cleric Alignments: LE, LN, NE
Domains: Evil, Law, Retribution, Strength, Suffering
Favored Weapon: Scourge

Kalah is the aggressive, domineering, and fearless patron of torturers, sadists, and bullies; in addition to serving as the matron goddess of the Kalashite people. She has a cold and calculatingly cruel nature and an icebound heart. The Mistress of Pain has an instinct for inflicting both physical and psychological pain, always striking at the biggest chink in her victim's emotional armor. Unlike most bullies, she does not feel pain herself, but her plans often inherently rely on the innate selfishness of human nature.

The church of Kalah, dominated by the female humans of the Kalashite, is strongest in the western wasteland cities of Kalah's Kiss and Sand Hollow, where newcomers are often recruited from the ranks of the bored and wealthy.

The church itself is matriarchal, though men do rise to positions of power, albeit rarely. Kalah does not discriminate against worshipers who do her bidding by bringing others pain.

The teachings of Kalah were perverted over five centuries past to include the desert people of the Kalashite, named for the goddess, giving them the desire to 'punish' all non-Kalashite in Kalah's name.

Dogma: The world is filled with pain and torment, and the best that one can do is to suffer those blows that cannot be avoided and deal as much pain back to those who offend. Kindnesses are the best companions to hurts, and increase the intensity of suffereing. Let mercy of sudden abstinence from causing pain and of providing unlooked-for healing come over you seldom, but at whim, so as to make folk hope and increase the Mystery of Kalah's Mercy. Unswerving cruelty will turn all folk against you. Act alluring, and give pain and torment to those who enjoy it as well as to those who deserve it most or would be most hurt by it. The last, fire, and cold are the three pains that never fail the devout. Spread Kalah's teachings whenever punishment is meted out. Pain tests all, but gives strength of spirit and true pleasure to the hardy and true. There is no true punishment if the punisher knows no discipline. Wherever a whip is, there is Kalah. Fear her – and yet long for her.

[Bayushi]

I forgot to add...

This would likely be easiest run as a level 8-12 campaign, given the 'epic' nature of things?

But then, I'm not the DM.