Legends of K'Darl #1 - The Beginning

The sun kissed the horizon as Sonkla put the baby down to sleep. He was growing so fast, they would need to decide on a name soon. She still wanted to name him after his father, Rendon, but he said that he already heard his name being shouted often enough for this job and that, he did not wish to give cause to hear it more. She smiled at this, the memory of her husband making her long for his return more than ever. He should be back any day now, maybe even tomorrow if the weather stayed fair. Hopefully he would have made enough on this last trip to allow them to move to the capital. Sonkla couldn't stand the place, all that noise and the people bustling around, too busy to just stop and enjoy the day. No, she didn't like the place, but she wanted more for her son than to just be another farmers boy. If they moved to the capital, he could enrol in the academy, maybe even travel to Kreshington or Astlevonia to pursue some teaching or other. One day he could be in the Kings guard even, or perhaps he might turn to teach others what he has learnt. Whatever happened, he would have a chance at a better life.

Sonkla moved to leave the room, turning back at the doorway to take one last lingering look at the tiny boy, sound asleep, oblivious to the many futures his mother was imagining him in. She smiled and turned away, gently pulling the door to behind her. She headed downstairs and stood at the back door, looking out over the freshly ploughed fields. She could hear the horses stabled round the other side of the house, chomping on the carrots she had left for them earlier. She saw two of the workers heading into their quarters across the way, waving as they disappeared through the door, their work finished for the day. All was calm and quiet, just the way she liked it.

Sonkla headed to the pantry and fixed herself a small supper of cheese, bread and tomatoes. She poured herself a small glass of her own home made wine. Settling herself in front of the unlit fireplace, she began to eat her modest feast. Once finished, she tidied her plate away, bringing back with her the rest of the bottle of wine, setting it down next to her chair. She sat, enjoying the peace, drinking her wine. Dusk faded to night outside, and still Sonkla drank and drank and drank...

***

Sonkla suddenly shot bolt upright, the sound of glass shattering in her ears. Her wine glass. She must have dozed off, the sudden sound startling her from her slumber. No, that wasn't it. There was something else. Her brain was foggy from the wine, and she struggled to work out what was wrong. Then, she heard. A blood curdling scream across the otherwise silent night. It was coming from the workers quarters. She heard the scream again. Suddenly sober, she headed to the door, trying to see what was going on. As she opened it, she saw one of the workers knelt beside a slumped shape. Sonkla felt her stomach drop as she realised it was a body. Around them there was some sort of dark shadow, formless one moment, skeletal the next. As she watched, the woman turned and saw her. She screamed, telling Sonkla to run, but was cut off mid sentence, the darkness suddenly becoming solid, as a blade sliced clean through her, her now lifeless body dropping to the floor.

At this, Sonkla screamed in terror. She turned and slammed the door, running upstairs as fast as she could. She needed to get the baby and get out before that...that thing, whatever it was, got them too. She had never been so scared in her life. Throwing the door open into the baby's room, she hurried over to him, bundling him up. He was crying, his mother having startled him from his sleep. As she held him, she heard a crashing downstairs, the door coming off its hinges. She stood frozen to the spot,  not knowing what to do. She closed the door to the baby's room and backed away, her mind racing. As she watched, the shadow seeped under the door, rising higher and higher. Once it reached the ceiling, it suddenly turned almost solid again, revealing a skeletal form with a twisted face. It's mouth opened wider than should be possible and it let out a single, blood curdling, unnatural scream. Sonkla tried to huddle further away, but she was already as far into the corner as she could go. The baby was screaming now, the creature upsetting it more and more. She held him close to her chest, tears rolling freely down her face. The skeletal figure drifted towards her, the darkness consuming all light around her, until all she could see was its twisted face, as though it was in agony. She looked to it, her mouth moving trying to beg for mercy, but failing to produce sound. She saw the figure draw a shimmering black blade from no where and raise it high. A gentle "please" leaves Sonkla's lips. The skeletal figure held the blade high, for what felt like an eternity. Then, as though time had caught up, it brought it down hard and fast. Sonkla felt herself screaming, joining her child for a split second, before both were silenced. 

Sonkla felt a moment of searing pain, and then nothing, the darkness consuming her as she faded, until eventually, she knew no more.

Meet the Heroes

As promised, here is the post where you get to find out a bit more about our daring heroes *ahem* and see the figures my friends are using to represent them on the board when we play. The backstories that come with each character were written originally by each of my friends, but I've shortened them and edited them to fit with my writing style. So, without further delay, let's meet the heroes *cough cough*.

Joran Munroe (Andy)

Joran is an human male Psion, searching for a greater purpose in life. He knows the conflicting history of others with similar abilities, even looking up to them in a way, for they at least achieved something of note, whether good or bad. He came to discover his powers early on in life, and as a consequence, he found himself in and out of trouble as a youngster. Since then, however, he has learnt to control them better, using his powers to avoid detection when discretion was needed or to move objects to allow safe passage for him and his fellow adventurers. Yet Joran still wants more. With this goal of achieving greatness in mind, Joran serves as a member of the royal guard task force, ever searching for that one great deed that will immortalise him in future histories.

K'rang (Mike)

K'rang, as we see him now, is but a shadow of his former self. Once a powerful dark sorcerer, he was despised all along the Western coast of K'darl. He commanded an army of flesh puppets, or he did at least, until he was undone by an ancient Liche, who's remains he disturbed in his arrogance and haste. The Liche having stripped him of his powers, his army and even his body, K'rang now exists inside a hulking flesh puppet, the last he was able to summon. Seeking out spellcasters and feeding on their flesh, he hopes to regain his former knowledge, and reap revenge. He was, however, recently captured by the kings guard and, being too weak to escape, is complying with their demands, helping this task force until he is strong enough to escape and exact the revenge he so strongly desires.

The Emergency Medical War-forged (Will)

The Emergency Medical war-forged (or EMW for short) has been in the service of the royal task force for longer than any of the rest of our group. Originally meant as a gift to King Britemane IV, the war forged was left gathering dust for many years before anyone realised it was sentient. Once this secret was discovered, the EMW was donated to the royal guard. Since then, it has grown quite the reputation for getting patients drunk on Glade Hill whisky, which it seems to use in place of real medicines, and for being a tad over enthusiastic about lopping limbs off and attaching new 'donated' ones, which he seems to be constantly searching for.

Rakash (Pete)

Rakash, or Rakash of house Gheshinn to give him his full name, is a Dragonborn of old lineage. Following in tradition, as had the previous two generations of his family, he was sent to study at the ancient academy in Kreshington, founded by Krash the Unforgiving. Finding himself, however, on the receiving end of bullying from his larger and stronger siblings, pushed Rakash to learn other ways to resolve differences. He therefore studied as an ardent in the capital for many years, serving both there and in Kreshington before finally taking his place amongst the royal guard. He is not a Dragonborn of many words, as many are, but when he does speak, it is to the point and always of importance. He is a valuable asset to the task force and, more specifically, to the team.

Lesat (Steve)

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Lesat is not only the youngest member of our party, but is in fact the youngest person to ever be granted a place in the royal guard. Least has spent most of her life studying, first at the great academy in Astelvonia, then later honing her skill as a seeker at the temple of Melora. Her skills have grown stronger with each passing year, though no matter how hard she tries, she is unable to atone for her earlier sin, that of having killed her father and, by mistake, her mother also. This darkness follows Lesat around, a constant reminder of what her powers can do if they go unchecked.

Ganon (Jason)

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Ganon is the last of a once great and powerful Dragonborn house, brought low by poor leadership and misfortune. Teaching him in the ways of magic throughout his early years, his mother always stressed the importance of regaining their once proud title. Ganon excelled in the use of magic, but seeing that it alone would not be enough, he also trained in melee, using his own natural strength to his advantage. After the passing of his mother, he set out to seek fame and fortune, hoping to one day rebuild his once glorious house. It was with this same goal in mind, that he joined the royal guard, for what better place was there to earn respect, fame, riches and influence?

So, now that you've had a chance to get to know our legendary heroes, all that is left to do is to start with the story. I think I'll start at the beginning, as I often find that that is the best place to start.

*SIDE NOTE*

Some of the pictures above are not of the models being used. This post shall be updated as and when I get pictures through.

How this is going to work

So, now that I've put a few bits and pieces up about K'Darl itself, it's time to start telling the story that is unfolding currently. I'll put posts up as story fluff, but sometimes they will be out or sequence. I'll try and post events sequentially, but when I do put a post up out of sequence,  I'll be sure to make it clear where it fits in time wise. I might do this on every post, just to be doubly clear.

I think, as far as writing style goes, I'm going to adopt a style similar to that of the 'Game of Thrones' books. This means that each post will be written either from the viewpoint of a different character, or will focus on a particular character. I'm still not sure if I'll use first or third person for writing. First would be better, I think, but I'm conscious that these characters are not my characters, but those of my friends. I wouldn't want to write something that goes against their character. I'll give it some more thought and make a decision soon anyway.

This is going to be a very very long lasting project, so be prepared to stick with it for the long run. I always welcome feedback, so feel free to get in touch.

I think I'll be posting a 'Meet the Heroes' post before I start posting the story stuff, so look out for that coming in the next few days.

The History of K'Darl (shortened version)

Below is the shortened version of K'Darl's history, Chronicling major events dating back to the initial discovery of the island. I do have an extended version, but it is still a work in progress. Once it is finished, I will no doubt post it up too, but it will only be interesting to fanatics of K'Darl. For now, here is the shortened version.

The age of discovery

- Year 392 - K'darl is discovered by Valaith Alreven and his expedition fleet from the West. Over the following months the village of 'Telerwin' is established, along with 'Telerwin port' and expeditions move out over the rest of the island. These are met with resistance but nothing very notable.

- Year 393 - Settlers arrive and begin to populate the island. 'Durningway', 'Craythen' and 'Driffwood' are all established. 'Telerwin' is expanded and named as the capital.

- Year 395 - Settlers from the East arrive and establish the city of 'Bowingdon'.

- Year 396 - Wars break out over resources, leaving the island split, the region of Dunmoor to the West and the Region of Eringden to the East.

- Year 398 - A truce is called into effect, between the two kingdoms. The lonely river is named as the boundary to both Kingdoms. Neither may cross without the others permission. Both Kingdoms, paranoid of the others betrayal, construct great fortresses and armies in Duningway and Barrowden.

- Year 399 - Dunway is named as the Capital of Dunmoor. Bowingdon remains the capital of Eringden

The age of peace

Many years passed during this age, with barely any wars of note, and none between the two Kingdoms. This age was focused on construction, and civilisation rather than exploration. As a result, much of K'darl was left to it's own devices. Strange things began to happen in the North. Rumours came back to the Kingdoms from the miners, rumours of strange beasts and worse things.

In the South, to the Village of Driffwood came the elves and Eledrin. Peace between the humans and the newcomers lasted a while, but the Humans eventually moved on and established the village of Crosselworth. Driffwood, and it's surrounding forests, now belonged to the Eladrin.

A settlement of Dwarves arrives in port South of Bowingdon. An alliance is formed in secret between the peoples of Eringden and the Dwarves.

The age of Darkness

- Year 465 - Curious as to what lay beyond the mountains, a force of Dwarves set out to discover what lay there. A peninsula full of life and beauty lay before them. As the continued North they spied an island, off to the West. Setting up camp on the mainland, scouts where sent across to see what lay there. To there dismay, it looked like an ashen waste. However, upon further exploration, they discovered the remains of a vast tower. What excited the Dwarves, however, was the material from which it appeared to have been constructed. Vast stone blocks, shimmering to look at, warm to the touch even in the middle of night, lay scattered around the site. Though the tower had been destroyed many centuries ago by the look of things, no damage had come to the stones from which it had been made. The leader of the expedition, Kanin Ryrir, ordered the stones be returned to Bowden.

- Year 467 - The armies of both Dunmoor and Eringden are being tested, and neither are in great shape. Forces attack both, from the Dark woods and from the Kaba-San mountains. Forces of Orcs and trolls and beasts too numerous to mention. These are dire times indeed.

- Year 468 - Kanin and his Dwarves return with the cargo to find Bowingdon under attack. As the draw near they are seen by the attacking forces and set upon. During the following battle, Kanin is thrust into one of the wagons carrying the stones, and its cargo is spilled. Upon seeing the Stones, the nearby orcs let out a blood curdling screech of "Zuul!" and within minutes, the Dwarves are left alone in the desolation. The Town gates open and survivors come out to see there saviour. Some begin to pray to the stones, praying to Zuul, there protector. Others flee at the sight of them, damning them and begging they be taken away. In the end it is decided that the stones would be moved to the East coast, where they would be constructed into a mighty tower once more.

- Year 469 - Construction on the tower of Zuul begins.

- Year 470 - A force is sent north from Dunway to the Dark woods to eradicate the orc menace. Upon arrival they find the place deserted. As they make there way through the woods the come to the North coast and find a make shift port, and in the distance, a small island. They make there way across, only to find a crater in the middle, filled to the brim with orc bodies. Looking down upon this murder site, Kotan Rakor, captain of the kings guard, saw that none of them had been wounded in anyway he could see. No blood had ben spilled here. To the East, he spied a Peninsula, beyond the Kaba-San mountains. Taking out an eye glass, he looked upon it and saw desolation, Ash and fire. No living thing was to be found there. They returned to Dunway, fearing that if they stay any longer, they might discover how the Orcs had met there demise.

- Year 471 - Construction on the Tower of Zuul is completed. Some people travel to it and worship it, like a God. Others shun it and refuse to speak the name.

Over the next century, life carried on in much the same way it always had. Places became known under different names, agreements where made between the two Kingdoms. Men and Dwarves seldom travelled to the North now, fearing what was now residing beyond the mountains. A watch was kept from the great Fortress of Barrowden, but none dared stray any further than its shadow reached. People preferred to live in ignorance.

The Lost Years

There are varying theories about what happened after the year 580. There are barely any concrete records left between then and the year 600. Some tell us of a band of mighty warriors, who unified two kingdoms and thwarted a dark threat, bringing the war that would have been the end for the people of K’Darl to an early conclusion. This is the most popular theory. There are however, as mentioned above, other theories. Some would tell us that this band of mighty heroes, who's names had been all but lost to the erosion of time, were nothing more than a group of petty mercenaries, low born with next to no ability. Through sheer dumb luck, and a series of strange and impossible events, they thwarted an evil plot, without fully realising they had even done so. Some have even dared to suggest that, amongst this groups number, was none other than the ancient king, Jarraxe Britemane. It is suggested that he was a low born thief with no morals, no respect for personal space and no inhibitions. By some stroke of unbelievable good luck, he married the princess of an ancient house, and thus secured himself the throne. House Britemane has held the throne for over 500 years, with the first born Son of each successor being named Jarraxe, to continue the tradition. 

This is all just drunken speculation, of course, as the scraps of history still available to us now confirm House Britemane’s lineage going back for more than 1000 years. Jarraxe himself commissioned, under his rule, for the history of his time to be once again recorded, so that future people would be able to marvel at his deeds. This is how we are able to confirm events once more.

The Rule of Jarraxe Britemane I

Year 601 - Jarraxe Britemane crowned king.

Year 601 - King Jarraxe goes on a tour of K’Darl, to better unify the different areas.

Year 602 - King Jarraxe returns from his tour. He calls it a success, with warring neighbours now at peace.

Year 604 - King Jarraxe declares that there will no longer be separate kingdoms within K’Darl, but a unified kingdom under his rule.

Year 605 - Lady Britemane, the Queen, dies, falling from her horse while on a ride with King Jarraxe.

Year 605 - King Jarraxe remarries, to Lady Selista Walworth.

Year 605 - Prince Jarraxe is born to the King and Queen. 

Year 610 - The Queen dies, hit by a stray arrow blown of course while on a hunt with King Jarraxe.

Year 611 - King Jarraxe remarries, to Lady Tenaria Walworth, the younger sister of the late Selista Walworth. The common people commend the King that he is able to continue his search for love, even after the hardships he has faced.

Year 620 - King Jarraxe commissions statues of himself to be built throughout K’Darl. 6 were built, 5 in areas of some importance to the King, with the final being built in the capital. To oversee the construction of these grand statues, the King assigned one of his trusted advisors to each. He oversaw the final one himself.

Year 625 - The statues are completed. The build sites, after 5 years of construction and labourers living there, soon turn from small encampments, to large bustling towns. Below is an account of each one:

-In the North, just before the Kaba-San mountain range, the town of Werdonton was established. In years to come, Werdenton would become a major town of industry, with the Kaba-San mountains providing endless resources.

-Further East and South, the town of Astelvonia. This town became the gathering place for those wishing to study magics. A great school was built in 640, and soon became the most notable in the kingdom for training in magic.

-Further South still, built upon the Lonely Coast, was the town of Gromingdon. Initially was supposed to become a haven for those wishing to study magic, but soon became a fishing town.

-Over to the South West, lays the town of Valantia, built upon the ground that was once covered by the forest of Driffwood. That great forest was cut back and back during construction of the Kings statue, until only a small amount was left, right on the cliff edges.

-Just North of Valantia, is the town of Kreshington. This town became a gathering place for travellers from abroad. It is also the home to the greatest fighting school in K’Darl,  outside the royal guard. The founders name has been lost to time, but there are legends told by its students that he was an ancient warrior, who conquered the evil in K’darl, wearing their remains as a warning to others who might wrong him.

Over the next 100 years, these towns grew and grew, absorbing smaller nearby villages.

Year 665 - King Jarraxe dies making love to his wife. He was 89 years of age. He is buried in the crypts beneath the Royal keep. 

The age of peace

What follows is the longest period of peace seen by K’Darl in all recorded history. Each new King carries his fathers values and ideals forward with him, carrying on the naming tradition and keeping the peace throughout the Kingdom. Nothing of particular note happened. In the year of 1087, the Kingdom is under the rule of King Jarraxe Britemane VII. Recently widowed (his wife was accidentally hanged whilst putting up new curtains with King Jarraxe) he cannot look to find love, as he has other troubles within the kingdom. 

Raids on smaller villages on the outskirts…

The land of K'Darl

When I first started writing campaigns for my friends time in K'Darl, I decided to go the whole hog and draw up a map for them to use. It showed the major settlements and the roads between them, the names of the kingdoms and everything else. To give it the authentic 'ye olde' look, i ripped the edges, dipped it in tea and then put it in the oven for a bit. The result can be seen below.

So, when I decided to start a new adventure in the land of K'Darl, set 500 years later, it stood to reason that I would need a new map. My housemate decided she would like to draw it for me, and so I showed her the original, identified the changes I wanted and then let her crack on. The result (which is in colour and is also laminated) can be seen below. It has proven handy already, letting our adventurers see where they are going and where they want to go next.

Welcome to K'Darl

Greetings reader, and welcome to the land of K'Darl!

K'Darl is a fictitious island in the world of Dungeons and Dragons, and is the setting for the adventures of me and my friends characters. I first started writing adventures in K'Darl some 2 or 3 years ago, for a group at my weekly gaming club. As DM, I guided my friends through an epic campaign, seeing two neighbouring kingdoms go to war against each other and a dark magic resurface after years of quiet. This campaign ended with our party, literally, caught in-between the two waring sides. A year later, we got together to play a one off session for Mike's Stag Don't (don't ask). This one off adventure saw our group sent off on a quest to defeat evil by the king, only to find that he was behind it all! After saving the princess from being used as part of an ancient ritual, Mike's Character (Jarraxe Britemane, a rogue with questionable morals at best) married this princess, becoming the king of the kingdom. That was the end of the one off session, and the end of our adventures in K'Darl.

...or so we thought.

I recently decided that I wanted to start playing D&D again. Already having a game world ready to go, it took less setting up. After some thought, I decided that K'Darl would suit my needs, but to ensure a brand new story, I would set it 500 years after we last visited. This way, it would be familiar, but at the same time, different. Setting it 500 years later also gave me the basis for the new story I wanted to tell.

500 years have passed in K'Darl since we last visited. Since then, House Britemane has ruled over all of K'Darl, uniting the once hostile kingdoms, and bringing the entire island under one rule. The last 500 years has seen the longest peace seen in K'Darl since records began, with only minor disturbances too trivial to mention. This peace is not the only change seen in K'Darl. Across the land, new cities have sprung up at the sites of ancient grand statues, built centuries ago to celebrate King Britemane the first. The lands to the North of the Kaba-San mountains lay quiet, now bereft of the darkness that once consumed them.

Our latest story begins, as mentioned, some 500 years after the last. Reports have started coming in of raids on some of the smaller homesteads, apparently closing in on the larger cities. Not wanting to cause a panic, King Britemane VII has assembled a group of warriors, splitting them into smaller groups and sending them to investigate these attacks. The rumours coming in talk about shadows striking in the dark, about entire villages massacred.

This is where our adventure begins.