Rise of the North

[MetalDog]

This thread will be for information, history, backstory and the like for our D&D forum game.  Feel free to post in here, and derail the thread as I know you all will. 

[MetalDog]

The Southern Empire as it stands today, stretches from the Shieldwall Mountains in the north, to the Amanengo Sea in the south.  On her Eastern border is the vast wasteland of the Rising Sands and on her western flank are the fractious Young Kingdoms. 

The Empire started as a coastal kingdom who traded peacefully with her neighbors on the littoral of the Amanengo.  She was prosperous almost from the beginning due to the shrewdness of her traders and the wisdom of her rulers.  As she grew, she absorbed her neighbors, mostly through economics, i.e. it was to her neighbors advantage to become a part of the Empire.

It was a thousand years, or so, ago, that trouble started.  The humanoids inhabiting the plains north of Sasania, the principal city and capitol of the Empire, saw the riches being accumulated and wanted in.  A great horde of them had gathered at the headwaters of the Omegalon River, which flows through Sasania, and moved south to pillage and plunder. 

It was almost over for the Empire as the goblins, ogres, bugbears and their ilk rampaged through the hinterland and made their way to the gates of Sasania.  It was only through the timely intervention of the Avion Knights, a group dedicated to upholding the law of the sea, that the Empire was spared.  Their charge out the gates of the city and into the humanoid army smashed the monsters and set them to rout.

The Knights led the remnants of the Empire's armies in pursuit of the humanoids and trapped them against the Omegalon.  A battle that lasted all of one day until the evening of the next was finally over when Sir Broderick of the Bright Blade took the head off Grashnik the Ogre.  Seeing their leader beheaded, the other monsters lost heart and scattered to the winds.

From that time forward, the Empire has expanded to the extent of her natural borders.  Making money, and enemies, everywhere she goes.  Now, a vast lode of mallanon, an ore treasured for it's magical properties and it's ability to hold enchantment, has been discovered in the Shieldwalls and the Empire is gearing up to move north and take what it wants.  However, petty lords, humanoids and other, darker, things have taken up residence there.

[MetalDog]

Alphonso of Sasania lived at the time of the Succession wars.  He came from a prosperous merchant family who made their fortune trading mallanon.  As a child of privilege, Alphonso was taught to read, write and do figures.  There were language classes and weapons training.  Everything that money could buy.

Travelling on family business from the capitol to the northern town of Longrim, Alphonso's caravan was ambushed.  The battle was short and intense, but the bandits had the numbers as well as the high ground.  The survivors wer herded together and forced to march many leagues into the Shieldwalls before stopping in the lawless town of Holdfast.  There, the prisoners were sold off to the highest bidder.

Alphonso was bought by a tribe of bugbears, the Skullcrushers, and brought back to work in their mines.  For several long years he worked in appalling conditions, mining the mallanon his family made a fortune on.  It was just after a cave in that Alphonso got his chance to escape.  Wandering alone in the mountains, he lost his way and found himself in a box canyon.  Tired and hungry, he dropped to his knees beside a small brook to get a drink.  In the waters refelction, he saw a troll behind him with its stone club raised him to strike him.  He rose and spun around, bringing up his arm in a feeble attempt to ward off the blow...which never came.

A flaming sword did cleave the monster in two!  It's wielder finished off the monster and extended her hand to Alphonso.  "I am AnnaLisa Antari.  Come with me if you want to live."  Eyes wide with wonder and disbelief, he took her hand and followed her to her camp.  Thus began a most famous pairing, the wild fighter and the stouthearted cleric.

For it was from that day forward that Alphonso and AnnaLisa roamed the north together.  They fought humanoids and humans in an attempt to bring order and peace to this wild untamed country.  Their efforts succeeded in making the north safe for as long as their love lasted.  Until one day, AnnaLisa was brought low by a poisoned dart from some kobold's blowgun.  All of Alphonso's healing power and prayers were unable to bring her back, for she had been caught alone and far from his side.

Grimly, Alphonso continued his crusade to keep the north lands free of evil and lawlessness.  He made his camp at the gravesite of his beloved AnnaLisa, which grew with flowers that never died.  Always, the rememberance of her kept him at his fight.  When Alphonso finally felt the weariness of the world, he laid down on her grave, and died.

[Bayonet_Chris]

OK, so I am seeing some sort of inverted Egypt, with desert/waste to the east (Sahara), fractured kingdoms to the west (middle east), then throw up some mountains in the north and we've boxed ourselves in quite nicely.

I have a few questions:
1. Is there a map of some kind?
2. You call this the "Southern Empire". Is there a northern empire as well?
3. The monastery is in these northern mountains somewhere? My impression is that it's either on or over the controlled border, much like venturing out past Hadrian's wall. Is that correct?
4. Why is worship of St. Alphonso a necessity in the hinterlands?

Thanks
-C