Homebrew Campaign "Geshtinanna Retaliation"

[Iki]

I was searching for a new and unique enemy and after a lot of reading I reverted to one of my favorite enemies from another Sci-Fi setting “The Yuuzhan Vong from Star Wars”. Now I was forced to create an origin story of this new enemy, and this is what I came up with.

History:

Geshtinanna (also known as Geštinanna or Ngeshtin-ana) is the ancient Sumerian goddess of agriculture, fertility, and dream interpretation, the so-called "heavenly grape-vine". She is the sister of Dumuzid and consort of Ningisida. She is also the daughter of Enki and Ninhursag.

When Dumuzid wife Inanna (Mesopotamian goddess associated with love, beauty, sex, war, justice and political power) attempts to conquer the domain of her older sister Ereshkigal, the queen of the underworld, she is instead deemed guilty by the seven judges of the underworld and struck dead. Three days later, Ninshubur (high-ranking political advisor) pleads with all the gods to bring Inanna back, but all of them refuse her except Enki, who sends two beings to rescue Inanna. They escort Inanna out of the underworld, but the galla (Demons) the guardians of the underworld, drag her husband Dumuzid down to the Underworld as her replacement. Dumuzid is eventually permitted to return to heaven for half the year while his sister Geshtinanna remains in the underworld for the other half, resulting in the cycle of the seasons.

Geshtinanna shelters her brother when he is being pursued by galla demons and mourns his death after the demons drag him to Kur (Underworld). She eventually agrees to take his place in Kur for half the year, allowing him to return to Heaven to be with Inanna. The Sumerians believed that, while Geshtinanna was in Heaven and Dumuzid in Kur, the earth became dry and barren, thus causing the season of summer.

Origin story:

The historic story is in fact a war between different smaller system lords. Geshtinanna was captured and tortured for a long time. She escaped several times, but was captured each times by Ereshkigal Jaffa (Galla). The last time she was captured System Lord Ereshkigal experimented on her and her entire court. As a result they all lost their Naquadah related abilities (the symbiont and the host cannot tolerate Naquadah = severe allergic reaction when the host or the symbiont comes in contact with it) and lost the benefit of using a Sarcophagus. Ereshkigal released them because she was convinced that they didn’t any more thread.

In the wake of the release System Lord Ra found out about the experimental punishment Ereshkigal carried out. He was afraid that this could be used against him and as a result he ended their war by destroying and killing all the involved parties. She was the last surviving party and was able evaded him for many years. But Geshtinanna knew that she had to flee because she couldn’t face the might of Ra’s army who was supported by all other system lords that wahre afraid that she and her court have rememants of this experimental punishement in their bodies. She found an ancient library that explained how she could travel to another galaxy. She has no zero point module and didn’t know how to make one. With much pain and difficulty she creates a device as a power source (in her temple) that harnesses the power of a nebula this allows her to travel to another galaxy. She flies the Milky way galaxy and starts to plot her revenge. In her new hiding place she builds up her new empire and invents replacement technologies & weapons by using her extensive knowledge of biological and genetical manipulation.

Geshtinanna also found a way to prolong their life but the new solution had a major disadvantage. In the new galaxy she was hiding she found a plant secretion with enormous regenerative properties. After a lot of research she was able to create a manipulate it into a living plantlike Sarcophagus that allows the user to bath into the regenerative secretion. They had to use it on a regular basis and using results in insurmountable and horrific pains, and the use of pain relieving medication negates the healing properties. So they where forced to train them self to endure pain on a daily basis. To make sure that they would do so regularly she incorporated pain effects in various technology they employ.

People under her rule were forced to follow a belief that centered around sacrifice and pain. They tended to glorify pain; not as a motive for action, but rather as a state of living. This was because they believed that, just like their gods had sacrificed their bodies to create the galaxy, the warriors were to ritually mutilate their bodies for this greater purpose. As such, they believed that, by remaking their own bodies, they were becoming closer to their deities. While this was the case, they never maimed their bodies in a manner that would permanently hinder their ability to function. This resulted in individuals having mottling or scarring, and sweeping tattoos. The more elite individuals were even known to graft organs from other creatures into their bodies. Devotional practices to the gods called for bloodletting at prayer times. In addition the true believers where religious zealots, who viewed non-Biological technology as blasphemy.

She needed an new sort of army and hosts, so she did what she did best. She genetically manipulated humans to create a new breed of humans that she called Vong. They resembled a Human in form, though they were taller and heavier than the average Human. and had less hair on their heads. In addition they were stronger and their nervous system was very conductive, as if it was made specifically for feeling pain which amplified in better regenerating properties when using their version of the Sarcophagus.

Vong also employed a caste based system which included respective castes for warriors (Her version of Jaffa), shapers (scientists and Bioengineers), priests, intendants and workers. Love affairs between two different castes was considered forbidden. In fact, domain loyalties ran deep, and went far beyond simple likes or dislikes. There were a series of ritual statements that a Vong was required to utter as part of protocol from a member of lower ranks to a member of a higher rank. While this was the case, members of one caste were not obligated to salute a superior from another caste, which was the case with intendants to higher ranking members of the warrior caste. The Vong evolved after the thousands of years, and an entire new culture emerged.

Vong also greatly believed in honor, with that subject ranking quite high in the beliefs of certain members of the race. Even under interrogations, the word of a Vong was high, and, if they promised respite to their victims for revealing information, they typically kept their word. In one case, a Vong commander agreed to a personal duel over the fate of a planet and, if defeated, he agreed that his forces would spare that world. While the Vong himself was sincere, his subordinates worked with the Warmaster to subvert that honorable combat. Furthermore, the denial of the right to honorable combat was seen as a disrespectful act, worthy of scorn from the warrior caste.[13] In fact, warriors would even consider a single worthy opponent of fighting a single Vong warrior at a time worthy of respect in regard to their bravery as well as their fighting skills. There also existed a similar concept to the Wookiee Life debt, which was known as Us-hrok. This was a display that showed eternal gratitude and loyalty to another for something they had done, and meant that the Vong in question would fight to the death on that person's behalf. In regards to food, the Vong held no great joy of eating and thus felt indifferent about gastronomic tastes. The only exception of this was if the enjoyment came from an event such as the slaying of a great beast during a ritual.

Geshtinanna and her court outfitted the Warrior caste with special weapons and armor. Made to terrify their opponents. They employed various biological based weapons but the most unique one is the amphistaff. This  unique weapon is a genetically engineered gua’uld symbiont that served as their primary anti-personnel weapons. Amphistaffs have four distinct forms: an acid spitter projector, a quarterstaff, a spear, or a whip. As a hardened spear with a poisonous head, the amphistaff could be hurled, further increasing its lethality. As a flexible whip, the amphistaff could trip or pin its target and even poison it. And the acid spitter projector can spat acid at a distance of 20 meters or further.The armor the Vong wear is made from a genetically manipulated deadly Giant Skerr Kyrric beetle. It is attached to the users by thousands of claws that hook themselves into the flesh of its wearer. Catching a Skerr Kyrric and wearing it for the first times is a passing ceremony for a Vong Jaffa.

After thousands of years in seclusion and hiding she returns with an superior army with biotechnology ready to enslave the Milky way Galaxy.