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Der Bonus Content and Such

Posted on by Matthew Matherne

Hello, my beautiful readers. It is such a pleasure seeing you again so soon! This is the bonus content I promised you a couple weeks ago. I hope you enjoy it. Be warned, it is quite lengthy. Either tonight or tomorrow morning I will have my next chapter up, too. I already have the next chapter after that halfway done, so you’ll see another chapter next Thursday, too. I’m back in action, baby! Hopefully I can keep this pace up.

 

Chronicles of Koeleth

Extra Chapter

Guardians Part I

“Look at this, Detremenat,” the armored woman said as her perceptive crimson eyes scanned a “living map” of Koeleth, a hand-and-a-half sword hanging at her waist. “The sad human with the halberd just fought off several bandits by himself. It’s impressive how dedicated he is to his mission.”

“Yes, I admire his determination to get the job done,” the bronze-eyed woman in the leather vest replied, resting her hand on the hilt of her broadsword. “It shocks me that you are impressed with him, though, Disciplina. He isn’t one to adhere to any code, and his fighting is altogether sloppy.”

“It is sloppy by choice, Detremenat. The style suits him. You haven’t seen him go on the defensive, have you? It is rare to see such good form.”

“Whatever you say. Regardless, I like his drive. Not like his listless companion, the one with the spear.”

The red-haired, rosy-skinned goddess of control and dedication continued to discuss the humans with her brown-haired, peach-skinned companion, the guardian of the driven and relentless. The vast hall was full of their kind, but each one was distinctly unique from the others. Away in one corner, a flat-chested woman with icy, bluish-white hair to match her opalescent eyes leaned against the wall. Her mouth was covered in a navy blue cloth designed to mask her face, and she wore a similar outfit to Detrememat, save that it came in hues of blue and white, instead of beige and ochre. Leaning against the wall next to her was a svardstav with a cold sheen about it.

“Hey, Isolati.” A cringing, lanky figure who was sitting nearby whispered to the guardian of hermitage and loneliness.

“What, Fearl?” Isolati said exasperatedly.

“Do…do you think they encountered any thing dangerous and scary? The humans, I mean.” Despite his cowering, the pallid yellow man was the scariest thing in the room. The tattered, dark cloak that encased his body bore an unsettling resemblance to a wraith. The dingy hood of the cloak hid his face, just as its many folds hid the dagger strapped to his leg, giving him an altogether terrifying visage. This was the guardian of terror and fright.

Continue reading Der Bonus Content and Such

Koeleth 9, The Future of Eirmoda, and Compensation

Posted on by Matthew Matherne

Hey, good peoples of the world. Matthew Matherne here with the long expected ninth chapter of the Chronicles of Koeleth. Due to reasons which are probably good ones, it took longer than planned to get this to you, my dear readers. To compensate for your arduous wait, I have a gift for you that I will post up here either later tonight or tomorrow morning, depending on when I finish it. Now, it is an honor to present you with the next episode in this humble adventure.

 

Chronicles of Koeleth

Chapter IX

Travelling Companions

 

Tom didn’t sleep well that night. He was plagued with nightmares and visions of a dark nature. After a particularly horrid dream, the young man awoke, unable to endure the torment any longer. Dreams and nightmares are not exclusive to magic users, but magic users can sometimes feel them more tangibly. Sometimes it is simply intense experiences, and sometimes it is a prophetic dream. Tom hoped that this situation was the former, and not the latter, because it bred in him an ill sense of foreboding. He never worried about his own death, but something in Tom told him that his companions were in danger.

The warrior had little time to ponder this, however, as he became acutely aware that an unknown entity was watching him from the shadows of his moonlit room. Carefully scanning the eerie darkness around him, his vision finally set on a pair of predatory eyes glimmering in the doorway. He was briefly unnerved by this visitor’s intrusion, until he remembered the youngest of his guests.

“Rydia, is that you?”

A timid whimper affirmed his suspicion.

“What’s wrong? Can’t sleep?”

Another whimper.

“Me neither. You can join me if you like. I might be awake for awhile.”

Cautiously, the pup approached the bed, her distinct golden fur illuminated by the light of the stars.

“Look at you! I’ll bet one day you’ll be a real beauty! A natural heartbreaker, what with your lovely hair and vivid blue eyes! You’ll have to beat the boys off with a stick. And a few girls, I imagine. Or you could hit them with a war hammer, too. Whatever suits your fancy, I suppose.”

Though she didn’t quite understand everything that Tom said, Rydia felt the kindness in it, and she jumped up next to him. Curling up into a ball and lying next to the kind man, Rydia felt very much at ease. Tom began to stroke her fur in a further attempt reassure her—and himself—that everything would be alright. Soon, Tom began talking again, telling the young girl about why he agreed to help.

“You know, you’re part of the reason I joined this adventure. You remind me of another little girl I made a promise to. In fact, you two could be twins. She’s a couple years younger, but other than that, she’s the spitting image of you. Same blonde hair, same blue eyes. Same timid disposition, even. Why, if I didn’t know better, I would say you were sisters.”

The wolf pup perked up her ears at this news. Another little girl that looked just like her? How much fun would that be?

Continue reading Koeleth 9, The Future of Eirmoda, and Compensation

Greetings/Koeleth 8

Posted on by Matthew Matherne

Hello, all! This is Matthew Matherne speaking! For the first time. With his own voice… er, keyboard. I’m so glad to meet you all, and I am especially pleased that I can finally post my content with my own two hands. Hopefully, you’ve enjoyed my story so far, and, if you haven’t I hope you will enjoy it in the future! A little bit about the story: by now, you’ve had the chance to meet Tom and Aaron. Fun fact: those two are loosely based of myself and Sorin. In the nearish future, you’ll be meeting a few other fun characters who will play significant roles in this story. Hopefully, you’ll grow to love them as much as I do. Either way, thank you all for your interest. I hope to talk to you again soon.

 

Chronicles of Koeleth
Chapter VIII
Plotting and Planning

“So, how did you two meet?” Grace asked the two friends.
“That question is so stacked,” Amelia grimaced at the women sitting across from her in the cart.
“We grew up in the same village.  What more do you want?” Tom retorted from his position next to Collin at the front.
“Everything,” Grace said in a mischievous tone.
“Fine.  When I was four, I was running around my father’s blacksmith shop, causing havoc.  Being a workplace obstruction, he sent me away, none too happy about my intrusion.  So, I decided I would bother the neighborhood fletcher.  Apparently, I wasn’t the only one thinking that way, as a four year old girl was also giving him trouble.  Well, he wasn’t at all pleased, and he kicked us out of his shop.  So, the both of us decided to go bother someone else.  That was the start of our friendship.  We have remained good friends since.”

Continue reading Greetings/Koeleth 8

Koeleth Ch. 7

Posted on by Jack Hael

Hey all! As we transition back from the holidays, we have another chapter of Koeleth from Matt with Chapter 8 in editing now. Hope you enjoy and share with your friends!

Chronicles of Koeleth

Chapter VII

An Old Friend

“Ah, here’s where things started to get interesting,” the old man said.

“Oh? How so?” the young bartender asked.

“Well, Tom and Collin meet some interesting people right about now.”

The old man’s answer was cryptic and not really an answer at all, according to the bartender.

Tom was leaning against the heavy wooden door at the entrance to the White Tower. After a peaceful night and an uneventful morning, he and Collin had finally reached the monument to a bygone era. Collin was immediately absorbed in his studies, leaving Tom to keep his vigil. For the past three hours, it had carried on in that fashion and the day showed no signs of changing. Tom had searched every inch of the tower for any signs of bandits or ruffians, and he found nothing. Feeling that they were safe, he had allowed himself to relax some. He hadn’t totally forgotten his duties, however, and decided that the entrance to the structure would be a wise place to perch himself. That was how he arrived at his current position. With the exception of an occasional excited outburst from Collin, the tower was quiet and peaceful. Tom was daydreaming when the wooden door burst open. Despite his shock, Tom quickly went into action, rushing out the door and swinging the butt end of his halberd out at his perceived assailant. Much to his surprise, a small buckler calmly pushed the blow away.

Continue reading Koeleth Ch. 7

the Colony 7

Posted on by sorinherling

Firstly, before anything, I want to apologize for not uploading immediately. I have had the worst writer’s block for some time now. Anyways, as hinted at in the last chapter, this chapter begins to explain the hunters. It is very short, some of the whys and whats are deliberately left out, to make later chapters more interesting. as a result, and in trying to post something – anything really – I left this chapter incredibly incredibly short. Now, scheduling, I am going to try to get new Colony chapters posted every Monday and my new story will, as promised, begin this month. originally, I was going to post it on the first, but that didn’t work (writer’s block is tough when the intention is to get 20 pages per chapter, as in the new story) so I will post at the end of the month instead. please continue to bear with us!!

Sorin Herling

June 1, 5 years prior to the Fall

 

I surveyed the room in front of me. There were about forty or so college students in the room, along with a few who appeared a bit younger. I knew most of the college students, they were students from the classes I taught. Among the younger kids, there were many I knew with my interactions at various local high schools. One of the college boys, a lazy kid by the name of Edward, was sitting close to a bored looking boy I placed at about high-school age. Most of the kids in the room were here to boost their personal image, and they therefore fit the mold of the traditional punks and outcasts that had come to follow my various ideals. Many of them had piercings and tattoos, oddly colored hair and dark clothes. Everywhere I looked there were Union Jacks and the A for anarchy. Some of the kids here meant it, others were fakes. Either way, I could use that sentiment.

I had called together this meeting of young men and women to form an anarchical society; not that I really believed in anarchy. I was here informally, myself, the various captains I had gathered about myself were mingling with the others, telling them my “vision” of the future in deliberately unstructured fashion.

Only the boy next to Edward looked different from the others. As I examined him it occurred to me that the boredom in his expression did not quite reach his eyes, which flashed around the room, examining and sizing up everyone in sight. This kid was studying every facet of the room with intensity. Unlike the others, he looked fairly normal. In fact he looked almost too prissy to associate with the people around him. Hair cropped in military fashion and wearing a polo and khakis, the kid looked like he had had a very proper upbringing of the kind so stifling that he looked down upon those around him.

He sat in the corner, his head resting on one hand with the other hand gripping his bag with intensity. It was clear that he was primed and ready to bolt. The way he bore himself, supplely and with a comfort foreign to the obvious tensing in his muscles, reminded me of some of the undercover agents who sometimes trailed me. Speaking of which, I needed to leave. This was the first convention of the Order of the Hunters, but I, Drake, their leader in the shadows, could not be among them. I needed to get back to my office now, before the authorities noticed that I was missing.

the colony 7

Koeleth Chapter 6

Posted on by Jack Hael

Here it is!

Chronicles of Koeleth

Chapter VI

A History of Trouble

Tom, who was growing rather tired of the recent early mornings, awoke his temporary boarder, and they made the final preparations for their journey. Aside from his armor, weapon, and travel pack, Tom grabbed a couple of maps, in case they were needed, although that should not be necessary while they were on the road. Much to Tom’s relief, Aaron had not pulled any of his usual shenanigans on Collin’s equipment. After a hearty breakfast, Tom and Collin climbed into the cart and set off. Aaron was still sleeping in his bed, blissfully unaware of Tom’s mission.

Continue reading Koeleth Chapter 6

Koeleth Chapter 5

Posted on by Jack Hael

Here it is, ladies and gents! Matt has been pounding these out over the last few weeks, and it is my pleasure to share chapters 5 and 6 with you today. Enjoy!

Chronicles of Koeleth

Chapter V

A Stroll through Town

Tom awoke late the next morning. When he first opened his eyes, he was shocked by his surroundings and initially thought he had awoken in someone else’s home. He soon regained his bearings, however, and, realizing how late it was, began to prepare himself for the day ahead of him. There was still paperwork to sort out, being a new citizen of Ramsthrone, and his house was ill-furnished, having only the barest necessities. He groomed himself in much the same manner he had the day prior. He robed himself once more in his finer clothes, leaving his familiar, ragged travel attire hanging in the closet. Even his weapon he left leaning against the wall in his overlarge closet. Despite the silence of the house, none of the noise he carelessly made disturbed his housemate, Aaron, who was sleeping heavily in one of the guests rooms. Tom moved himself to the kitchen and prepared a large meal, knowing that it might be some time before he would get another chance to eat. After tending to his meal, he surveyed the mansion, planning what he wanted and where he wanted it. He grimaced when he noticed the small golden ram sitting in his gallery but decided it would only encourage Aaron if he removed it, and he left it alone. Having determined what he wanted done, he left through the large front door of the mansion. Tom’s first stop would be the municipal offices.

Continue reading Koeleth Chapter 5

Koeleth Chapter 4

Posted on by Jack Hael

Hullo all!

Koeleth is not forgotten! Though it has been a while since we have been able to put a chapter up, Matt has been making continual progress. Thus, we have several chapters to grace you with over the following weeks.

For those who may have noticed, we continue to make site improvements both behind the scenes and in graphical enhancements. So stick with us! The best is yet to come. Without further ado:

Koeleth Chapter 4

Chronicles of Koeleth

Chapter IV

Settling In

Tom woke up early the next morning, which came as a surprise to Aaron, who had never seen Tom wake up earlier than he had needed to in the two months that he’d known him. Tom made use of the bathroom provided by the inn to purge himself of the dirt and dust of the road. Going in, he looked like an impoverished beggar, but, coming out, he had cleaned up nicely. He had slicked back his usually messy hairdo, and he even bothered to groom his beard more than usual. After rummaging around in his travel pack for a couple seconds, he produced clean, unmarred, gentleman’s attire, wholly foreign to his usual wardrobe. The transformation complete, he hardly resembled the road weary warrior from before. This all came as a great shock to the half awake Aaron, and he couldn’t help but comment.

“Who are you, and what did you do with Tom?” he muttered.

Continue reading Koeleth Chapter 4

The Colony Chapter 6

Posted on by sorinherling

Alright, another week, another Colony entry. This time around, I tried to give everyone a feel for the way in which Marius interacts with everybody. Hopefully this week’s chapter is as enjoyable for you to read as it was for me to write. It’s also the last chapter in a row written for the initial story concept. Anyways, next week we get into some background story, which will lay the final groundwork for the plot-line.

The Colony 6

Continue reading The Colony Chapter 6

Housekeeping

Posted on by sorinherling

   Hello, all! been a couple of weeks. Anyways, Matthew has been having technical issues which is why his posts haven’t been coming up recently. So, first thing’s first, E-mail. We have one! We are eventually going to pay for a more professional E-mail, but for right now, please send any comments or questions or what have you to verbalrealms@yahoo.com .

   Next, Matthew is planning to get his stuff up shortly.

Thirdly, I will be posting as scheduled tomorrow, so look forward to it!

Finally, I am currently at the high point of my semester, being a college student. Thankfully, my next semester is going to be light, comparatively, so….I am going to transition The Colony to weekly and then kickoff a new project that will fire off once a month. Keep tuned in to hear more about the story which should kick-off on January 1. The transition to weekly The Colony will take place on the first Monday in January!

Thanks for your support!!!

Sorin Herling