Alright, so here is the deal. Part of why it’s taken me so long to get chapter 6 (formerly chapter 7) posted is because I am contemplating the future of the story and whether or not I want certain characters to be introduced now and whether I want certain characters  to be more important in the long run than I had originally planned. Keep an eye on Theo and Suren, for example. I’m also thinking specifically to several chapters in advance. I need to know how I am going to conclude chapter 12 (formerly chapter 13) in light of what changes may be made to chapters 6 through 11. In case you are wondering, yes, I intend to conclude the abomination saga in chapter 12. That is not the end of the River’s Tale, just a milestone in the story. If this ever becomes a real book, these chapters will probably be combined and instead of 30 or so chapters, it’ll probably be closer to 18 to 20 total, but they’ll be longer, obviously. At any rate, I wanted to share some more about the Descendant storyline because it is the successor to the main four Koeleth storylines: The Forgotten War, The River’s Tale, Clash of Dragons, and Blade and Wolf. A brief glimpse into why these are important stories. The plot of the Forgotten War establishes the backdrop for Blade and Wolf and explains certain things that go unanswered in the other stories. The River’s Tale establishes the setting and characters that are important to know in Clash of Dragons and Blade and Wolf, as well as being a crucial aspect of Tom’s overall story. Clash of Dragons is the necessary result of the events in The River’s Tale. The resolution of Clash of Dragons gives the main character of Blade and Wolf the ability to explore her own roots, as explained in The Forgotten War. The dynamics established by these four stories all play into the climate of The Descendant. Now, I can’t give away any real details because that’s still at least 3 stories away from being written, and I’m not even through with my first. So have this thing instead.

Characters in the Descendant

The Founder – What? A dead guy is a character in the story!? WHAT!? Yeah. He appears very briefly in a vision or something along those lines. I’d tell you who he is, but spoilers aren’t cool.

Argus – The protagonist and the eponymous descendant. His family has fallen into financial ruin and more than just their possessions are on the line. To save himself and restore his family’s honor, he flees from his home, taking the Founder’s Blade with him.

Daniel – Argus’ manservant and best friend. Daniel is loyal and reliable, despite his goofiness. His family has served Argus’ family for generations. When Argus flees his home, Daniel joins him despite all protests to contrary. A skilled fighter, despite his humble position, Daniel is a great boon to Argus’ quest.

Phantom – A cheerful dog that Argus cares for secretly. Argus and Daniel first found the Frostreach husky as a puppy in the woods near his home when he was a teenager. Though his snow white fur and blazing red eyes were peculiar, they are not what drew Argus’ attention. The dog, wounded, dirty, and starving, shied away from Daniel, growling and whimpering, but hid behind Argus, displaying an innate trust in Argus’ kindness. Argus, too, felt that there was an unspoken bond between them, and he nursed him back to health, keeping his new pet a secret. He joins Argus when he flees.

Lord Virgil – The patriarch of the family and Argus’ father. His family descends from the Founder’s eldest son and therefore is considered to be the primary branch. The family has fallen into financial ruin and he is seeking a way to restore their wealth. This leads him to sell many of his family treasures and to seek out less savory means of income. His desperation is what causes Argus to take the Founder’s Blade and flee.

Lady Helena – Virgil’s wife and Argus’ mother. At her direction, Virgil sells many of his family treasures to restore their wealth. She is not greedy, but she fears that other nobles will disregard them if they lack wealth. A poor noble, after all, has very little to offer. She appeals to other nobles as best she can to aid their plight.

Lord Theodore II – Virgil’s father and the former patriarch of the family. He appears briefly in the beginning of the story, acting as a guide and mentor to the young Argus. He passes away early on in the story but leaves a lasting impression on Argus, as well as gifting him the Mind’s Eye. He was content with their less than wealthy status, but he knew that Virgil was not, and he entrusted many secrets to Argus, knowing that Argus was more worthy of them than his siblings.

Azurius – Argus’ eldest brother. Azurius is somewhat greedy, but not unkind. He encourages his father to do whatever he can to restore the family’s wealth. He wants to inherit a fortune when his father passes away and not live indebted to others. He detests what he sees as impractical idealism in Argus. Argus holds that honor and integrity should be placed above the acquisition of wealth, which Azurius adheres to only nominally.

Clay – Argus’ second eldest brother. Clay is a stoic man. He cares little for wealth and agrees with Argus that honor and integrity are of high priority, but disagrees on what those terms mean. He sees Argus’ flight as a betrayal of the family and a dishonor on the family name. Instead, he believes Argus should have honored his father’s wishes. Clay hires himself out as a mercenary to accrue wealth for the family.

Cerulean – Argus’ elder sister. Cerulean is conniving and manipulative but has always had a soft spot for Argus. Even in their current plight, she has never used her cunning to play with her little brother’s head. It is genuine sadness she feels when she learns that Argus has fled. When Argus is caught by those in the employ of the family or others seeking him, if she is able, Cerulean will use her skills, whether they be physical or mental, to ensure that he is either guaranteed safety or freed entirely.

Revenant – The family dog. Argus’ family has a long history of keeping dogs, one line going back as far as the Founder’s own Frostreach husky. Revenant is the descendant of the Founder’s dog, but he is not a pure husky. He is a wolf dog, and his vicious wild nature shines through. Larger than a husky, black as the night, eyes blood red. He is the alpha dog. He dislikes Argus but knows not to harm him. His dislike partly stems from the knowledge that there is an unknown dog that Argus sees. A potential threat.

Beryl – A noble’s daughter and Argus’ former love interest. Beryl is an intelligent and kind young woman, but her life of nobility has left her detached from the plight of the common person. She has trouble understanding Argus’ motives for leaving his home and cannot come to terms with Argus’ new life of hardship and adventure. Though their relationship ends, as a final gift to her former object of affection, she harbors him at her family’s home briefly before he departs for good.

Catherine – A commoner and Argus’ new love interest. Catherine has endured a life of hardship, as even in Koeleth, where the common folk are well taken care of, her family struggles to survive. When Argus’ journey brings him and Daniel to her father’s farm, she quickly develops a fondness for Argus, which is reciprocated.

Adelaide – The matriarch of her family and Argus’ ally. Adelaide is a just but firm leader. Her family is known for its strong combatants and skillful strategists. She is a descendant of the Founder’s eldest child, an adopted daughter, and when the Founder was ennobled, the adopted daughter was not left. However, as the generations passed, enmity grew between the biological branches of the family and the adopted branch. As such, Adelaide and her relatives are often treated with contempt by the other branch heads. Despite this fissure, the other branches frequently hire members of Adelaide’s family to serve as bodyguards. Argus agrees to restore her place alongside the rest of the family in exchange for her sponsorship. She carries the Ruby Eye and uses it to summon Argus to her home in the first place.

Elise – Adelaide’s maid and best friend. Elise is a gentle and kind girl. She was bought from slave traders after Adelaide’s mother saw the half-elf and took pity on her. She and Daniel develop a fondness for one another after she treats his battle injuries.

William – The patriarch of his family and Virgil’s friend. William is proud and confident, as is fitting of the patriarch of a branch family. His family descends from the Founder’s youngest child, his only biological daughter. She was an abomination with mage-like powers. As such the family has always had a strong affinity for magic. The enmity between William’s family and Adelaide’s is particularly strong. William is no exception. He always knew his Lover’s Bond was a magical ring, but the nature of the magic was not made clear to him until Argus accidentally awakened its power through the Mind’s Eye. William uses it in service of Virgil to track down Argus.

Otto – The patriarch of his family and Virgil’s friend. Otto is calm and wise. He rarely makes swift leaps to judgement or impulsively acts. His family descends from the Founder’s second biological son. The family is well known for its combat prowess, only surpassed by Adelaide’s line. Otto gets along quite well with all his relatives, even trying to resolve the issues that drive a wedge between Adelaide and the rest of the family, not an easy task after so many generations. As with William and Adelaide, Otto discovers the magic of his earring, the Warrior’s Bond, when Argus accidentally awakens the power of the Mind’s Eye, though he initially does nothing with this knowledge. Argus ones to him seeking aid, hoping that his rational, calculated approach to things will lend itself to Argus’ cause. Otto attempts to remain neutral, however, and he simply promises to keep Argus safe while he is there and provides him with supplies when he leaves.

The Man (I forgot his name) – The antagonist and a man who holds a centuries old grudge. Dark and brooding, the man has his own goals to achieve. To achieve those goals, he’s willing to do anything. He offers a great deal of wealth to Virgil in exchange for Argus’ life. Not as a slave, mind you. He simply wants Argus to be his squire, or so he claims. He serves the guardian Desiren, but not as a worshiper, merely as one who seeks her aid. Virgil, seeing little other choice, agrees, contributing to Argus’ flight.

A Blacksmith’s Adventures with Weapons of Legend: Azure Lilly, Sword of the River Tears, Pt. 2

Tom barged into the grand hall of the castle, Catalina trotting closely behind. Normally such urgency was brought only by a sense of immediate danger, but something else drove Tom this time, something akin to excitement. The guards stood at the ready but did not impede Tom’s progress. Had anyone else charged in, loaded to the teeth with weapons, they would have immediately jumped into action. As it was, he was a known friend of Lord Cradleborn, and his visits were not so uncommon that they did not remember his face. At the far end of the grand hall stood a richly dressed man talking to a beautiful young woman. At first glance, Catalina mistook him for Tom’s better dressed, cleaner brother. Tom said nothing in response to Catalina’s questioning stare.

Continue reading The Azure Lilly Returns

Magic is common enough in Eirmoda to be seen as something worth using. Naturally when something is worth using, there are ways to make it useful no longer. This is a brief look at some of those ways.

The Elements of Magic

Continue reading Countering Magic in the World of Eirmoda

Alright, I know I’ve not lived up to expectations, or maybe I have and maybe that’s more depressing, but I haven’t abandoned my story. Far from it. Part of why I haven’t done much has been because I’ve been working on multiple things all at once. Remember the legend of the Warden and the Mage Knight? Yeah, Aidan and Neria are coming back, and I have big plans. Also, chapter 7 has been delayed because I made changes to my story and now I have to make up for it by fixing chapter 7 (will be chapter 6, but it was chapter 7 until I fused the previous chapters 5 and 6). Also, Sorin will be coming back, but not as a writer for the Colony, at least not yet, but instead as my legend writer. He writes the legends and I write the true story it’s based off of. He’s better at legends, but I know the world of Eirmoda better (obviously). Remember how well he did on the Legend of the West Warden and the Mage Knight? Yeah, he’s going to do more of that. I know I keep promising various part 2’s and 3’s, and those are still coming. Just been in a bit of a slump. Also, I might jump right into the Ghost Story, so I would have several stories going at once, which, contrary to what you might think, would improve my productivity. Anyways, I do have this to make up for my silence.

Allies of the Warden

Continue reading Story Updates: The Warden of the West and the Mage Knight, The Chronicles of Koeleth, Other Stuff

So, brief update. Sorry about not getting chapter 7 out to you this week. I really don’t have much of an excuse. I ran out of time, sure, but that’s mostly my doing. Anyways, that is coming, worry not. In the meantime, take this instead.

 

Chronicles of Koeleth Extra Chapter

Ender of Worlds: The Saving of A Man

Prologue: Letter from a Friend

Continue reading Ending of Worlds: The Saving of a Man Prologue

Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. I still don’t have a name for it, or the ghost. I don’t know what to call her. Anyways, I’m bringing it up, because I know how I want to write it, and how I want to write so many of my other Koeleth stories. You know how I use the old man as the storytelling vessel of Tom’s tale? Well, I think it would be awesome to tell more of my stories through memories, flashbacks and tales. And thus, I present what may be the beginning of the ghost story.

Ghost Story: Chapter 1 excerpt

Starting at the End

The young man woke up, dazed and confused, in an inn room. After a few panicked moments, he remembered why he was there. It was just about the only thing he could remember. Yesterday he woke up in the woods nearby and, having nowhere else to go, used what little funds he had to secure a room for the night. His head in pain from trying to recall anything more than his own name, he decided it was best to head down to the bar.

Continue reading The Ghost Story: My Plan for It

Sorry. I know I’ve been pretty quiet. It’s not been for lack of work, I assure you. In fact, I have many fun ideas that I wish to implement in the world of Koeleth. That being said, I have not forgotten to work on the task at hand. Chapter 6 (the former chapter 7) is coming. Next week, if all goes well. To fill the time, though, I have a bit of an informative thing here to help you in reading future chapters of Koeleth and other Eirmoda stories.

Classifying Koeleth, Pt 1

Blessed – Any creature, human or otherwise, who has been gifted magic by the guardians. Universally used term. Ex: Tom, Aaron, Lilly, etc.

Abomination – Any creature, human or otherwise, who has been born or cursed with adverse magical abilities. This includes the magically diseased, but most often the magically diseased are treated differently than more severely affected abominations. Universally used term. Ex: Theo, Dennis, Rydia, etc.

Mage Hunter – Anyone without magic who is trained to combat the magic of blessed individuals and abominations. Primarily Trialian term, but used in other regions as well. Ex: Laurel, Judas, etc. (You haven’t met these guys yet)

World Walker – In extraordinarily rare circumstances, an earthbound guardian will bond with a human. They lack the power to bless this human with a magical artifact, so instead, they bless them with companionship. The earthbound guardian forges a mystical bond with their chosen human. The pair then becomes known as world walkers. Primarily Trialian term, but used in other regions as well. Ex: Drago and Kaiser, Johannes and Leone, etc. (Won’t meet many of these)

Apostate – Rumors speak of those who have artificially created magic. Though rare, sometimes these rumors are true. Apostates are rarely responsible for their own magic, often times being the subject of some mad scientist’s experiment. Ex: Anna, Joshua, etc. (VERY RARE)

Paragon – The chosen human representative of a guardian. Though generally restricted to one paragon per guardian, there are exceptions. They wield far greater power than most blessed individuals. Predominantly Trialian term. Ex: Vincent (Valro), Kilroy (Despar), Tyrion (Fearl), etc.

Renegade – A paragon who has in someway forsaken their guardian. These betrayals often result in the twisting of their magic when it breaks from their guardians. The guardians, officially speaking, do not tolerate renegades. However, most are willing to look past them, so long as they do not actively hinder them. Predominantly Trialian term. Ex: Meredith, Daniella, Delvin, etc. (Probably only actually meet Meredith)

Exemplar – Technically not a paragon, but essentially someone who has been gifted with paragon-like power. The details surrounding how guardians get away with this are vague. The rules on how their magic operates and what their magic can be are less stringent than those of paragons, since paragons are meant to be the earthly representation of guardians, and exemplars are not. Primarily Trialian term. Ex: Specs the Cat, Barret, Gaius, etc. (Haven’t met)

Archfiend – An abomination of such great magical power that they are comparable to a paragon. In nearly all cases, this is due to honing their powers and learning to control the wealth of magic they have, as untrained magic is more dangerous to the wielder than the wielder’s foes. Predominantly Trialian term. Ex: The Tainted King (Remember from the legend?), Jackrabbit Sam, Lucius, etc. (Haven’t met those last two either)

Slayer – A mage hunter of such high caliber that they could fight on the same level as a paragon, sans the magic. They go through years, sometimes decades of training. Predominantly Trillion term. Ex: Matthew, JoAnn, Anselm, etc. (Still haven’t met)

World Eater – World eaters are the joint power of two souls so in sync that they act as one. Much like the bond between greater guardian and paragon, the bond between lesser guardian and human tether is so pure and precise as to resonate perfectly. Accordingly, the world eater tether and the world eater familiar wield vast power. Predominantly Trialian term. Ex: Clayton and Loba Luna, Eione and Chargonard, etc. (You’ll meet these two, eventually)

Iconoclast – Some apostates resonate so well with their artificial magic that they achieve paragon levels of power. Thus, iconoclasts are born. Predominantly Trialian term. Ex: Genevieve, Colleen, etc. (You will meet these guys later)

Eidolon – In a distant land, millennia ago, a great calamity ravaged the nation. As a result, chaotic magic devastated the people of the land, leaving some of them to wander the earth as undying wraiths. Though containing vast quantities of magic within their souls, the ghosts could not use it. Thus they sought living men to wield the power on their behalf. These ghosts became known as eidolons and they paired themselves with fitting humans. They are cursed to serve their living masters until those masters die themselves. Predominantly Rygost term. Ex: The Ghost from the one story I mentioned, Thanasis, etc.

Beacon – The people eidolons haunt are called beacons. They have full access to whatever magic the eidolon provides, but must take on the curse themselves when they die. This cycle continues until a beacon or an eidolon somehow manages to break it. Predominantly Rygost term. Ex: Leontios, etc.

So, there are some…inconsistencies with my history of Koeleth that you may or may not have noticed. I’d like to explain one of those. The biggest one is where I say that Koeleth has been the home of the Koelings since forever, but they had to settle Koeleth and take it from the current inhabitants.

A (Very) Brief History of Koeleth

The Progenitor formed human life long after he formed Eirmoda, placing them in the bountiful bosom of the Triali Riverlands. From this core, humanity branched out and spread, forming Trialias. Of the many nations of Trialias, three rose to prominence: Ariluo, Angamufi, and Ekoalund. Over time, Ariluo grew and absorbed its neighbors, forming the Arilese Empire, which still exists today, though its borders are ever changing. While the empire grew through conquest or alliance, Angamufi dominated its neighbors through war and bloodshed, forming the Nagybi Empire. Unlike its neighbors, Ekoalund neither conquered nor assimilated its neighbors. The people of Ekoalund, the Ekoalem, were nomadic by nature, so for many centuries they simply traveled the land, and no one challenged their right to it. Over time, some Ekoalem established small kingdoms that served as safe havens for their nomadic brethren. Conflict was inevitable, however, and, after several centuries of relative peace, the Ekoalem were driven from their lands by a new and foreign empire: Orgalav. Orgalav, with its well trained armies and superior weaponry, scattered the Ekoalem to the winds and subjugated those peoples whom they protected. For centuries more, the nomadic Ekoalem traveled foreign lands, from Elvairnian to Anverlund, from Krshnl (yeah, that’s a name I’m using, deal with it) to Rendalaea, always adapting to their temporary homes, but ever longing for Ekoalund’s sweet embrace. After a millenia or two, Orgalav, the mighty empire that had driven them away, collapsed nearly overnight. When the living descendants of the Ekoalem heard this, they returned to their home as quickly as they could. Some of those who had been under Orgalav’s thumb resented their return and fought them, but most of them welcomed them back with open arms, longing once more for days of peace and prosperity. The current Koeleth kingdom is strong enough where if they were to see a repeat of the events of Orgalav, they wouldn’t go down easily. Any attacker would think twice about trying to conquer them again.

So, recently I’ve been brushing up on my knowledge of all things medieval — not with the express purpose of making my worlds more realistic, more out of curiosity, but I digress — and it has occurred to me that some of my characters do very unreal things. I don’t

Continue reading Thoughts on Fact vs. Fantasy

Alright, first off, I’d like to say this: I’m glad you guys like my writing and I really appreciate the support of those of you who have followed my personal blog, but I have to let you know that doing that is purposeless. It is highly improbable that I will ever use that blog for writing. It serves me and my colleagues much better if you follow Verbal Realms. And it serves you better too! Not only do you get my stuff, you also get Jack and

Continue reading Yet Another Update! I Know, So Shocking, You Never Saw This Coming…