As the title implies, this is the update you were promised. Please keep in mind that both these excerpts are rough and unedited versions of stories that are separate from the current Chronicles of Koeleth and connected only indirectly to the current story. Enjoy.
Excerpt from Chronicles of Koeleth: The Forgotten War
So, this isn’t the update I promised, but at this late hour of the night I find myself in need of a distraction from my own thoughts. I figured the best way to do that was to write a little something. I’m presenting you, therefore, with another story stone “story”. Enjoy.
The Cascade of Tears
Maiden
Spirit of many sorrows
Her tears are as numerous as the drops of rain
She dances with the guardian and converses with the wolf
The demon’s fire is extinguished by her power
The cold once known fights her and the fallen hero entraps her
The story changes and strangers become friends
The scattered gather and a dragon is born
Guide of the mirrored twins, friend of the beating heart
The steel warrior and the scholar walk alongside
The golden wolf and the dark flame seek her counsel
Those of noble birth heed her words
Death encroaches only to be beaten back
The listless soul and the ceaseless hunger trouble her
Though woes come she never wavers
History shall remember her
Hello, folks. It’s Aaron next, as he will be Tom’s boon companion throughout much of the Chronicles of Koeleth. Also, I wanted to let you know that my next post will contain excerpts from two future Chronicles of Koeleth books, The Forgotten War and The Slayers of Koeleth. I realize I haven’t updated the current story in some time, but I am afraid that you will have to be patient. Anyways, here’s Aaron’s profile.
Aaron Mark Deepscar (Beginning of Story)
Known Aliases: Devin Sabersong, Aaron Nightingale
Age: 24
Birthdate: Harvestsky (October) 13, 7063
Birthplace: Earthmaw, Darwin’s Expanse, Koeleth
Current Residence: Ramsthrone, Ramsrest, Koeleth
Parents: Mark Gerald Deepscar, Jennifer Dana Batwing
Siblings: None
Significant Others: Depends on who you ask
Pets: None
Hair: Ginger, Slicked Back, Shoulder Length
Facial Hair: Ginger, Stubble
Eyes: Blue
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 164 lbs
Tattoos: None
Notable Features: None
Clothing: Black Long-Sleeved Shirt, Black Leather Travelling Boots, Black Pants, Black Theive’s Cape and Cowl
Armor: None
Occupation: Thief for Hire, Spy for Hire
Associations: None
Koeleth Standard Warrior Rank: C
Weapon of Choice: Utility Dagger
Blessed Weapons: Empty Eyes (Hasta, Apathy Magic, Water Element, Water Strike), False Mask (Pilim, Apathy Magic, Water Element, Water Pulse)
Favorite Color: Grey, like his outlook on life
Favorite Food: Guacamole (and the chips needed to eat it)
Favorite Drinks: Whatever is in the cup
Least Favorite Food: Whatever he has to pay for
Favorite Form of Transportation: Anything with wheels (so he can sleep in the carts)
Hobbies: Mocking Tom, Sleeping, Stealing Things
Unique Talents: Seducing woman (and the occasional man, if absolutely necessary), picking locks
Information Broker: Mei Owlwise
Favorite Animal: Any that don’t inconvenience him
Least Favorite Animal: Guard Dog
Other Notes: May or may not be the king of some distant country as a result of one of his jobs, is frustrated by locks he cannot unlock
So, I’ve been thinking about this for a while now, and I have decided to try something. I haven’t consulted with my co-conspirators, so I don’t know how this will go down, but I’m going to try it. I used to read a few online comics-there were about ten that I alternated between-and I’m still a fan of manga, so I read that from time to time. I noticed that those media did something that you don’t often find in other media: character profiles. You know, a page devoted to describing a character just for the hell of it. Character profiles are interesting, in my opinion, and they provide insight into some of the less important and often more humorous aspects of a character, like their taste in music or their favorite food, for example. They also help the audience understand the character better. So I’m going to try it with Koeleth, and if it works, I may use the method in future stories (there WILL be future stories). So, my first victim, naturally, is Thomas Riversedge. Now, I will withhold some things because I don’t want to give away anything in the story. Ready? Let’s get started then!
Thomas William Riversedge (Beginning of Story)
Known Aliases: None
Hey, all. I am still without charger. A thousand apologies. To help make up for it, I have an excerpt from a future chapter of Koeleth. It is unedited and rough, but hopefully you will enjoy it nonetheless.
Excerpt from a future chapter of Koeleth
Tom awoke to see an unfamiliar female torso, wrapped in bandages, hovering over his body. For the briefest of moments a slurry of uncomfortable thoughts ran through his mind as he tried to understand how he could possibly have ended up in this situation. He mentally sighed in relief as he recalled the previous day’s conflict and the corresponding journey to the local tavern. It seemed as if the makeshift hospital room served its purpose admirably, as both he and his companion were healthy and alive, if a little bit sore. Tom declined to alert her to his consciousness, however, as he was very stiff and likely wouldn’t be able to move comfortably for some time anyway. As her chest shifted and swayed, a hand belonging to the same body prodded the various scars and wounds that littered Tom’s body. The recent ones from the day before twinged whenever the woman touched them, and she insisted on touching each one more than once. As she ran her hand over the gash on his left shoulder, he jolted up in pain.
“Agh!”
The woman stumbled backwards, startled by Tom’s sudden uprightness. Unfortunately for Tom, she had finally found his worse wound. Being left handed, and considering most of his opponents were right handed, the injuries to his left shoulder were always exceptionally unpleasant. The necessity of using his left arm meant that his injuries were frequently exasperated by continued combat. Furthermore, they always took the longest to heal, even when magic was involved. Catalina had quickly recovered from her initial shock and resumed her position beside Tom’s bed.
“Oh, no! I’m so, so sorry! Please, forgive me! I didn’t mean to hurt you! I’m so sorry!” the mage blubbered in embarrassed apology. “I’m so glad you’re awake, though! It would have been so tragic if you had died on account of me! I’m not sure I could have lived with myself if you had died!”
“It’s fine! It’s fine. You just hit a sore spot, that’s all.” Tom attempted to soothe her fears. “Besides, there are worse ways to be woken up.”
“There…there are?” Catalina said, tears still in her eyes.
“Yeah, definitely. It could have been a deadly assassin trying to kill me or something to that effect. Instead, it was a beautiful woman checking my injuries. Seems pretty good to me.”
“Uh, um, well…when you put it like that I suppose it is better than some alternatives…” she said, trying but failing to conceal her embarrassment at his compliment. “I’m just glad that you aren’t dead because of me. You risked your life for me, and I’m so sorry you had to suffer such awful damage because of it.”
“It’s okay, really. I am fully responsible for what happened to me. I made a choice, knowing full well what the consequences might be. You got pretty banged up yourself, though. How are you feeling?”
“I’ve been better. But that healer did an excellent job of healing my wounds. You passed out right away after he took me off your hands, so as soon as he was done with me I asked him to check on you. I was so worried!”
“I get it, really. Don’t get too stressed over it. I’m a professional warrior, so I can handle myself. Thank you, though. I really appreciate it.”
Despite his comforting words, the woman maintained a morose, sorrowful demeanor. It emanated from her, a dense and tangible aura.
“So, why are you so sad?” Tom inquired. “It’s like sadness is a permanent aspect of your persona.”
“Well, that’s because it is. I find it exceptionally difficult to feel anything but sorrow. Life is just so tragic all the time. I guess that’s why Sorowa chose me as her paragon.”
“I guess so. I guess it’s also pointless for me to try and cheer you up, then. Not that I’m going to stop trying. By the way, I wear a breastplate in battle. I didn’t receive any chest wounds yesterday. Why were you ‘examining’ my chest?”
“Y-you were awake for that, then? W-well, you can never be too certain about these things!” Catalina tried desperately to justify her actions. “M-maybe the assassin had gotten behind your armor somehow.”
“Is that the story you’re going with?” Tom jested. “Well, you’re not hearing me complain.”
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
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.”
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.
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.
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.
Verbal Realms 