Preview of Wothlondia Rising 5: Strength of Faith

I am releasing the fifth installment of the Wothlondia Rising series tomorrow, this one entitled Strength of Faith. One sample will be here and the other will be on SKULLDUST CIRCLE. 

They are two very different passages, so I hope you check them both out!

Strength of Faith is a tale that paces a young acolyte of The Shimmering One, Garius Forge, on a path that tests his spirituality and also places him face to face with a demonic presence that has the power to alter the face of Wothlondia forever. Will his reverence and devotion to his deity be enough to overcome this horrible demon?

 

Garius focused on the door when he heard the footsteps approach, light though they were. He was awake, but hardly refreshed. He had already refitted his armor meticulously, prayed and meditated in the cramped confines of the room and had done so quietly enough not to wake the others.

The expected knock sounded on the door, echoing in the room as his companions began to stir. Garius opened the door and beheld a hunched gnome. He looked impatiently into the room, and then stared up at Garius and began mumbling something to him. The warpriest bent to one knee before the bald gnome and placed a hand to his ear.

“I said, Larwinckle be ready for ye,” the unnamed gnome repeated more clearly and then waddled away along a scarcely perceptible path that was worn into the grassy meadow. It was barely visible now and had gone undetected all of last evening, especially after the sun had fallen into the clouds.

“I will accompany this one. You will seek me out once you are dressed and ready,” Garius called back to the others, but Divah was already up and out of her bedroll wearing a long gown made of a thin, yet durable fabric that Garius assumed was meant to be slept in. The halfling was so excited to get moving that it seemed she did not care about the state of her undress.

“I am coming with you,” she told Garius eagerly, her green eyes filled with wonder and joy at her obvious expectations of finally exploring the gnome village. With that, she snatched up her shoes and began moving hastily out of the burrow. The Paladins began to move about in the shadows of the room, donning their clothing and then their armor. Garius shook his head and a smile cracked his face as he watched the halfling, hopping forward on one foot and then the other, trying to put on her shoes while hurrying after him.

She is quite impulsive, he thought, allowing the smile to remain until it left of its own accord a few moments later.

The gnome led Garius and the female halfling to a smallish door that appeared to be anchored to the ground. It was partially hidden by brush and foliage, Garius observed, as the gnome knocked loudly on its hard, wooden surface. Garius also noted that there was no knob to be seen or any other obvious way to pull the door open from the outside.

With that thought in mind, he saw the door open outward slowly as a gnome pushed it ajar and then waved them all in. Garius watched as the gnome and halfling strode easily through the opening, then he stooped, having to bend low in order to navigate the space. It was well lit inside by a combination of lanterns and a brilliant, magical light coming in from above them that appeared to hover and move about on its own. The warpriest wondered if the wisp of light was something sentient.

Larwinckle sat at a large table by himself and waved Garius and Divah over to join him.

I hope you enjoyed the excerpts.

Join me over at Skulldust Circle where we have formed a new Writer's Circle that must be seen--a collection of brilliant, up & coming independently published fantasy authors with much to give both now and in the future! It'd be foolish not to at least check it out...

All of my work can be found on AMAZON -- Kindle versions here!

See you in Wothlondia! Cheers!

Please visit MY HOME PAGE to enjoy an extended reading experience, see direct links to purchase my full length novel, Covenant of the Faceless Knights, the short stories: Wothlondia Rising, and to see what else Ashenclaw Studios, LLC has in store in the future!

Cover art provided by William Kenney!

All maps, names and content copyright Ashenclaw Studios 2012 unless otherwise noted.

The Faceless Knights... Who Are They?

Several of my friends have asked me this question, so I thought I'd address it here for any and all that are interested! Hope you enjoy it! *

The Faceless Knights of Order are simply one of the many factions that the Inquisition uses in order to exact their own brand of justice and order on the face of Wothlondia. The Faceless Knights are a fairly well known and officially sanctioned branch of the Pantheon of Order, which originates from the city of Safehold, keeping the churches and temples of each of the gods safe under their watchful eye.

Garius Forge by Justine Babcock

The Inquisition is a broad term that encompasses many leaders and elders of the Pantheon of Order, who gather in secrecy to exchange information and maintain a firm grasp of what happens within their temples and places of worship. These men and women uncover heresy and the dealings of those who walk the dangerous line between the benevolent gifts of their own gods of Arcadia and the foul temptations of the demon lords of Pandemonium who entice them with dark powers beyond their imagination. Their sole purpose is to weed out the heretics and supplant them as quickly and as quietly as possible, restoring order to the Realm of Ashenclaw.

The Faceless Knights exist as both a source of intelligence gathering upon the surface of Wothlondia, and more so as a very real militant order of warpriests with exceptional skills and abilities. This branch is out in the open, remaining unhidden, and employs priests, warpriests, paladins, knights, warriors and full-fledged Inquisitors.

Inquisitors are the chosen few--the dominant persons amongst their organizations--knights, paladins or warpriests mostly, who can manipulate divine energies as well as having established a background that involves martial competence. Once attaining the esteemed status of Inquisitor, these few men and women have access to any and all divine realms or spheres of influence of all of the gods. They are able to use any power, ability or spell that they see fit and often use whatever means necessary in order to keep the demons of Pandemonium from spreading across the face of Wothlondia. They are typically well-tempered, charismatic and decisive individuals who show exceptional qualities that make them the masters of the pantheon that they are. 

Heretics beware the Order of the Faceless Knights!

"Heresy is what the minority believe, it is the real name given by the powerful to the doctrine of the weak" ~ Robert Ingersol

See you in Wothlondia! Cheers!

Please visit: www.ashenclaw.com to enjoy an extended reading experience, see direct links to purchase Covenant of the Faceless Knights and to see what else Ashenclaw Studios, LLC has in store in the future!


(*This one is for you, Lee...)

(PS. Faceless Knight is a conceptual term, not a literal one...FYI!)

Sketch of Inquisitor and Faceless Knight, Garius Forge, by Justine Babcock