DISTANT FAMILIARITY Continues

I felt I needed to revisit this subject to clear things up. I simply wanted everyone to know (especially new readers to the Realm of Ashenclaw series) that all of the Wothlondia Rising 99 cent short stories are prequels to my novel, Covenant of the Faceless Knights (which is getting a makeover shortly--in progress--will keep you posted).

The short stories take one of the main characters and describes life-altering events approximately twelve years prior to the novel which helps place the characters on their chosen paths. I've had a few readers ask me questions regarding my Wothlondia Rising series, so I wanted to reiterate their purpose.

The events that take place specifically in DISTANT FAMILIARITY detail happenings that continue right here! Enjoy this free excerpt from my novel and I hope you come back for more!

                                                          

                                                

(If you've read Distant Familiarity, please read this!)

PROLOGUE

to Covenant of the Faceless Knights

                                                                                                 

 

            The heavy oak door to the council chamber creaked open, swinging wide as three battered and bruised forms entered the room. They each sat heavily in one of the many plush chairs surrounding a conference table at the center of the room.

"Me thinks that could have gone better," Rolin Hardbeard sighed, wiping a contrasting bit of dried blood from his full and white beard. Even for a dwarf who was obviously past his prime adventuring years, Rolin was a ruggedly built warrior, but this hour had him looking haggard and tired. His age was evident, as was his broken spirit.

"You have a talent for stating the obvious my dwarven friend," slurred a beautiful half-elven woman with hair the color of polished silver through what was quite possibly a broken jaw. Rolin managed a brief laugh as he removed his heavy, steel helmet and ran his fingers through his blood specked and thinning hair. His hard, gray eyes lightened somewhat to regard his emotionally distraught friend.

"Me dear Nimaira Silvershade, after all the years we spent takin’ down giants and ogres, countless trolls and undead, and ye are only now realizin’ I be a dwarf of many talents?" Rolin asked sardonically.

Nimaira began to laugh, but the pain in her jaw immediately distorted that laugh, twisting it instead into a grimace as tears slowly welled in her sapphire eyes. Rolin's light hearted visage turned down sympathetically at his friend’s obvious pain.

The human priest, Tiyarnon, directed a weak smile at his two closest friend’s familiar banter as he tugged thoughtfully at his ever-graying beard. It was comforting for him to have his friends nearby at a time like this, having dealt with the pain and guilt for so many years himself. It also brought a bittersweet twinge of nostalgia.

How long had it been since the three of them had time to spend together outside of official duties? Tiyarnon thought. By The Shimmering One, it had been too long!  If they survive this nightmare he silently pledged to ensure that they would make more time for camaraderie and reminiscing in the days to come. Tiyarnon's musings were interrupted by the arrival of a servant, standing within the shadows of the doorway.

"My Lords, My Lady,” he began with a reverent bow and then continued. “We did not know you had returned; forgive us for our incompetence," spoke the servant humbly, keeping his eyes down and bowing repeatedly from beneath a hooded, brown robe.

Rolin Hardbeard, never comfortable with being doted on, waved the groveling attendant's concerns away and directed a comment toward him. “Stand up straight ye durned fool! How many time must we be tellin’ ye that we are folk just as yerself? Just bring Nimaira some medicinal balms, for my beard’s sake!” Rolin barked after a short pause, then continued, “Tiyarnon here has exhausted himself and we got nothin much left.” The servant retreated backwards through the door, still insisting on bowing the entire time. "And bring me some durned ale while yer at it!" The dwarf shouted after him as the man disappeared into the hallway and out of sight.

"Now what do we do?" Nimaira said, addressing the topic at hand. Rolin simply shrugged, resigned to the fact that they had given a superb effort in their task.

"Get some rest, and try again on the morrow. What else can we be doin?" Rolin responded confidently, his pride obviously still at the forefront of his façade. The dwarf, despite his age and markedly weakened frame, was not one to give up. Stubbornness was evident in all dwarves and this one doubly so, thought Nimaira as she shook her head in clear respect for the brave warrior. She had witnessed that bravery firsthand hundreds of times throughout their careers.

"I'm afraid it won't matter,” Nimaira admitted as she shook her head gingerly. “You were there Rolin! You know as well as I do that we do not have the resources or the raw ability to succeed," Nimaira continued and winced at both that realization and her smarting jaw.

 The thought of failure sat heavily in the dwarf's heart. Never being comfortable with losing a battle or even an argument and always willing to fight to the very end for his beliefs, Rolin started to protest. All of his objections died before passing his lips as he recalled the scene in his head and recognized that any further attempts would ultimately end in failure. Rolin knew Nimaira was right. Neither of them knew the answer, and both of them looked just then to Tiyarnon.

Tiyarnon was wise and calculating beyond his years despite his shorter lifespan compared to the others in the room. While not nearly as old as the dwarf or the half-elf in years, they always thought of Tiyarnon as their patriarch, as did many others in Oakhaven.  He had an intuitive way of looking at a situation from multiple points of view, and making the proper decision based on what was best for everyone, even in times of personal grief. Because of that, his two closest friends were looking to him for a solution now, during what certainly was their darkest hour.

Tiyarnon sighed as he ran his hands across the gray stubble atop his head, the remains of a thick head of hair, further reminding him of his age. As he spun his chair away from them for a moment, he caught his reflection in the glass of the conference room window and saw the leathery skin and prominent gray beard encompassing his face. After a moment of silence, he sighed deeply and turned back to face his friends. 

Looking his companions in the eyes Tiyarnon said in a steady and serious tone, “We must appeal for help to the Inquisition,” he began.  “And not only the Inquisition, but the chapter of holy warriors that exists within the walls of Safehold.”

The half-elf woman’s eyes widened as a look of realization crept across her face, and then asked “Does that mean…?“

“Yes,” Tiyarnon said, picking up where the half-elf left off. “We must call upon The Order of The Faceless Knights."

(Special thanks to Nicholas Titano for helping me with this!) 

 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 on Distant Familiarity provided by William Kenney!

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

The City of Oakhaven

Currently, Oakhaven is a booming city—some say even greater than it was prior to the attacks of Ashenclaw. Its population is estimated to be over 19,000 people from varying races and cultural backgrounds and can surpass the 20,000 mark when a festival or event is occurring.

Oakhaven has a most-respected military force known as The Watch that reinforces and protects the city and its laws; set forth by its officials. The city is guided along by a group of ten members called the High Council. Each of these men and women are pillars of the community and represent one of the many guilds or factions that make the town what it is today. They are a fair and just governing force that benefit the entire realm and include such important personnel as the Lord Mayor and Assistant Mayor, as well as the Inspector of Taxes, who keeps the financial responsibilities of the people and the city’s officials in line. Their political structure is mirrored in several other communities and towns and has been widely regarded as a highly democratic system that favors the people and their many needs.

The High Council of Oakhaven~ 

Tiyarnon: High priest of the sun-god—The Shimmering One

Aldranon: Lord Mayor of Oakhaven

Nimaira Silvershade: Guild mistress of Wizardry

Rolin Hardbeard: Master of the Watch and the military

Ganthorpe Randolph: Asst. Mayor and liaison

Aeldur: Captain of the Watch and the military force in Oakhaven

Merobo Underbough: Merchant and Traders Guild leader

Alstin Reese: Guild master of Lawyers and Scribes

Bemli Gemfist: Guild master of Jewelers and gem cutters

Carrick Ellis: Inspector of Taxes



Guilds of Oakhaven~ 

Here is a list of most guilds one might find in Oakhaven. This is an idea of the prominent guilds that might come into play.

· Guild of Lawyers and Scribes

· Timekeepers’ and Lamplighters’ Guild

· Guild of Wizardry

· Jewelers’ and Gem-Cutters’ Guild

· Merchant and Traders’ Guild

· Masonry and Architects’ Guild

· Bakers’ and Butcher’s Guild

· Cartographers’ and Surveyors’ Guild

· Laborers’ Guild (includes warehouseman and longshoreman)

· Tanners’ and Leatherworkers’ Guild

· Smithy and Metalworkers’ Guild

· Moneychangers’ and Money-lenders’ Guild

· Brewer and Ale-makers’ Guild

· Artisans’ and Engravers’ Guild

· Thespians’ and Playwrights’ Guild

· Teachers’ and Scholars’ Guild

· Street-sweepers’ Guild

· Herbalists’ and Apothecaries’ Guild

· Thieves’ Guild ~ Shadowhands *(Spoiler)

· Assassins’ Guild ~ The Scarlet Web **(Spoiler)

*The Shadowhands is a huge underground organization of thieves and cutpurses in Oakhaven with hundreds under its employ. It is secretly run by the Assistant Mayor of Oakhaven—Ganthorpe Randolph. It stretches from several above ground homes in many districts including both the Nobles Districts and Commons Districts all the way through and under the city in its sewers. Business is conducted in many different places, with a main HQ located in the Warehousing District. Ganthorpe runs the guild with an iron fist and many who have crossed him usually wind up being washed into the River Divide and out into the North Gulf or worse.

**The Scarlet Web is a more mysterious and lightly populated guild with its main HQ unknown. The only thing known is its point of contact—Lady Saphirra—who enjoys conducting business in privacy. Many know of her, but none dare speak her name in public-lest they find themselves an unwitting victim of poisoned food or drink, among other things. Though she employs few assassins overall, the ones she does utilize are rumored to be the best in the realm.



Oakhaven’s Districts~

The city has built up several districts within that satisfy certain criteria and add to the allure and structure of the city. This includes a Trade District, where many merchants from Oakhaven as well as many traveling merchants may trade using both permanent and temporary areas with which to do so. As with many of the other cities, Oakhaven’s Trade District is teeming with merchants and buyers, often spilling out into the main courtyard of the city and sometimes even into the boundaries of other districts. There is an Entertainment District, where travelers and citizens may find gambling of all kinds, as well as a dozen or more taverns and inns selling ale, wine and mead and several different types of food.

The Remedial District is where infirmaries with physicians, temples with healing priests and apothecaries and herbalists can all be found employing their crafts to the unfortunate or ill people of Oakhaven. Curative methods can be procured in the way of elixirs, salves and divine healing gifted to the priests of the many temples within.

The Enlightenment District is where one can find all manners academia, including the well-known and well-respected University of Wizardry, run by Nimaira Silvershade herself. The scholars and historians employed by Oakhaven’s city are the finest in the land, next to the high elves themselves, who have lived for countless centuries accumulating their vast knowledge. Oakhaven is also known for catering to all manner of income, providing accommodations for the laborer as well as the merchant in the Commons and Nobles District respectively, where the domiciles of Oakhaven’s citizens can be found.

A Harvest District can be found separating the Commons and Nobles Districts. This area was built on rich soil and produces many trees, flowers, plants and edible fruits and vegetables that help feed the people of Oakhaven as well as providing some food for trade with other cities.

The Business and Craft District is located just beyond the Hall of the High Council and is quite large. This area houses all of the businesses and guild houses where daily business is done (other than trading). All offices and storefronts can be located within, such as the Jeweler, Butcher, Smithy and Baker to name a few. All of these businesses also provide an area in the trade district as well, but a larger selection of items can be found within the walls of their stores.

The Warehousing District is essentially along the docks, placed along the edge of the River Divide, where boats come in from areas that supply Oakhaven in bulk, especially Highport. Most rivers connect at some point to the River Divide, including the Prismatic River that runs from the North Peaks all the way through and empties into the swamps at the base of the Chaos Crests. Warehouses line the backdrop of the docks where bulk items are loaded and unloaded with merchandise coming through Oakhaven to be shipped or received.

More Later!

See you in Wothlondia! Cheers!

Please visit MY HOME PAGE 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!

(Photos from Kozzi)
 
All maps, names and content copyright Ashenclaw Studios, LLC 2011 unless otherwise noted.