The Elves of Kirkaldin

In the Morning of the World, one great forest covered the northern reaches of Kirkaldin. Autumn never came to this place, the climate perpetually warm and tropical. Into this forest, the Wind, creator of life itself, sent the Elves. He bid them thrive and bring goodness unto the land. The Elves decreed that they would do no harm to the trees, cherishing the shelter and sustenance that the trees brought to them. Such was their bond with the forest, an almost symbiotic relationship, that a strong, sylvan magic began to develop. The Elves tended to the trees, nurturing them and keeping them strong, treating the sicknesses that would occasionally befall them. In turn, the massive trees bent to their will, allowing themselves to be molded and shaped according to the needs of their caretakers. Such was the magic that the Elves developed the ability to step into the ethereal essence of the trees, literally passing physically into the trunk, traveling through this wondrous plane of existence and reappearing elsewhere within the forest. This became known as the Woodwalk.

Soon the Elves had fashioned homes within the immense trees, carving vaulted rooms and spiraling staircases within the trunks. Flame was forbidden within the forest of the Elves, but a combination of the new magic and the amber sap that served as the lifeblood of the forest gave birth to the sunglobes, crystalline orbs that gave off a natural golden light.

The Elves were a strong and righteous race, honorable and true. They married for life, the bride and groom creating a necklace from thin woven strips of wood that they wore until death. As they were a long-lived race, some couples remained together for hundreds of years, bearing dozens of children. The worries of the Elves were taken from them in a daily ritual performed by their king. Each day, the Elves would bring a blossom to the king's courtyard and place it in the fountain to float upon the surface of the water. Their sorrow and stress they put into the flower and so it passed into the pool. Every morning, the King would drink of this water, the Kingsdraught, taking the worries of his people into himself and leaving them happy and carefree.

With the coming of Man, a disagreement arose among the Elves. The first weapons were fashioned in the forest, drawn from the bodies of the trees and shaped into gracefully curving blades. Soon Man had developed weapons of metal, first copper, then bronze and finally steel. The communities of Man began to war among themselves and some factions of Elves believed that soon Man would come to the forest. Man was greedy and selfish, destroying the natural environment around them, laying waste to the trees and polluting the water. They would want what the Elves had.

The Elves soon became a divided people, those who coveted metal for the defense of their lands and those who stood by their ancient ways, the way of the wood. There came no civil war, no violent separation of their people. A meeting was held and the decision was made. With the mountains as a dividing line, the Elves of the Old Way migrated to the eastern side and their brethren to the west. In the forest of the West, soon known as Greymander, the making of metal weapons began, swords and steel-tipped arrows. Chain mail armor and sweeping helms were created as the Elven smiths grew more proficient in their new skills.

It was discovered that the metal of Man prevented the magic of the Woodwalk and soon the Elves of the west stopped using the ability altogether. In time, the mountains were thrust higher and higher by the natural movement of the landscape and the great forest became two, the western forest now called Elfwhere. There were also those Elves that felt the call of the ocean and eventually left their homes in Elfwhere to set off across the Sleeping Sea and settle in the islands far to the west. They were labeled the High Elves and in many ways became superior to the others. They were great healers and developed new areas of magic, yet undiscovered by their kin. In the High Elves, the Woodwalk soon changed, allowing them to pass through water in much the same way that those of Elfwhere passed through wood.

Many changes come with the telling of the In the Shadow of the Black Sun tale. This story is of course available at all ebook sellers. Find out what transpires by clicking the following link: The Complete Trilogy at Amazon US.

For your reading pleasure...

With all of this talk of cover art, I thought I would mention the books that I have written. These are all available on Amazon.com. Click the cover image and you will be taken to the product page. For those who love a great fantasy tale, I give you:

In the Shadow of the Black Sun 
Book One:
A Dream of Storms

Twelve years ago, The Battle of the Black Sun had left Hagan scarred inside. The scent of blood and the incessant ring of steel were etched in his mind. Though his sword had turned the tides, he had sworn off war and become a recluse, retiring to the hills above his hometown of Lauden and turning to drink. He had hoped to be forgotten. The world would not let him forget the oath that he had sworn in his youth, however, and an honorable Stone Troll named Gorin was sent to convince Hagan to honor it. Councilcrane, the ruling body of mages, had summoned him to the city of Harquinn and Hagan knew that the threat of war from across The Edge must have returned.

Gorin brought ill tidings. Autumn had never come to Elfwhere, but the leaves had begun to fall, foretelling the return of the dark lord Mournenhile, thought destroyed all those years ago. Like an ungodly pairing of bat and wolf, Mournenhile's army of Pith have swarmed into the Elven forest bent on their utter destruction.

Reluctantly, Hagan must once more step into the horrors of war and offer his blade to the cause. Joined by his inexperienced younger brother, D'Pharin and a small group of new companions (Vasparian, an Elf that served with Hagan under the Black Sun, Windenn, the Woodwarden and Shindire, the haughty Elf from across The Sleeping Sea) he sets off for the ancient city of Harquinn with a heavy heart.

What will the mages ask of him this time? Memories of atrocities committed in the name of Harquinn flooded back into his mind.

Can he become the hero that he once was, redeeming himself and driving back the horrific creatures within the armies of Mournenhile?

Book Two:

Shards of S'Darin

 Malhain and the forces of Mournenhile now occupy the west's most important stronghold. After narrowly escaping the battle, Davaris, possibly now the last living mage, pulls the others along on a seemingly impossible quest; to gather the remnants of S'Darin's staff, destroyed on the battlefield years ago. The only person that knows the location of S'Darin's staff is a madman, now locked away in Harrow Isle, an island asylum only accessible through Pahn Pirik, the underground kingdom of the Dwarves. The true nature of Shindire's visit to the mainland becomes apparent as they set off on their long journey into the barren south.

The forest of Elfwhere has nearly been destroyed. Vasparian and Gorin return to the forest of the Elves in the hopes of defending its capital and rescuing Vasparian's family. Can the Elves convince the mysterious Addrefae to fight, unleashing their ancient sorcery against their common enemy?

Thousands strong, a shambling column of diseased people travel mindlessly toward the north. What is Trune's role in Mournenhile's evil plan and will the true nature of the plague finally be revealed?

Tales of Embremere:
Book One:
Embremere

The majestic city of Embremere had been built on an immense platform high above the surface of the lake, with the poor and
criminal element creating their own society below it in a world they called The Under. Into this world, Grivvin Lo'Rynin is exiled. He is the last of the Wychan, Embremere's high order of wizards who have, over the generations, lost their power. And now he is an outcast.

As fate would have it, a young girl named Lyrica pulls him from the churning waves that night, saving his life and dragging him along on a dangerous adventure facing whirlpools, dragons and the grey-skinned fish-men called the Cuda, who cruelly rule The Under.

Can Grivvin survive in this strange land long enough to unlock the secrets of Wychan magic and seek revenge on the nobles that branded him useless?

What dark secrets lie at the bottom of Lake Embremere?


Tales of Embremere:
Book Two:
Return to Embremere

 Horrific creatures have begun to appear in The Under. Through the careless use of Wychan magic, Grivvin has unknowingly resurrected long dead monsters lying at the bottom of Lake Embremere. It is soon discovered that only magic can destroy them, physical weapons only stopping them temporarily. Even the vicious Cuda are threatened by the rising terror and through the kidnapping of a friend, force Grivvin to set about ridding The Under of this unholy horde.
Can Grivvin and his new friends find a way to destroy these creatures? Is his growing power strong enough? Will Modmargen, God of the Cuda live up to his end of their bargain?
Join a new cast of young characters in the latest installment in the Tales of Embremere series.

Undergrowth
A horror novella

A madness had hung over the Dinbury house for years. After his father commits suicide in front of him and on a public street, Chet sets about trying to unravel the mystery of his father's insanity. What secrets lie hidden in his father's study, full of odd artifacts and books of ancient lore. What is that sickly sound that he hears in the night and why can't his wife hear it? Are the demons of madness now coming for him?








The sequel to Embremere is in the final stages and will soon be release in paperback and for the Kindle. Then, it's on to the third book of In the Shadow of the Black Sun.


Thank you and happy reading,


William