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The Dark Necromancer
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Legends of Kalda
The Dark
Necromancer
Tales of the Amulet · I
D. J. Zangari
R. J. Zangari
Copyright 2012 LOK Publishing
All rights reserved.
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Tales of the Amulet
The Dark Necromancer
Secrets of Merda
The Mages’ Agenda
Treachery in Los
Short stories
The Last Barsionist
Contents
Kalda World Map
Soroth Map
Dragon’s Isle Map
Author’s Forward
Introduction to Tales of the Amulet
Prologue
In the Beginning…
An Uprising
Opportunity
Voyage
Draco Isola
Warrens
Deception
Battle
Reversal
Return
Clandestine Homecoming
Conquest
Consequences
Reformation
Clues
The Baron of Sereth
Epilogue
About the Authors
Other titles by the Authors
Connect the Authors
Author’s Forward
D.J. Zangari
The idea for what has turned into this series of books, there will be several more to follow, started over twenty years ago. I spent my college years absorbed in the worlds of Dungeons & Dragons™ in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. As a result I would read anything and everything that dealt with fantasy fiction books. After I was married and had my son, Robert, I started thinking of a universe that I could create, not really thinking at the time of putting the stories down on paper. They were more for the enjoyment of me and my young son.
Over the years these stories coalesced into a more organized depiction of the universe and the beginnings of a series that I called at the time the Chronicles of Lorn, after the small continent where they stories revolved. In the early 2000’s I put pen to paper, or more precisely fingers to keyboard, to write storylines for three books. I then drafted chapters of the first book. I showed them to a friend of mine that I worked with, being a full time engineer at the time. She was an author herself which is why I showed them to her, to get her opinion. She read them carefully and made several good recommendations to me on writing style and character development. The biggest suggestion she had was to expand the story line. I had originally planned on writing a trilogy, thinking that would be a good sell. Her suggestion expanded the idea further.
I continued to slowly write over the next four to five years. Robert graduated high school and went on a church service mission for two years. After his return I was still plodding along with these stories, and not making much progress. He expressed interest in helping with ideas and made several great suggestions on added characters and more story lines. Later after he married he sat with me and we outlined an approach to get the books done quicker. I am good at the broad stokes and bright colors approach and he is good at filling in the details. Once we teamed up the ideas and writing picked up at an accelerated pace. We also expanded the initial books from three to four, then to six and finally eight (However it might increase to ten; the further events in this epic story are still being detailed and shaped). The Dark Necromancer is the first in this re-titled series, Tales of the Amulet.
One of the other things Robert did was help to clearly define our created universe. Before his intervention I had vague references to earlier places and events. We solidified these with a comprehensive history that leads to other stories that precede this current series. We have defined the origins of the dragons, elves and humans in our universe. You will need to be patient and wait of those books. Another aspect was the creation of a historical timeline that nails down events. This helps when we are referring to past history in any given book so that we are consistent with those events and their dates as they relate to the present time in a story.
Furthermore, stories that progress forward in time from the “present” dates in this series are being developed and follow the storylines of this series and the past history mentioned above. The intent is to weave a tapestry of stories that flows from the beginning of our created universe through thousands of years of fictional history.
The intent of all of these stories are to provide enjoyable reading for those who enjoy not only fantasy but science fiction. As these stories progress several aspects of science are interwoven with the magics found in most fantasy settings. Our intent is to provide a different type of science fantasy that has not been seen before.
–D. J. Zangari
Salt Lake City, 2012
Dedicated to Belinda, a loving wife and mother, which with her devotion and encouragement made this work possible
Introduction
to
Tales of the Amulet
An account taken from scrolls written almost a thousand years ago by one of the greatest elves to walk the face of Kalda, the birthplace of dragonkind. Much of the terms used are translated into our language for easier understanding. It is an abridgement of many of the defining events of Kalda.
Although not a necessary read, this record gives insight into the history of Kalda from a certain perspective.
* * * * *
“Men and elves of Kalda, hearken to my words and open your minds to the truths that have laid hidden for generations; the beings ascribed to legend and myth exist in reality. Creatures that are far more intelligent and powerful than any of us have claimed this world their own for thousands of generations. These extolled and exalted beings are called in their own tongue, ‘sha’, but we know them in our languages as ‘draco’ and ‘dragon’. Much is uncertain of their origin, for as long as men and elves have lived, the sha have existed and ruled over Kalda.
“For tens of millennia the sha’kalda, the dragons of Kalda, roamed over much of our world. Thousands of these majestic beings soared through the skies unmolested and nested upon the mountaintops without disturbance.
“They were arrayed in a variety of breeds; having a vast diversity of color and luster. The dragons divided themselves into two families; Mi’na, or metallic and Cru’na, or chromatic. Within each of these families were specific breeds, each exhibiting their own unique traits and characteristics. The foremost of each family were the Pla’sha and the Lish’sha.
“Pla’sha, or the platinum dragons were the most intelligent, wise and charismatic of any. Lish’sha or the red dragons exhibited the greatest physical strength and were the most cunning and sometimes deceptive of their kind.
“The entirety of these families was governed by a body called, the Ril’Sha; dragons of the highest order of each breed. At their head was the mightiest of all their kind, a position that had always been awarded to a platinum dragon.
“When elves appeared and men grew in their posterity, the wise platinum dragons forged alliances with each of our kind. They represented the entirety of dragonkind and generously gave of the low plains of our world. Over time,
the humans were drawn to affection with the platinum dragons and a bond of great friendship sprouted between them. But this led many of the other breeds onto jealousy and caused a schism within draconic society. Others, such as the red dragons, detested the alliance and friendship with, what they deemed, lowly beings.
“Eventually, the platinum dragons enlightened both men and elves of a great unseen power, known in our tongues as magya or magic.
“Seven channels, or groupings of power, were taught among the humans and elves; Xa or arcane, Au or destruction, Ke or barsion, Tn or elemental, Om or restoration, Zs or manipulation, Sh or conjuration. Through spoken word, sharp sounding syllables of the draconic language, these powers became manifest.
“However the means of channeling these forms of magic were beyond the comprehension of the elves and humans. Thus, the platinum dragons endeavored to develop a simpler means of mastering this unseen power.
“Elvenkind were the first to harness these channels of magic; our kind have always possessed an affinity for these unseen forces but never by the power of spoken word.
“However, the humans struggled with the incantations created by the platinum dragons for generations. For many it took years upon years of training the mind and tongue to produce the desired effects of focused magic.
“About this same time, the tension within the two draconic families erupted within the Ril’Sha. A battle ensued and the leader of that council was slain by the red dragon who represented his breed. He took his claim of the Ril’Sha and banished those survivors who stood against him.
“As the new head of the Ril’Sha, the red dragon called Cheserith, asserted his right to dominion of Kalda and all beings that inhabited her. In the minds of those who comprised this revolutionized Ril’Sha the abominable notion arose; Lesser beings need not tread upon her face, for only those who soar through her breath are worthy of her bosom.
“Soon after, those who had been exiled from Cheserith’s Ril’Sha rallied their breeds to restore the affairs of their highest order. This first skirmish led to all out war, and dragonkind was torn asunder forever.
“For just over one thousand years the dragons battled in the skies of Kalda. It was a war which was known throughout the ages as the Thousand Year War; but among the humans of the day and those thereafter they called it the Dragon Wars; for dragon fought against dragon. But the dragons were not the only ones affected by this conflict.
“Upon learning of Cheserith’s deceit and usurpation of the Ril’Sha, elvenkind and those magically adept humans allied themselves with the metallic dragons who opposed the dominating council. For much of the beginning of the war, human and elf fought side by side their draconic comrades.
“For a short time, the alliance of men, elves and dragons prevailed against Cheserith’s Ril’Sha and their collective breeds; but the red dragons in all their cunning and guile turned the tide of the war. They enticed those men who had been aloof in the matters of war; then, within a few years, much of the human realm was organized against what was called, the Kaldean Alliance.
“United under an imperial charge, the humans of Kalda blindly followed and to a point, worshiped the dragons which comprised the Ril’Sha. Deified, Cheserith and his fellow Ril’Sha easily commanded armies of men which would fulfill their every beck and whim. A certain few they elected to manifest their will among humanity. These humans had their minds and bodies twisted with vile magic, turning mere men into powerful, supernatural and immortal beings; abominable creatures known as Ma’lisha in the draconic tongue or abalimyr in elvish. These abalimyr helped to push back the armies of human, elven and draconic warriors who fought for Kalda’s freedom.
“Blood and carnage veiled Kalda for several years as fierce battles raged across the sprawling plains of our world.
“With the aid of the platinum and golden dragons, the human and elven warriors were protected and armed with weapons and armor; tools of war which were produced through a blend of magic and metallurgy. One such draconic-crafted weapon was based upon an ancient elven mythos, the fanisar; a bladed staff which can be broken down into three pieces and linked by a woven chain. However, these draconic weapons are bound by channeled magic, and their blades composed of the finest destructive magical energies.
“Despite all their efforts, those who had fought Cheserith were failing. The numbers of the newly established empire’s armies continued to swell years after its establishment. This next generation of men had only known life within the Cheserithean Empire, and believed in their false deity’s cause without question.
“Eventually the Kaldean Alliance pulled back to a single place, the newly constructed capital city of the elves, Kardorth. Many of the great elven cities had been destroyed at the onset and throughout the early years of the war; Melar, Kildath, Torgath, Merath and Milarn.
“Through various means of barsionary magic, Kardorth remained unscathed for hundreds of years. Throughout that time the alliance of dragons, elves and humans sought various means to triumph over their adversaries; these strategies and acts produced a desired effect which lasted for a short while but was rendered useless in due time; one of which was a transformative curse that caused great internal turmoil within the Empire.
“Over time, the corrupt Ril’Sha were not satisfied with this level of victory. The war had made many of those dragons bitter, and they desired all that opposed them be eradicated and their blood used as an offering to their living deity. For hundreds of years, the beguiled armies of men encamped Kardorth upon the great river which surrounded the home of the Kaldean Alliance.
“It wasn’t until nine hundred and twenty three years after the first skirmish that a decisive power was completed; Shiz’nak or the tethering stone. Its power can send one to many of the vast stars that illuminate the night sky of our world.
“The tethering stone is a sphere of pure rogulin which has been infused with magic through a rigorous ritual by the Irum’mak’sha; draconic sages who possessed the highest knowledge of each form of magic. Through their joint power they created a means for the stone to bind worlds together by opening a spherical-breach between the two realms. They were the first to traverse this gateway-of-sorts and discovered realms suitable for their intentions of triumph in what seemed to them as an endless war.
“Three hundred years passed away since the dragons, humans and elves had left Kardorth’s protective barsion. At that time, they ventured forth to once again battle with the army that besieged their home. At their head was a platinum dragon who held the tethering stone in his grasp. He single handedly plunged himself into the heart of the besieging army and uttered the incantation to bring the tethering stone’s effects to life.
“In an instant, a flash of brilliant light engulfed the battlefield and within the sky above the ground floated the breach to a distant barren world. Through the power of the stone, all those within a close vicinity to the breach were pulled toward it, including the dragon who possessed the tethering stone.
“Hundreds of dragons and thousands of men were pulled into the breach. On the other side, those drawn through were thrust from the breach. Many of the dragons loyal to the corrupted Ril’Sha attempted to pass back through, but were barred by a form of barsionary magic on that side of the breach. Only the platinum dragon that had tethered the worlds returned, for in his possession was a shard of orange rock, Tel’k’shak or Key of the Stars; it allowed the dragon to return through the barsion magic barring the others.
“That battle lasted many days before the besieging army retreated. It was a great day for the Kaldean Alliance, and although many had died upon the vast battlefield there was hope that the war would end.
“Many battles followed soon after and when the tethering stone was seen it struck fear into the enemies of freedom.
“Despite the Kaldean Alliance’s victories, there were some dragons in the Empire that did not fear the powerful stone. However, there were many within the various draconic breeds that sued for peace.
“After a hundred years, few draconic breeds were left on Kalda; nevertheless, the red dragons remained in abundance. Throughout this passage of time, the crimson tyrants had positioned themselves away from the battlefields and theaters of war. They had controlled their campaign of domination from their secret places, but this would soon change
“Without the aid of their draconic masters in battle, the armies of the Empire were slowly weakened. The abalimyr were almost equally matched with the Masters of Twenty and the Cess’nal in battle. This left the humans of the Empire to futilely fend off the onslaught from the rest of the Alliance’s forces.
“Eventually the Kaldean Alliance took back the continent which Kardorth is located. They then turned their attention to reclaiming the continent to the southwest, Selgas. The battles for that land were fierce and bloody; the warriors of the Empire fought with a unconquerable zeal. Many fell on each side but not before the most capital parts of the continent were claimed by the Alliance. However, this victory was short lived.
The Dark Necromancer