Zachania Read online




  ZACHANIA

  Joseph Henry Gaines

  Copyright © 2012 Joseph Henry Gaines

  All rights reserved.

  Smashwords Edition

  www.zachania.com

  Dedication

  I dedicate this book to my wife Suzanne and my Children

  Sophie, Angel, Sonny, Manny, Honey, and Cassius

  ZACHANIA

  Tome 1

  Taken from the

  Diaries and Chronicles of Talon the Zararhakzar

  & the Tome’s of Epicania.

  The History of

  KRATOS

  From the Holy book of Pang

  the Chronicles of Zanchek

  & the Tusarian Oracle.

  In the beginning Kratos was a lifeless land.

  Until five Gods, CLADAS, APOLLO, ANFINNIS, ZIKON, and CRECKAS ordained its creation.

  The Lord God Cladas set forth giving tasks to his fellow Gods,

  Creckas, brother of Cladas was given the task to breathe life into the land, when Creckas had completed this, Kratos flourished in fertile bloom, the valleys were carpeted in dew soaked grass, the hills were filled with the aromas of flowers and pines and after thousands of years animals roamed the land and fish swam in the rivers and seas.

  The Lord God Cladas pleased with what he saw deemed it was now time to create intelligent life to tend and harvest the land.

  Cladas gave his other brothers Apollo, Anfinnis, and Zikon the tasks of creating three life forms.

  Apollo created mortal man and gave them the fertile northeast realm as their home, Apollo himself lived amongst them as a mortal where he gave them his teachings on how to farm, fish and tend their livestock and under his charge the Man tribe flourished and multiplied.

  The God Zikon created the second tribe to which he named The KESAINS, they were created half man half bear, immensely strong and suited to their chosen mountainous and forest realm in the south. Zikon like Apollo also took on their form living and teaching amongst them.

  The third and final tribe was created by the God Anfinnis, their chosen home was to be the harsh desert region of the southeast. This ruling by Cladas angered Anfinnis, Apollo and Zikon were given lush and fertile lands to create their tribes Anfinnis was given barren wilderness. So he created a race called the DEGRAINS who was a mixture of Man, Mountain beast and the desert lion.

  Anfinnas like his brothers lived as one of them where he tutored them in the ways of the land.

  The three Gods remained among their tribes for over ten millennia, Apollo’s man tribe built many towns all across the north of the island, they became very skilled and excelled in tendering the land.

  The Kesain’s chose solitude and remained contented in the vast Forest of Deceit.

  The Degrain’s however preferred the taste of the kill; they became clannish and ferocious as the nature of the beast in their blood prevailed. They searched in huge packs to fulfil their insatiable hunger for blood; many species of animal were hunted to extinction as they plundered the land.

  Anfinnis many times tried to calm them but his creation could not be tamed, before long the whole region of the south east was extinct of life hunted and killed by the Degrain.

  Then on one tragic day, a day that would be forever known as ‘the darkest day’, the Degrain entered the realm of man.

  A clannish tribe of Degrain named ‘the Aclan’ crossed the great river in their search for blood, upon the river banks they stumbled across a nomadic tribe of men, women and children.

  A savage onslaught commenced and the man tribe were killed with no mercy as their herds of cattle were feasted upon.

  After the Aclan’s massacre, the Degrain’s returned to their own land, word quickly spread that vast amounts of food could easily be found to the north. The Degrain flocked north in their thousands, hundreds of man tribes were butchered and annihilated.

  When the God Apollo learned of the Degrain exodus he immediately demanded a conference with his fellow god Anfinnis.

  Anfinnis arrived feeling shame and embarrassment from what his tribe had been doing. Apollo argued fiercely with his fellow God which resulted in a battle between them which lasted two man years.

  When the Lord God heard of his brother’s feud and how they had actually fought with each other, he became so outraged He forbid them to never again interfere or return to Kratos, from this day forth Kratos would stand alone.

  For over one thousand years the island of Kratos was in chaos as the Degrain’s continually hunted and killed the man tribes until one day they attacked a nomadic tribe ruled by a man named TUSARIA.

  ‘Tusaria the Great’ he was later to be known.

  He was a fiercely strong man with a calm and placid nature. When the Degrain attacked his small tribe they brought out his other side. Witnessing the deaths of his wife and children he became fearsome with rage and killed every Degrainian beast.

  Alone and delirious Tusaria swore revenge, he fashioned his farming tools into weapons and travelled the north where he gathered together strong and vengeful men from different clans until he had amounted a small army.

  Then on one historic day later to be known as ‘The day of Tusaria’,he and his army attacked a large clan of the Degrain, as the day ended over one thousand Degrain were slayed. Many of the nomadic man tribes upon hearing of this man’s resolve flocked to Tusaria begging him for protection and after many years of battles the whole region of the north east became known as the land of Tusaria, the region flourished under his leadership.

  The blood thirsty Degrain’s continued for decades without success to attack the land of Tusaria. Frustrated by the resolve of Tusaria they turned their attention west where they discovered the peaceful race of Kesain.

  Tusaria the great lived to the age of one hundred and eighty seven, he never remarried but he fathered many sons.

  One of which was blessed with great wisdom who also became Tusaria’s first King. Under the reign of ‘Tasolock the wise’, the land of Tusaria became a civilization, he formed a council of ten Lords to protect the realm and formed councils for farming, fishing, education, building, and war.

  The Tusaria family dynasty lasted for over eight hundred years during which time the land became vastly populated.

  The last of the Dynasty was Ilkut who was killed tragically on a hunting trip while still a boy. The whole land mourned his death.

  The head of the education council was a man called Lord Bakro, who was chosen to take the throne of Tusaria. A fierce protest came from the head of the war council. Lord Kutic demanded that he should become King stating that a warrior and not a teacher should rule the land of Tusaria. For months tensions rose as Kutic and his soldiers boycotted the coronation of Bakro and refused to take his orders. Finally the other nine members of the war council sided with the new King and Kutic was ordered to obey or be banished. Kutic resentfully yielded but over the next few years the arguments persisted as Kutic and his men’s allegiances were questioned.

  King Bakro after many confrontations was finally forced to banish the wayward Lord Kutic and his men from Tusaria.

  King Bakro declared to his people that this action had broken his heart but what he did, he did for the stability of the realm.

  Lord Kutic’s exit from the land was one of great shame, in a rabid lust for vengeance he formed an allegiance with the Degrain, and in his rage he betrayed his people and gave Degrain the knowledge to defeat Tusaria.

  The abrupt war was over quickly, with the siege on Tusaria mighty and full of surprise. Lord Kutic murdered the King and pronounced himself leader and a new age, the Kutic dynasty begun, an age of oppression and pain.

  The Kutic Dynasty reigned for over one thousand years; it was a time of tyranny with deep resentment and suffering
for the Tusarian’s

  Thousands of Tusarian’s were thrown into subjugation and held in huge slavery camps outside the vast city’s while the Kutics built huge walls around their Palaces and homes.

  The Tusarian’s secretly built connecting tunnels to their homes and camps, generation after generation they became more desperate and determined to end this tyranny. It was at this time that the first wizards appeared. At first they were known as preachers and makers of faith where they held secret meetings preaching to the masses about hope and salvation.

  Soon these wizards became immensely respected within the slave camps, they became leaders, men of hope, men of resolve, men filled with the blood of Tusaria the great.

  When the Kutic’s learned of these wizards they engaged in a savage reign of terror, countless wizards were found and butchered as well as countless followers with men suspected though falsely of being a wizard.

  For two centuries this brutality persisted, the Kutic’s became obsessed with wiping out this faith but for every man they killed, ten would rise in their place to continue the work. This was known as the ‘Age of Martyrs’.

  Then a new kind of wizard suddenly evolved, his name was Dalafin, a man with a hypnotic nature, god given luck and divine wisdom who dabbled in a strange art with herbs. Dalafin gathered a small army of Tusarian’s around him, men considered resilient and strong

  The Kutic family began to lose control of the slave camps, in an effort to discover the men behind the revolt the Kutic’s ordered one thousand slaves to be murdered every day until the people gave up there leaders.

  After two days Dalafin finally surfaced, he called a huge rally with over a hundred thousand slaves attended.

  Dalafin gave a speech, a speech that was to change every life of every slave in Tusaria.

  Listening in the crowd was a orphan boy named Bolson Hanoster, a young man now who was adopted by Dalafin from an early age, his heart ached as he held onto every word of Dalafin’s speech

  “When a man is enslaved by another man,

  In time he will no longer feel the pain that his tyrant can plague.

  In time he will no longer care for his own existence.

  He will care only for his freedom.

  His freedom of thought.

  His freedom of life.

  A yearning that consumes a man till he no longer becomes a man.

  Our time has come to yearn no more, follow me into battle, and follow me into salvation.

  Fight for your friends.

  Fight for your Fathers.

  Fight for your wife’s.

  Fight for your children.

  And fight!, fight for your right to live.”

  That night young Bolson Hanoster carried by the words of Dalafin crept silently into the Palace grounds, without a care for his own life he scaled the walls and entered the bedrooms of the Kutics, by morning not one Kutic family member breathed life.

  As word spread amongst the camps the slaves saw their chance for freedom and began their revolt. The Palace was taken and young Bolson Hanoster was chosen as their saviour.

  A new Tusarian leader under the guidance of Dalafin was born.

  The new leader’s first task was to send a message to Degrain that any intrusion into Tusarian land would now be met with force. The Degrain’s took great offence at this message but as they prepared to invade they were surprisingly attacked by the Empire of Kesain .unable to risk a war with two tribes at the same time the Degrain were forced to focus their attentions fully on their attackers from the west.

  By a strange act of fate the land of Tusaria was left to flourish while the war between the Degrain and the Kesain raged.

  Bolson Hanoster was crowned King, he rebuilt the city, formed the councils once again and created an order of wizards to which they were given positions of power and respect. Years passed as Tusaria blossomed; it soon became an Empire again with the King and Dalafin instrumental in new ideas and inventions.

  Dalafin began to hear tales of a town on the south west shores of Kratos that had become a haven for wizards, he asked the King for permission to investigate, once given he left and did not return for five years.

  Upon his return he brought back many secrets and ideas. One of which was a detailed way of mapping time, this was to be called a calendar, later to be known as The Tusarian Calendar.

  Year 1.

  The return of Dalafin

  Year 67.

  The death of the Tusarian saviour King Bolson Hanoster, Tusaria mourned for a whole year.

  Year 68.

  The crowning of King Graval Hanoster, eldest son of the heroic great King. Graval was like his father brave and wise.

  Under his reign the people of Tusaria first earned a pay for their work. Great libraries were built where reading and writing was encouraged, this year began the great age of Tusarian scholars.

  Year 152.

  First visit by the leaders of Kesain to Tusaria, the Kesain’s were losing their war against the Degrainian Empire and sought allegiance with Tusaria against them. King Graval declined saying great thought was needed before he engaged in war but he did give them conditional sanctuary if they needed it.

  Year 154.

  The Tusarian Empire can no longer stay out of the war, they form an allegiance with Kesain. Many thousands die as the whole of Kratos is once again thrown into battle and chaos.

  Year 252.

  After a century, the war still rages, King Graval Hanoster is killed in battle, his youngest son Bolson named after his Grandfather is appointed King. The new King was a keen scholar who in his youth had accompanied the wizard Dalafin on his travels in the search of knowledge. Bolson had learnt many of the wizard’s teachings; in years to come he was known as King Bolson the Mystical.

  Year 254.

  King Bolson introduces a religion he had studied in the south while with Dalafine to Tusaria, King Bolson brought the religions founders, a group of monks called ‘The Edonlies’ from their home in the south back to Tusaria and built them a huge temple to preach their faith.

  Year 264.

  The great victory of Kalankine valley where two thousand Tusarian’s defeated over ten thousand Degrain.

  Year 265

  The Degrain Empire strike back hard for their defeat at Kalankine,the entire outpost in the south is massacred in two days, fifty thousand men are butchered.

  Year 365.

  The next one hundred years sees Tusaria weaken, the Degrain Empire all but defeat the Kesain’s then turn their full attention to Tusaria.

  Year 366.

  The King sends men to every corner of Kratos frantically searching for anything that can save them from what now seems like certain defeat. A great Tusarian General returns with a device called the bow and arrow and with this new weapon they begin to fight back.

  Year 384.

  King Bolson Hanoster the 2nd is killed by Degrainian assassins while giving a speech at Kemkar creek, the dead Kings eldest son Klufe became so enraged he gathered his own personal guard and set forth for the border vowing to revenge his father.

  Year 385.

  Klufe still missing is pronounced King in his absence, later that year the severed head is delivered to Tusaria by a merchant who had been ambushed by the Degrain and only spared his life so he could deliver the murdered Kings head.

  Year 386.

  Makros Hanoster crowned King of Tusaria, Makros quickly shows his calmer qualities, the rashness showed by his elder brother would rest in the grave with him as Makros ordered all of his Generals to forget their anger and hatred and fight this war with clarity of thought and strategy.

  Year 394.

  The one hundred year peace spell began as internal feuding within the Degrainian Empire prevailed.

  The war never ceased but the Degrain never really ventured from their own land. King Makros was thankful for the respite as once again his Tusarian Empire was on the brink of defeat when the attacks ceased.

  Year 499.


  The Degrainian feud ends.

  Year 500.

  King Makros Hanoster dies and his eldest son Kros is named King.

  Year 501.

  The Degrain Empire begins to attack Tusaria again.

  Year 521.

  King Kros Hanoster creates the first sea going army which travel the seas in cumbersome boats.

  Year 523

  “The Great Yellow famine” begins, for the next century and a half the skies remain cold and dark, crops cease to grow and disease becomes rife, The Edonlie monks call it a sign from the gods to end the never ending wars. The war stops as the Empires battle against their new common enemy’s disease and starvation.

  Year 566.

  The great Yellow famine takes the life of King Kros, he is succeeded by his middle son Bolson the 3rd.

  Year 683.

  The Yellow famine ends.

  Year 685.

  King Bolson Hanoster the 3rd sends a delegation of Edonlie monks to the Degrainian Empire asking that the peace that had lasted during the famine continue. The monks were never seen or heard of again.

  Year 701.

  The Degrainian Empire invades the Tusarian border, Tusarian’s are taken by surprise and many thousands die. The Degrainian advance was held at Oken gorge. Degrain’s defeated at Oken gorge, King Bolson the 3rd takes total command of the Tusarian army’s and proves his worth as a mighty warlord.

  Year 707.

  A historic year that would have great consequence upon the future, a Edonlie monk called Pang took it upon himself to seek out the fabled home of the gods, myth has it that Pang after years of searching finally reached their home.

  Pang pleaded with the gods to intervene and stop this endless war but the Lord God Cladas refused.

  So the God Apollo hid the monk for forty years where he taught him many secrets, together they created a new religion later to be called PANGKOR. Pang was then allowed to leave and spread the word.

  Year 747.

  Pang returned to Tusaria where the King learns of his epic quest. King Bolson gives Pang his full blessing to spread the word, within five years Pangkor is the prevalent religion on Kratos. Pang travels south and west where he creates three new towns Zanlia, Varanasa and Tallasian.