Zachania Read online

  Year 757.

  King Bolson forms a new council and gives its members the titles of Dukes and Knights.

  Year 767.

  The Tusarian Empire begins to inflict heavy attacks upon the Degrainian Empire.

  Year 768.

  Duke Heikan’s army kill over twenty five thousand, Degrain in just one day. The town where the battle took place was renamed Heikania as tribute to the Dukes courage and victory. This was also the time of many other great Tusarian heroes’.

  Year 772.

  The war had now definitely turned in Tusarian favour, though this year was one of great remorse as the great Tusarian wizard Dalafine met his death. Dalafine left his King and said he must journey to his death. The whole of Tusaria mourned his death especially the King.

  Year 803.

  The Degrainian Empire on the brink of defeat. Armies of Tusaria have them pinned into their own land desperately trying to defend their borders. Then a new family emerges to prominence in Degrain, the family were more fearsome and bloodthirsty than any who came before them. Their leader was a savage beast called Lord Tagra who had been orphaned as a boy and raised by three evil witches; Lord Tagra rose through the ranks in fearsome speed.

  Degrain legend says that during a meeting of council the Degrain King informed his members that the Degrainian Empire would immanently be defeated, Lord Tagra outraged at the Kings statement savagely killed him with his bare hands. Tagra then threatened to kill every council member unless they swore to his allegiance. Soon after Tagra had every member murdered anyway then pronounced himself absolute ruler of Degrain.

  Year 804.

  The Degrain rise to their new leader as he instils confidence and pride. Tagra preaches across Degrain rousing his subjects into frenzy’s as he orders them to fight to the death. The Degrain quickly begin to be victorious again, he took control of the borders again and with the aid of his witch’s magic conquered many a battlefield.

  Year 805.

  Lord Tagra’s witches present him with a magical mirror, this mirror was an instrument of amazing dark powers, legend tells how this mirror was a channel directly to the God Creckas .... Later to be called the Evil God. With this mirror and Creckas aiding the Degrain’s the scales of turned drastically.

  Year 811.

  The Kesain Empire is totally destroyed, there lands are sacked and burnt to the ground, only a few escaped into hiding from the merciless wrath of the Degrain.

  Year 814.

  The Degrain’s focus all there might upon Tusaria.

  Year 815.

  Half of Tusarian land under Degrain rule.

  Year 816.

  King Bolson holds urgent discussions on how to avoid total defeat. His Dukes and Knights tell him they have no answer to the Degrain magic.

  Year 818.

  Tusaria defeated by the Degrainian Empire, towns and villages across the realm are burnt and sacked, King Bolson orders Duke Heikan to take what is left of his battered army and escape to the mountainous regions of the north west.

  Known as Zachania.

  Year 819.

  The Palaces of Tusaria are destroyed; the Fleeing Tusarian’s break into groups and scatter across the land.

  Year 820.

  In the ancient book of ZANCHEK it tells how the Gods returning from a quest discovered the conquest of Tusaria,

  Apollo was deeply saddened by his people’s fate so he decided to look further into why and how his people were defeated. Apollo soon discovered that the reasons lay in the magical mirror and the aid of his fellow god Creckas.

  Apollo returned to Kratos and stole Lord Tagra’s magical mirror.

  Cladas upon discovery of Creckas’s guilt banished his brother to an eternity of limbo. The evil mirror had by this time attained so much power it could not be destroyed for fear that its powers would only enter into another object.

  Apollo was given the task of disposing it in a place where its evil could never be used again; its powers would be buried with it for all of time. Lord Tagra was also visited in his sleep and warned that if he persisted in hunting of man then he and his race would meet death.

  Year 980.

  Peace lasted on Kratos for over one hundred and sixty years, the surviving Tusarian’s under the leadership of Duke Heikan had settled well in the mountainous region of Zachania. The tribes that already lived there welcomed there human cousins with open arms, Zachania and its sister province Zanlia in time began to flourish.

  Year 981.

  On a peaceful farm just south of Zanlia lived a hardworking man named Bowen. On one afternoon his property was attacked by a faction within the Degrainian Empire who had grown tired of peace. This small party of Degrain’s were merely a scouting party yet they killed eighteen members of the family Bowen.

  The Zachanian........ Degrain War had begun.

  Year 984

  Hostilities between Degrain and Zachania began to escalate, at first there were only raids on Zachanian and Zanlian lands performed by small groups of Degrain mercenaries but it did not take long for the large army’s to follow.

  Year 985.

  Vast army’s march north to Zachania

  Year 986.

  The town of Zanlia proclaimed unsafe. The Degrain army’s make camp only one days march from Zanlia, many thousands of Zanlian’s leave their homes and seek sanctuary in Zachania.

  The Battle of Zanlia, thousands who remained are slain, Degrain are victorious.

  Year 987.

  The Degrainian Empire enters Zachania; the fierce and proud Zachanian’s helped by their inhospitable terrain succeed in halting the Degrain armies, Degrain forced to retreat.

  After months of battles and thousands of deaths the Gods acting under the frantic behest of Apollo decide to intervene. A peace summit is called. The gods Apollo and Anfinnis along with Duke Heikan and Lord Tagra attend, after days of exchange a peace is finally agreed.

  Year 1500.

  The end of the Degrain civil war.

  While Most of Kratos for five hundred years basked in glorious peace, Degrain witnessed internal warring between two great houses, many said that without anyone to attack they turned on themselves. The great house of Tagra still controlled the councils but the mighty house of Harkanikar refused to show allegiance. The Gods kept a watchful eye on the Degrain especially there creator Anfinnis. Cladas forbid Anfinnis any intervention in the Degrain civil war but Anfinnis could not turn his back on the race he had created. Myth and legends tells how he gave Lord Tagra a magical Bow and arrow to which used to kill his rival Lord Harkanikar, the civil war ended and once again Tagra was absolute ruler of Degrain.

  Year 1545.

  Lord Tagra killed by his eldest son Unk Tagra, old age had finally caught up with him and as is Degrainian tradition it fell upon his eldest son to take his life, a huge ceremony was held where thousands witnessed Unk Tagra behead his father thus the eldest son took command of the Empire. The new ruler soon began to feel worthless, this was peacetime for a race who valued warriors above all else. Everywhere he looked he was surrounded by reminders of his ancestor’s great victory’s and campaigns. His Father had decorated the Palace in huge statues of himself in full warring costumes and soon these statues were a burden around his son’s neck like the heaviest of weights.

  He loved his father with adoring devotion but it was his time to lead now, his time to earn the respect and fear of his Empire.

  Year 1546.

  The frustrations of Unk Tagra become too much, he leads a huge army of Degrain warriors north in the direction of Zachania. Once again the northwest was caught by surprise. The Zachanian’s had devoted the past five centuries into farming and rebuilding the land while the Degrain’s fuelled by internal war had grown in battle and now with the feud ended and the two mighty houses of Tagra and Harkanikar joined, there strength was immense.

  Year 1547.

  The Zachanian people were quick to react once they were engaged. The Zachanian’s led by their King Tanash
Von Kui Samui, a born leader with skills in gladiatorial combat fought back the onslaught of the Degrain’s.

  The Zachanian Age of Tanash had begun.

  Year 1622.

  For the last seventy five years hostilities between Zachania and the Empire of Degrain have raged, the province of Zanlia has fallen to Degrain aggression, King Tanash Von Kui Samui killed in battle as he and his army’s tried to liberate the Holy town of Zanlia.

  Year 1623.

  King Tanash Von Kui Samui the 2nd crowned

  Year 1628.

  The Battle of Tanash Valley, one hundred thousand Zachanian’s lose their lives in this historic and savage battle.

  The Gods having witnessed this epic battle decide once again to intervene, Apollo is sent to the Zachanian’s and the God Anfinnis is sent to the Degrain’s, both Empires end hostilities, the Gods remained on Kratos to oversee the peace summits, the summits prove to be difficult as at first the Degrain Empire refuse to give back land they have conquered.

  Year 1629.

  ‘ The Summit Of Death ‘the first four days of this summit went well as the Degrain’s finally began to listen to Apollo’s terms, but a hidden suspicion lurked in the ranks of the Degrain General’s that their leaders were going to give too much away. On the fifth day the resentful Degrain conspirators decide to sabotage the talks, A Zachanian General was slay in his tent while he slept, The Zachanian’s demanded revenge, Apollo pleaded with King Tanash not to react and the Degrain leaders promised that he would find the perpetrators and have them punished. The next day was a very tense affair but finally King Tanash put his anger to one side and decided to continue talks in the hope of finding a peace. The conspiring Degrain Generals were now feeling even more resentful as the plan failed,

  A fearless Degrain warrior from the house of Harkanikar was chosen for their next step, the Degrain Leader Lord Unk Tagra and Apollo were tricked into entering a Degrainian tent once inside Lord Tagra was killed and Apollo’s mortal body was beheaded, the Degrain’s then planted Zachanian swords around the bodies.

  The Lord God Cladas was outraged and his actions reflected this, he deemed all life on Kratos shall end as punishment for this final insult. That night a deadly cloud of plague engulfed the whole island.

  Year 1633.

  The death toll of the plague had now reached every corner of Kratos, Deaths in there hundreds of thousands were reported, Both Empires were devastated, Wizards from all over Kratos spent all their time searching for cures but still the death toll rose. Five Pangkor monks went on a holy quest to the fabled home of the Gods to beg them for mercy and after months of battling mountains and freezing conditions they finally reached the mystical land. At first the Lord God Cladas refused their wishes to end the plague but after weeks of requesting by Apollo and the monks the Lord God decided to give the heroic monks an audience.

  Cladas listened to the monks pleas until he finally granted them their wish, so the plague was stopped but the wish had its price. The Lord God ruled that his God’s forget about all life on Kratos, they were forbidden to ever again interfere in life of Kratos, From this day forth Kratos is alone, if the survivors of this plague once again decide to fight amongst each other then So be it !, From now till the end of time they are forsaken.

  Year 1634.

  The survivors on Kratos rejoiced at the end of the great plague, both the wars and plague had taken a very heavy toll on both Empires, Zachania and Degrain were crippled with disease and starvation; there only battle now was that of life.

  Year 1636.

  Two long years of suffering passed that seemed like two hundred as the ground still bore contaminated food and the population’s health was poor. Later in that year raised a new problem, one which proved more sinister than any past events. A powerful civilization from a far off land landed on the north eastern shores of Kratos. This invasion numbered in their thousands, led by their ruler the Evil Tash von Kallick the boats one after another kept arriving.This new Empire marched south into Degrain, The Degrain’s tried to fight but after centuries of war and being devastated by the plague they were defeated. The Houses of Tagra and Harkanikar surrendered to this new Empire and swore allegiance to serve.

  Year 1637.

  The Kallick Empire as they are now known march west, Tallasian falls on the south west shore, news travels to Zachania of horrific murders and crimes.

  Year 1639.

  The Kallick Empire have now marched North they reach the realms of Zanlia and Zachania, the Zachanian’s are given a choice Surrender or die. To the Zachanian’s that was only one option, they were much to proud a race to surrender and become slaves again. The Zanlian’s were attacked first, the terrain around the holy city of Zanlia was ideal for any invading armies, flatlands with no hills or mountains, the town was crushed in a week.

  Year 1640.

  The Kallick Empire enters Zachania and defeats the brave Zachanian armies, The Zachanian King and his Generals and Dukes escape to the sanctuary of the mountains as the towns and cities of the Empire are sacked and burned.

  The Kallick Empire were victorious, all of Kratos lay Conquered.

  Zachania was conquered but thousands of Zachanian warriors still lived secretly in the mountains and hills, they had formed a powerful secret society led by the King and Dukes, The Kallick Empire had control of the towns and cities but the Zachanian’s had control of the mountains and routes, every night the Zachanian’s would come down from the mountains and launch sneak attacks on the Kallick Garrisons.

  The Kallick Empire tried to find the Zachanian’s secret mountain homes but they never did, the mountains of Zachania were scattered with thousands of caves, some of which were vast caverns, the Zachanian’s became masters in disguising the entrances.

  Year 1740.

  This way of life lasted a century and Zachanian Mountain tribes became vast communities while there brothers in the towns and villages in the valleys below still lived in slavery in Kallick work camps. The Kallick Empire had made their home in the north east where huge towns and cities were built the name they gave their land was the Palace lands the same realm that used to be Tusaria.

  Year 1766.

  Taken from the holy book of Zanchek it states that Apollo secretly broke his vow and entered Zachania as a mortal man, once in the hills he found a child and raised him as his son where he trained him into a great warrior, Apollo and his warrior recruited men, it took four decades to form a army with enough strength to attack the Kallick Garrisons. When the Zachanian’s did finally attack they succeeded in liberating Zachania and after months of battles they liberated the whole North West and Zanlia became there stronghold.

  Year 1767.

  The armies of Zachania and Zanlia grew in strength and decide to wait out the winter before marching east to the Palace lands.

  Year 1767.

  When winter had passed the Zachanian’s were ready for battle, their vast army lay due east of the town of Zanlia

  But on the eve of the journey The God Apollo was discovered by his fellow Gods, his mortal life came to an end on the orders of Cladas or severe repercussions would be inflicted upon Zachania.

  The Zachanian leaders fell into disarray and uncertainty so the Zachanian wizard’s took control of the armies.

  The Evil Emporer Tash Von Kallick used his magic to cast a hideous plague upon the whole northwest region.

  The emperor then sent two hundred Legions east to annihilate every living man in the North West. Defeat was inevitable as the Empire reached the outskirts of Zanlia. The Zachanian’s weak and mutated by plague marched heroically to their deaths with no chance of victory and the northwest was destroyed, the Zachanian’s who survived fled back to their remote mountain villages.

  Year 1777.

  The Kallick Empire enters Zachania but cannot use their magic, year after year they searched for hidden villages destroying them when they were found. For over fifty years they attacked Zachania until they left convinced they had killed ever
y living being there.

  Year 1830.

  The Empire on the border of Zachania, the narrow entrance known as Death Valley is ruled forbidden land, from here to eternity Zachania will be forgotten.

  Year 2177.

  The Birth of

  TALON of Tallasian.

  Chapter 1

  The seaport town of Tallasian sat on the south-western shores of Kratos like a shining jewel of Imperial might.

  Its beauty was known throughout the land, but war boats of the Empire sat in its harbour with ominous awe, they wielded all that was powerful in the Kallick Empire but in Tallasian the Empire’s might blended harmoniously with the homes bleached by the sun and the fertile land of the south and the inhabitants of Tallasian were amongst the happiest on the island.

  The Imperial garrison in Tallasian was the largest garrison in the South-west region and problems in Tallasian were the lowest throughout Empire. Labour was plentiful, there were clothing makers, blacksmiths, fishermen, and farmers, whatever the needs of the Empire were it could be found in Tallasian.

  Every aspect of daily life was spent in harmony with the Kallick Empire. For all to see, Tallasian had truly forgotten the past.

  Tallasian not only boasted a continual warm climate and clear blue seas, it also has one of the greatest Gladiator arenas and finest Gladiator schools on the island.

  The gladiator school was in fact the only school on Kratos which was run by a civilian man and the only school on the whole island where soldiers and townsfolk could train together.

  Tallonus an ex gladiator of immense strength, who in his fighting days travelled the land and fought over three hundred times, was regarded by all who witnessed his skills as one of the greatest gladiators who ever graced the arena.

  He lived in the schools grounds with his wife Shirose, his father Zalon and his three sons, Talon the eldest and twins Kramos and Tols.

  Everyday life at the gladiator school was based totally around fighting, every morning Tallonus and his three sons would rise at the crack of dawn and prepare for the day ahead. Sweeping the yards was always Talon’s first chore then he would help his father unlock the stores and lay out the gladiator’s apparel and weapons. Shirose would wash the sometimes bloodied attire and make sure that the clothes were always clean. When the gladiators arrived it was time for Tallonus’s three sons to leave. With their chores done they wandered off to their mother who would tutor them in other education. At dusk they would join their father where he would train his sons in combat before they would put everything back into the stores and return home for their evening meal, wash and sleep.