The Shadow of War

by Bryan Gifford

  After the destruction of Andaurel a second time and the loss of his wife, Eileen, and unborn son, he vowed himself to vengeance. Cain traveled Tarsha, uniting the countries together in their fight against Abaddon. However, with the uprising of Iscarius and his Acedens, the Alliance that Cain had worked to build collapsed.

  Iscarius set out to destroy Abaddon’s sword, Ceerocai, and the only person able to unleash its power—Cain. Knowing this, Cain used himself as bait to lure Iscarius into a final clash to determine the fate of Tarsha.

  Adriel Ivanne: Born to Bracus Ivanne and Sera Dracon, Adriel grew up with her younger sister, Calla, in a manor in the quiet village of Alara. Living in a constant state of abuse at the hands of her father, Adriel often escaped into the wilderness with her sister. After Bracus died of mysterious circumstances, Adriel and her mother went to live with Adriel’s uncle, Vanthe, king of Charun. Eventually, they met Ethebriel, the king of Kaanos, and after a short courting period, Ethebriel and Sera married. Adriel lived a comfortable life in Dun Ara’s palace, yet grew increasingly troubled with the idea of others fighting the war while she lived a life of luxury.

  Adriel set out to join the Warriors after hearing of their mission to unite Tarsha. She later joined the Vilant, and, after the death of their leader, became their new commander. Not long after, she became queen of Charun after her uncle abdicated the throne. She led the Vilant and Charunite together and helped rebuild the Alliance for a final battle against the Acedens.

  Silas and Joshua Valfalas: Silas and Joshua’s drunkard parents abandoned them at Andaurel at a young age. The town cared for the two boys with Cain’s parents eventually taking responsibility for them. Following the destruction of Andaurel, the brothers were sent to Dun Ara and trained to be soldiers. The two joined the infantry, where they took an interest in smithing.

  The brothers were later accepted into the Outriders and served as forward scouts and smiths to Cain’s company. After Andaurel’s collapse a second time, they took up Ethebriel’s calling to unite Tarsha under the banners of Alliance. Both men were critical in the birth of the New Alliance.

  Aren Hayden: Aren’s mother died in the birthing bed, and Aren was raised by his Meresi father, Xian Hayden. Because his father was an Outrider, Aren saw little of him until he was brought home after sustaining a traumatic brain injury in battle. He took care of his father until arzecs attacked Andaurel, burning it to the ground and killing his father.

  Aren lived in the orphanage of Dun Ara where he trained to be a soldier alongside Cain, Silas, and Joshua. Not as strong or as skilled as the others, he was placed as a farrier in Silas and Joshua’s company for a time. After the battle of Andrus, Aren was eventually transferred into Cain’s Outriders due to his mental acuity and resourcefulness. He was widely respected by his fellows and was often Cain’s advisor and moral guide.

  Isroc Braygon: Isroc was raised by his father, Hallus, from a young age after the death of his mother. Because his father was a highly respected general and advisor to Erias’ king, Isroc often traveled between Morven and his childhood home of Mordicon.

  When he became of age, Isroc joined the infantry, where he quickly climbed up the chain of command due to his background and extensive tactical training. He served decades with the adoration and respect of his soldiers, until he met the Warriors. He filed for retirement and joined them on their mission to build an Alliance. Isroc helped unite and gather their armies, and ultimately led them in battle against the Acedens.

  Mithaniel Fallon: As an Iscara, his birth and early years are a mystery. Many scholars extensively studied the surviving Iscara after the war and most agree that they were born like regular humans, though how they came about their strange power remains a mystery.

  Mithaniel followed the Forgotten’s calling and joined Abaddon in his genocide of mankind. He fought under Abaddon for many years, until his friend and fellow Iscara, Iscarius, began plotting against their leader. Eventually disobeying the Forgotten, Mithaniel joined Iscarius’ quest to overthrow Abaddon and end what he came to view as a loathsome and needless genocide. However, he grew disenfranchised with Iscarius as the man became obsessed with power and control. Mithaniel turned from the Aceden rebellion and joined Cain Taran to aid the Alliance.

  Iscarius: As an Iscara, his origin is a mystery, but it is thought that he was the first servant of Abaddon. He maintained his status for centuries as the strongest Iscara to have ever lived, until he abandoned Abaddon and plotted to overthrow the tyrant. Iscarius spent an unknown number of decades, if not centuries, weaving his influence throughout Tarsha and rallying soldiers and civilians to his cause.

  Iscarius stormed Abaddon’s stronghold and killed the tyrant. Seeking to eradicate all traces of Abaddon, he sought out Cain and Ceerocai, while his Acedens took control of Tarsha and cemented his hold on the world. Whether his rebellion and subsequent takeover of Tarsha was for personal gain or for the good of the people remains a mystery.

  Abaddon: An enigmatic and immortal tyrant who claimed to be the Forgotten’s divine punishment, little is known about his origins or rise to power. He created an army of creatures that terrorized and ravaged Tarsha for four hundred years until his death at the hands of Iscarius.

  After the war, a renewed effort to uncover his mortal life was made. Many scholars believe different tales, but the consensus seems to be that he was a former Palace Guard in Morven who had loved the princess, Jocelyn Fallon. Exiled and banished to death in the wilderness by her father, the mortal Abaddon vowed vengeance on Erias and its king. He seemed to have discovered his powers in the wilds of Alon Heath, for not long after, he attacked Morven, killed the king, and withdrew into Andred where he forged his reign of destruction.

  Ethebriel Marthen: King of Kaanos and one of Tarsha’s longest ruling monarchs. Ethebriel was instrumental in creating and leading the New Alliance.

  Vanthe Dracon: King of Charun. He was a fundamental ally to the Acedens and a key piece in Iscarius’ control of the South.

  Darius Arela: King of Erias and founder of the New Alliance.

  Cradoc Arela: Brother of Darius and king of Meres, he was a wavering supporter of the New Alliance until his commitment to defend Morven. After his brother’s public denouncement of Ethebriel, Cradoc returned to his country to gather his armies to aid Kaanos in the fight against Iscarius.

  Branim Hallmar: King of Inveira. His throne and country were critical to Iscarius’ success. Branim and previous generations were under Iscarius’ thumb, despite Branim’s apparent attempt to resist him at the Siege of Brunein. Branim later died in the Iron Fjords at the hands of his general, Moran Regulus.

  Ivandar Fallon: After Abaddon’s attack on Morven and the subsequent deaths of his father and sister, King Ivandar rallied the armies of Tarsha to storm Andred where Abaddon had made his stronghold. The Alliance was ultimately defeated, but not before Ivandar stole Abaddon’s sword, Ceerocai. King Ivandar retreated into Meres to rebuild his Alliance but died in an andred ambush. His body was entombed beneath the desert with Ceerocai, where it was eventually uncovered by Cain Taran.

  Armeth Lorne: Retired soldier and mercenary, Armeth served as advisor to King Ethebriel.

  Ada Arillius: Former Inveiran soldier turned traitor, Ada was a feared assassin under Iscarius’ hand. He murdered many soldiers, generals, and political opponents, as well as Joshua Valfalas and Aren Hayden.

  Malleus Taraus: General in Iscarius’ army and leader of the elite Blood Guard, Malleus was a powerful and feared foe that left fear and destruction in his wake.

  Moran Regulus: Former bard turned well-respected soldier and general, Moran was a thorn in the back of Iscarius’ Inveiran domination.

  Jiran Morell: A retired Eriasan soldier and founder of the Vilant.

  Shara Dralmond: Unable to fight in the war because of Erias’ laws, Shara joined the Vilant where her fierce drive carried her quickly to captain’s rank and eventually to general.

  Heric Cidain: Shara’s childhood friend, he
was unable to join the military due to a lifelong illness, and so later joined Jiran’s Vilant.

  Kari Barenda: A former wife of an Inveiran lord allied with King Branim, they eventually left Inveira and escaped into Erias. Kari’s husband died along the way, and she joined the Vilant where she climbed through the ranks as a skilled scout.

  Locke Nale: The finest master smith in Kaanos. He crafted several pieces of armor for the Warriors.

  Arata Sonowas: High Guard Captain of King Cradoc.

  Harin Salforn: Retired soldier in the elite Charun’s Hammer unit, Harin was a leader in the resistance in Charun. He later became captain of Adriel’s Royal Guard.

  Valerik Elric: Former captain in the Val Idris Third Scout Brigade, Valerik was a loyal guide to the Warriors in Inveira. He kept Ceerocai from Aceden control at the Battle of Brunein but was killed during the retreat.

  Kaelin Vinata: Captain in the Morven Fifth Infantry, he fought alongside Mithaniel in the Aceden attack on Morven. He later helped gather thousands of scattered civilians and soldiers to the Alliance cause.

  Hargus Defall: Captain in the elite Braygon’s West Riders.

  Rodin Demorne: A former high ranking general in Inveira’s army, Demorne served Iscarius as commander of the Aceden infantry and was crucial to the success of their many conquests.

  Dayne Vernell: A renowned Eriasan general who led many important victories against the andreds, he later joined the Acedens and became one of Iscarius’ most trusted advisors and tacticians.

  Eritha: An Iscara who sided with Iscarius against Abaddon, she was one of the first to draw blood in their new rebellion.

  Alanis: Touted by his supporters as the most powerful Iscara, he and Iscarius would often clash over their conflicting ideals. After Iscarius’ betrayal, Alanis became Abaddon’s most loyal follower, and commanded the attack on Morven, and later, at Seraphel.

  Kamael: One of Iscarius’ most trusted and powerful followers, who also led the siege of Seraphel.

  Barachiel: Another of Iscarius’ followers, Barachiel organized the distribution of tens of thousands of slaves.

  Organizations/Things

  The Warriors: The group of soldiers tasked by King Ethebriel in uniting Tarsha; their efforts paved the way for a New Alliance. The group initially only included Cain Taran, Aren Hayden, and Silas and Joshua Valfalas, but would later add Adriel Ivanne, Isroc Braygon, Mithaniel Fallon, and Malecai to their ranks.

  After the war, the surviving Warriors went on to lead the broken countries of Tarsha in an age of renewal and prosperity. Later, they founded an organization of elite soldiers, aptly known as the Warriors, who were instrumental in routing the final Aceden holdouts and ushering in a new era of peace.

  The Old Alliance: Led by Ivandar Fallon the First, King of Erias, the Old Alliance was the first major coalition in Tarsha and included every country save Inveira. Ivandar’s united armies invaded Andred and assaulted Abaddon’s fortress of Apollynos but were eventually routed and scattered.

  The New Alliance: Founded by King Darius, the New Alliance—with the help of the Warriors—marked the first time that every country in Tarsha united together under a common cause.

  The Vilant: Founded by Jiran Morell, the Vilant were a group of civilians who fought to defend their homes. The organization later grew throughout Tarsha and aided the New Alliance in the battle against Iscarius. After the war, the Vilant became a volunteer organization of laborers and scholars who built many of the new highways, cities, and schools.

  The Acedens: Men and women who joined Iscarius in his conquest of Tarsha. They were from various countries, backgrounds, and economic statuses. Despite their many differences, the Acedens were said to number five hundred thousand strong at their peak. Iscarius first created them sometime within the last three hundred years with the purpose of overthrowing Abaddon and seizing control of Tarsha. His reason for seeking power is still unknown, whether it was for personal gain or for peace as most of the Acedens believed. Regardless, the Acedens betrayed their countrymen with the belief that a unified empire under Iscarius was necessary for the survival of Tarsha. However, many Acedens were bribed to join the cause.

  The Knights of Iscara: Little is known about their origins or birth, but no more than five hundred have ever existed. They served Abaddon in his genocide, but many eventually turned from him during Iscarius’ rebellion.

  The Iscara wield powers not seen anywhere else and credit the Forgotten for their unique abilities. Their power allows them to manipulate matter around them; for example, they can take a spark and amplify it into a large fire, warp the air into powerful blasts of wind, or redirect the earth beneath their feet. It is not known how these abilities work, therefore, further tests are still being conducted.

  The Blood Guard: Iscarius’ elite bodyguards, the Blood Guard were occasionally used as an elite shock unit in battle. It is a misconception that their name came from their distinctive bright red armor; instead, their namesake came from the initiation ritual of bathing in the blood of animals, or, as some rumors indicate, even prisoners.

  The Outriders: Kaanos’ world-famous elite forward scouting unit. The group was comprised of numerous small squads of up to fifty men and specialized in hard-hitting, highly-maneuverable tactics.

  Ceerocai: The sword of Abaddon. Legends say it was forged for him by the light of the Forgotten in exchange for wiping out humanity. The weapon possessed immense power and could even manifest its strength in the form of a mighty beast.

  Cerebreum: An extremely rare metal found only deep within the earth, it was thought to be mined out of existence. Any knowledge of how to properly smelt and work the strange metal has been lost to history. Prior to Iscarius’ discovery of several cerebreum deposits in Inveira, the last known piece extracted from the ground dated back over two thousand years.

  Arzecs: Creatures created by Abaddon. They are of humanoid shape with long limbs and talons, with eyeless, leathery faces and a wide mouth of razor-like fangs. They were Abaddon’s primary soldiers and were mainly used as scouts and marauders.

  It is confirmed that they were once men, transformed by Abaddon as they neared death. The newly transformed creatures turned savage and could eat only human flesh. It is thought that some arzecs managed to retain pieces of their humanity, allowing them to talk, and in some cases, even remember fragments of their past. It seemed that Abaddon could somehow mentally control the creatures; therefore, after his death, the arzecs returned to their home in the wilds of Amon Karash where they remained. After the war, the Warriors conducted several raids into Amon Karash where they successfully dwindled the population down to near extinction.

  Andreds: Creatures created by Abaddon. The bodies of men slain in battle would be brought to Apollynos, where Abaddon would raise their flesh and use them to carry out his bidding. The andreds appeared very similar to their human form, save longer teeth and nails and a generally bulkier build. It is not known how they were able to effectively fight in battle or communicate with Abaddon. After their master’s death, the andreds returned to lifeless corpses.

  The Forgotten: Known by the Iscara as the Creator or Maker, the Forgotten is believed to be the deity that created Tarsha. The idea of gods has been a strange and foreign concept in Tarsha as the last major religions collapsed an estimated two thousand years ago. The Iscara, and even many scholars, believe that the Forgotten sent Abaddon as retribution.

  Places

  Kaanos: The country of Kaanos has had a long history steeped in warfare, from generations spent defending their borders from invasions, to their significant contributions in the fight against Abaddon. Kaanos is one of the few countries since before the Age of Gold to hold its original borders.

  Kaanos is widely known and respected for its elite infantry. For four hundred years they managed to hold back all of Abaddon’s attempted invasions. Due to its distance from Andred, Kaanos was able to keep its economy largely intact, allowing them to resist the many arzec incursions.


  Important landmarks in Kaanos include the arena known by many as the Blood Pits, which had been used for hundreds of years to put young men through Kaanos’ famously brutal state-mandated training regimen. Other landmarks include Lake Torriv, the largest lake in Tarsha where most of the country’s famous whiskey is made, the ruins of Andaurel that was home to the original Warriors, and the port city of Diaspara, one of the largest cities in the world and a popular destination due to its relative safety and extreme distance from Andred.

  Banner: Three silver stars divided by bands of gold on a white field. Said to represent the three warlords who founded the country thousands of years ago.

  Charun: Not as militaristic as its neighbors to the north and south, Charun has had an extensive history of fighting off foreign invaders, but due to its difficult terrain and many chokepoints, it has largely remained successful in keeping its independence. However, due to its proximity to Amon Karash, Charun has suffered periods of economic collapse and near ruin at the hands of arzec raiders.

  Charun is famous for its exquisite wine and brandy, and people travel from all over to visit its esteemed vineyards. Popular destinations include the famous mansions and villas of Charun’s upper class, many of which have existed since the Age of Broken Swords, and the various flourishing cities that are home to Charun’s celebrated gold and silver smiths. Other notable landmarks are its fortress capital of Abraxas, the ruins of the ancient city, Cresen Khan, and the Crossroads, a series of intricate waterways and channels.

  Banner: A gold hammer on a field of silver. It is believed the hammer represents Charun’s commitment to creation and crafts but does not ignore their ability for warfare.