Knight Eternal (A Novel of Epic Fantasy) (Harbinger of Doom Volume 3) (28 page)

The Pict’s sword chopped off a third of
Claradon’s shield, nearly taking part his hand with it. His stabs
and thrusts had bit into Claradon’s armor at several joints,
cutting his chainmail. Claradon felt blood flowing from several
wounds, though none seemed bad. He couldn’t match the Pict in speed
or strength or skill and his armor was failing him.

Claradon roared and hacked
and as the Pict dodged back, he gained just enough time to voice
more words of power—his one chance to survive.

His words spoken, a bolt of translucent blue
flame launched from the tip of his sword and arced into the Pict’s
chest. The Pict’s whole body vibrated; all his muscles seemed to
lock up for a moment, and then he staggered backward; the smell of
burning flesh filled the air. Claradon plowed forward and slashed
the Pict across the chest, biting deep into his flesh.

The Pict roared in pain
and returned Claradon’s strike as he fell, horribly wounded. The
warblade slashed across Claradon’s breastplate, cleaving through at
the center. Claradon stumbled backward. Blood seeped through his
armor soaking his tabard. How bad the wound was, Claradon could not
yet tell. Dead gods, he thought, has he killed me?

Claradon felt afire as his amulet brightened
and seared his chest.

“
Eotrus!” boomed a
powerful voice.

Claradon turned, dazed, his shield down, his
sword hanging loose from its wrist strap.

But an arm’s length away stood Milton
DeBoors, the duelist of Dyvers.

Claradon saw the thrust, but had no time or
strength to move. He watched the blade enter near the center of his
chest, precisely where the Pict had shredded his breastplate.

Everything now moved in slow motion.

The sword sank halfway to
the hilt, stopping only when it exited Claradon’s back and slammed
into the inside face of the plate armor protecting his
rear.

Claradon stared down at
the sword in disbelief, his mouth hanging open. Strangely, it
didn’t hurt, not until DeBoors slid the blade out again—then, there
was nothing but the pain.

“
Valhalla,” he
said.

Then Claradon Eotrus fell.

GLOSSARY

PLACES

The Realms

Asgard:
legendary home of the gods

Lomion:
a great kingdom of Midgaard

Midgaard
: the world of man

Nifleheim
: the realm of the Lords of
Nifleheim. The very hell of myth and legend.

Vaeden:
paradise, lost

Places Within The Kingdom
Of Lomion

Dor Eotrus:
fortress and lands ruled by House Eotrus, north
of Lomion City

Dor Linden:
fortress in the Linden Forest, ruled by House
Mirtise

Dor Lomion:
fortress within Lomion City, ruled by House
Harringgold

Dor Malvegil:
fortress and lands ruled by House Malvegil,
southeast of Lomion City on the west bank of the Grand Hudsar
River

Dor
Valadon
: fortress outside Dover

Dover:
large city at Lomion’s southeastern border

Dyvers:
Lomerian city known for its quality metalworking

Lomion City
(aka Lomion): capital city of the Kingdom of
Lomion

Riker’s
Crossroads
: village at the southern border
of Eotrus lands

Tammanian Hall:
high seat of government in Lomion; home of the
High Council and the Council of Lords

Temple of Guymaog:
where the gateway was opened in the Vermion
Forest

Tower of the
Arcane
: high seat of wizardom; in Lomion
City

Vermion
Forest
: foreboding wood west of Dor
Eotrus

Parts Foreign

Dead Fens,
The
: mix of fen, bog, and swampland on the
east bank of the Hudsar River, south of Dor Malvegil

Grand Hudsar
River
: South of Lomion City it marks the
eastern border of the kingdom

Emerald
River
: large river that branches off from
the Hudsar at Dover

Minoc-by-the-Sea
: coastal
city

Tragoss
Mor
: large city far to the south of
Lomion, at the mouth of the Hudsar River, where it meets the Azure
Sea

PEOPLE

High Council of
Lomion

Selrach Rothtonn Tenzilvel
III
: His Royal Majesty: King of
Lomion

Aramere,
Lady
: Councilor for the City of
Dyvers

Balfor, Field
Marshal
: Commander of the Lomerian
army

Barusa of Alder,
Lord
: Chancellor of Lomion

Cartagian Tenzilvel,
Prince
: Selrach’s son, insane

Dahlia,
Lady
: Councilor for the City of
Kern

Glenfinnen, Lord:
Councilor for the City of Dover

Harper Harringgold,
Lord
: Archduke of Lomion City

Jhensezil, Lord:
Preceptor of the Odion Knights

Morfin, Baron:
(reportedly dead)

Slyman, Councilor:
Master of Guilds

Tobin Carthigast,
Bishop
: Representative of the
Churchmen

Vizier, The (Rabrack
Philistine):
Representative of the Tower
of the Arcane

House Alder
(Pronounced All-der)

Bartol Alder:
younger brother of Barusa, Myrdonian
Knight

Barusa Alder,
Lord
: Chancellor of Lomion, eldest son of
the House

Blain Alder:
younger brother of Barusa

Edwin Alder:
son of Blain

House Eotrus

The Eotrus rule the fortress of Dor Eotrus,
the Outer Dor (a town outside the fortress walls) and the
surrounding lands for many leagues.

Aradon Eotrus, Lord:
(pronounced Eee-oh-tro`-sss) – Patriarch of the
House (presumed dead)

Claradon Eotrus,
Brother:
(Clara-don) Eldest son of Aradon,
Caradonian Knight

Ector Eotrus,
Sir
: Third son of Aradon

Eleanor Eotrus:
wife of Aradon

Gabriel Garn, Sir:
House Weapons Master (presumed dead, body taken
over by Korrgonn)

Jude Eotrus,
Sir
: Second son of Aradon

Knights & Soldiers of
the House
: Artol ‘The Destroyer’, Sir
Paldor, Sir Glimador Malvegil, Sir Indigo, Sir Kelbor, Sir Ganton
‘the bull’, Sir Trelman, Sir Marzdan, Sir Sarbek, Harsnip, Baret,
Graham, Sergeant Balfin

Malcolm
Eotrus
: Fourth son of Aradon

Ob A. Faz III:
(Ahb A. Fahzz) Castellan and Master Scout of Dor
Eotrus, a gnome

Tanch Trinagal,
Par
: (Trin-ah-ghaal) of the Blue Tower;
Son of Sinch; House Wizard for the Eotrus

House
Harringgold

Harper Harringgold,
Lord
: Arch-Duke of Lomion City; Patriarch
of the House; Lord of Dor Lomion

Grim
Fischer
: agent of Harper, a
gnome

Marissa
Harringgold
: daughter of Harper

Seran Harringgold,
Sir
: nephew of Harper

House Malvegil

Torbin Malvegil,
Lord
: Patriarch of the House; Lord of Dor
Malvegil.

Landolyn,
Lady
: of House Adonael; Torbin’s consort.
Half-elven.

Glimador Malvegil,
Sir
: first son and heir of Torbin, working
under the service of House Eotrus.

Gravemare,
Hubert
: Castellan

Hogart
: harbormaster

The Lords of
Nifleheim

Azathoth:
god worshipped by the Nifleheim Lords and The
Shadow League

Arioch; Bhaal; Hecate

Korrgonn, Lord
Gallis
: son of Azathoth

Mortach:
(aka Mikel) – killed by Angle Theta

The Crew Of
The Black Falcon

Slaayde,
Dylan
: Captain of
The Black Falcon

Bertha Smallbutt:
ship’s quartermaster

Fizdar Firstbar ‘the
corsair’
: former first mate, presumed
dead

N’Paag:
First Mate

Tug, Little:
Near 7-foot tall half-lugron seaman

The Crew/Passengers
of
The Grey Talon

DeBoors,
Milton
: ‘The Duelist of Dyvers’. A
mercenary

Kaledon of the Gray
Waste
: a Pict, mercenary

Kleig
: Captain of
The Grey
Talon

Knights of Kalathen:
mercenaries, work for DeBoors.

The Crew/Passengers
of
The White Rose

Rastinfan Rascelon:
Captain of
The White
Rose

Ginalli,
Father
: High Priest of Azathoth, Arkon of
The Shadow League.

Ezerhauten, Lord:
Commander of the Sithian Mercenary
Company

Finbal,
Brackta
: arch-mage

Frem Sorlons:
hulking warrior, simpleton; Captain of the
Pointmen

Hablock,
Par
: arch-mage

Lugron:
hulking brutish humanoids

Morsmun, Par:
arch-mage

Mort Zag:
red-skinned giant

Ot, Par:
arch-mage

Sevare Zendrack,
Par:
wizard

Sithians
: sect of knights and soldiers, trained by
Ezerhauten

Others Of Note

Angle Theta, Lord:
(Thay`-tah) (aka Thetan) knight errant and
nobleman from a far-off land beyond the sea.

Azura the
Seer
: Seer based in Tragoss Mor

Caradonian
Knights
: priestly order of
knights

Dolan Silk:
(Doe`-lin) Theta’s manservant

Du Maris, Sir
Hithron
: Preceptor of the Sundarian
Chapterhouse in Tragoss Mor; from Dor Caladrill

Einheriar:
supernatural warriors

Kayla
Kazeran
: Part elvish woman from the Linden
Forest

Myrdonians:
Royal Lomerian Knights

Picts:
a barbarian people from the Gray Waste

Pipkorn:
(aka Rascatlan) former Grand Master of the Tower
of the Arcane. A wizard.

Snor
Slipnet
: Patriarch of Clan Rumbottle; a
gnome

Talidousen:
Former Grand Master of the Tower of the Arcane;
created the rings of the magi.

Thothian
monks
: monks that rule Tragoss Mor and
worship Thoth

Vanyar Elves:
legendary elven people

Volsungs:
men/humans

THINGS

Miscellany

Amulet of
Escandell
: detects presence of danger;
Pipkorn’s gift to Claradon.

Asgardian Daggers:
legendary weapons created in the first age of
Midgaard. They can harm creatures of Nifleheim.

Dargus
Dal
: Asgardian dagger, previously
Gabriel’s, now Theta’s

Worfin Dal:
“Lord’s Dagger,” Claradon’s Asgardian
dagger

Wotan Dal:
“Odin’s Dagger”. Pipkorn’s gift to
Theta.

Axe of Bigby the
Bold
: Made of Mithril; given to Ob by
Pipkorn

Dor:
a generic name for a Lomerian fortress

Dyvers
Blades
: finely crafted steel
swords

Ghost Ship Box:
calls forth an illusory ship; created by
Pipkorn.

Mages and
Monsters
: a tactical wargame using
miniatures

Mithril:
precious metal of great strength and relative
lightness