Foreword

If you've already read Book One, "Of Children and Dragons", then, THANK YOU! You can skip ahead and jump right into the story if you want to. It starts on the next chapter. I hope you enjoy reading about Thissraelle and her friends, old and new!

If you're joining the story for the first time, here, I welcome you! Thanks for reading! There are a few things that I'd like to clarify.

First, this whole story grew out of all the fun I was having playing tabletop role playing games with my sons. We often sat around a crowded dinner table with many friends, having adventures and rolling dice. If you're into that sort of thing, there is no better way to have great bonding time with your kids. It's amazing.

As we developed and playtested our rules system (TheHerosTale.com) and our world together, I started writing a storyblog based in that world, and on those rules and characters. The first year of that blog became Book One of this series, and the story kept growing into the book you now are reading.

Second, since it was originally written as a blog, it's set up a bit differently than most books. Each chapter (scene) is short, only a few pages, and focuses on one character's perspective. About every twelve scenes or so are bundled up in a "part", and the parts are grouped into story arcs. That's why this book starts with "Story Three", "Part 8", and "Scene 93".

Lastly, since you're new to the characters and the ongoing story, I've included a summary below so you can meet them all and know what's going on. 

If you like this story, I hope you keep reading at the blog (ATaleOfHeroes.com) and enjoy the never ending tale of heroes!

--Mark Hansen, 2020

"The Tale So Far" - A Tale of Heroes

Story 1 - Getting It All Together

DeFrantis, a rogue with shadow magical powers, lives in Wynne, on the streets of the sprawling city of Twynne Rivers. She's kind-hearted, and a little bit timid, but she's also learned a few tricks along the way, like how to use shadow powers to hide in the alleys at night. She really cares about all the children that have gathered around her and her friends, and she helps the whole group survive.

One rainy night she tries to steal some chickens for everyone, but is surprised by the innkeeper. She tries to use her magic to sneak away, but she is caught, then arrested by the city guard. While locked in a cell under the guard tower, she meets Antonerri, another prisoner who has been charged with heresy. Their cells are dark and the air is thick with the smoke of burning mage's bane, an herb that suppresses magical powers.

Antonerri's dream had always been to become a knight for the Church of Three Lights. One day, as a soldier in the Church Guard, he had been ordered to punish a peasant who wouldn't pay his tithes. When he refused, he was beaten, arrested, and thrown in a cell in the guard tower.

While in jail, a priest of the church attempts to torture a confession from DeFrantis, but Antonerri takes the brunt of the punishment instead. When she steals the key from the jailer, she shows it to Antonerri, and they plan an escape.

In another part of the city, Thissraelle, a naive young high elven girl, daughter of the master of the city's Wizard's Guild, decides she wants to escape her life and explore the city. Intending to magically fly from her tower in the guild hall, she finds a magical trap her father had set (he'd used a magical gem called an 'oculus') to keep her in her room. She uses her magic to temporarily diffuse it and flies away into the rainy night.

Granthurg and his boss, Rinkmorr, are giants that had been driving a cargo barge up and down the Wynne Rivers together for several years. A few nights before, as they had approached the city of Twynne Rivers, a pair of river pirates had attacked them. Granthurg had been hurt, but the thieves were repelled. Rinkmorr had healed Granthurg as they continued on to the city.

The next morning Thissraelle is attacked by ruffians on a street on the RiverFront and has to use her light and mental powers to defend herself. Granthurg sees her struggling, helps her with his warhammer, and they quickly become friends. Thissraelle is surprised to find that Granthurg is very studious and loves history and collecting maps .

Karendle is a half-dwarven girl with a bit of a bad attitude. She is in Twynne Rivers for the first time and desperately wants to become a wizard. Unfortunately, the Wizard's Guild had refused to allow her admittance. She had caused a scene in front of the guild hall, and was forced to leave.

That evening, while she is trying to find lodging, she is approached by two men who hire her to capture wizards (there is a growing distrust of wizards and mages in Twynne Rivers). They show her how she can use oculus gems to use magic and to trap people inside them. She immediately remembers hearing of a shadow mage who had attempted to rob some chickens the night before, and decides to go after her first.

That night, Thissraelle's father sends Eddiwarth and another young student wizard to try to bring Thissraelle home. Eddiwarth is a playful, energetic man, a half-elf, and has a hard time taking anything seriously. He doesn't know Thissraelle, but he sees this assignment as a chance for adventure.

Also that night, DeFrantis and Antonerri escape, but are chased by Karendle, who uses her oculus to throw a magical blast at them.

The next day, DeFrantis finds that the children she had been sheltering have been sold off into slavery while she was gone. She is frantic, and swears that she must find them. She and Antonerri book passage on Granthurg's barge to go upriver to look for them, meeting Thissraelle, who also wants to travel west to get to the Emberfire Mountains.

Rinkmorr tells Granthurg that there is something on the boat that some of his enemies want. Rinkmorr tells Granthurg that he needs to sail the barge along the northern branch of theWynn River and wait for him to catch up. Some ruffians attack the boat to get this item at the same time that Eddiwarth and his companion attempt to capture Thissraelle. Granthurg, Thissraelle, DeFrantis, and Antonerri all fight to defend themselves. Karendle surprises them all by joining in, capturing Eddiwarth by entrapping him in one of the oculi. They all float the barge west, upriver, to escape.

Meanwhile, hidden in the western mountains, Kirraxal rests. He is a dark dragon with shadow powers, and wants to restore the ancient reign of the Dragon Kings. He tells his servant, A conniving young human named Tonklyn, to bring him food, and he's tired of old cattle. He asks to be fed human children.

Story 2 - The Kids Aren't Alright

The heroes' party docks in the small river port village of Dirae, west of the big city. Karendle decides to take her oculus stone with the captured wizard back to Twynne Rivers for payment. She's told to stay and capture Thissraelle as well. Then she is surprised when a thief attacks her and takes the pouch with her oculi gems. She pursues her attacker, but loses him.

At an inn, over breakfast, the rest of the group decides to help DeFrantis find her kids. They split up and begin looking for the slavers' dark market. DeFrantis and Antonerri get into the market in the guise of slave sellers, while Granthurg and Thissraelle creep up outside of the market. Granthurg is attacked by someone else looking for Rinkmorr's item.

Unknown to any of the others, Karendle is there, also, having followed the thief. Once inside, She attacks the thief, throwing a fireball at him, and the market erupts in chaos. Karendle is wounded, and DeFrantis heals her. Antonerri is separated from DeFrantis, and, in trying to find her, saves a few slave children with some help from Granthurg and Thissraelle. DeFrantis and Karendle are captured by the slavers and taken away.

Granthurg and Thissraelle find what Rinkmorr had hidden on the barge. It's a strange carved dagger with a sharp white blade. On the pommel it has a symbol of a dragon breathing fire. Neither of them know what it is, or why Rinkmorr wanted to keep it a secret.

The kids that Antonerri rescued are not the ones DeFrantis was looking for. However, now the group has to rescue her and Karendle as well. The two captured ladies are unable to use magic because their captors use mage's bane again. They argue at first, and soon realize they need to work together to escape. When DeFrantis had healed Karendle before being captured, she had snatched up the oculus pouch. Now, they use the oculus to contact Thissraelle.

Thissraelle is excited and tells Granthurg that she's received a message. He uses his research and his skill with maps to know that the two ladies are being held in an old manor house by a cult known as The Dragons Flame. Thissraelle, Grathurg, and Antonerri set off into the Umbrawood forest to find DeFrantis and Karendle.

While held by the Dragon's Flame slavers in the abandoned manor house, DeFrantis and Karendle release Eddiwarth from the oculus, and tell him how to help them break free. With newfound confidence, they find the DeFrantis' children and begin to fight for their freedom. They manage to kill a few of the slavers soldiers but their opponents are tough. In the process the house catches on fire, and it looks like the party is losing the fight.

At that moment, Thissraelle opens a portal into the manor, and Granthurg and Antonerri step in and begin fighting as well. Thissraelle joins them, healing the wounded. Antonerri finds the power of his light and they defeat the slavers.

They return with the children and establish an orphanage at the abbey near Dirae. At the summerfest, DeFrantis and Antonerri finally declare their love for each other.

But life is starting to get difficult in Twynne Rivers for wizards and those that use magic...

I hope you enjoy the story and leave lots of comments!