Shadowblade (38 page)
Authors: Tom Bielawski
Tags: #Fantasy, #Speculative Fiction by Tom Bielawski
Devoricus wondered if that were truly the case. If so, then there were now two methods of crossing the barrier that separated the mortal world from the immortal!
Baelor grunted in response to the information and then seemed to lose interest in the conversation as another female approached the Cjii and stood next to them.
And no wonder!
the Cjii observed. The woman was completely naked but for a dress that seemed to be made of shadows. She was Elvish and every bit as beautiful as the Raven Queen, Devoricus thought they could be sisters. Then he realized who she was.
“Scathatch,” the name drifted to his ears from the hubbub of conversation, the Cjii leering drunkenly at the two women. This was the shadowy figure he had seen near the mismatched golem creatures, and now she was fawning over Baelor. Devoricus knew that these women were both Elder Elves, the race of elves from which the Frost Elves and the Crimson Elves were both descended. They were two of Umber's Shadow Hunters and each had to be thousands of years old, since the last of the elder elves disappeared that long ago. He wondered if all thirteen of the Shadow Hunters had returned to Llars, if so he was glad for the alliance between his master and Umber. But Qra’z would certainly wish to know of their presence on Llars in any case.
Devoricus smiled as he made his way back through the maze of lower demons and Cjii; he certainly had much to tell the Master.
This concludes the third installment of the Chronicles of Llars.
The adventure continues in:
The Tomb of the Dark Paladin
, available now.
Tayban
You've read a lot about the mysterious
Tayban
language in this book. Perhaps you saw some of it on earlier iterations of the cover for
A Tide of Shadows
.
What I call
Tayban
in my books is actually based on something called the Theban script. It is an actual script that is purportedly of a magical nature. It is said that the script was developed sometime during the Dark Ages and was used in the practice of witchcraft and casting spells.
While that is fun to think about, what is more likely is that Theban was actually a cipher. So, a person who was writing something that was potentially illegal, immoral, or otherwise ill natured, could use the letters of the Theban alphabet instead of their own language to obfuscate its meaning.
I have included information from the Wikipedia article on the subject, along with a link to the Wikipeida site, for your own enjoyment and education.
Wikipedia contributors, "Theban Alphabet," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theban_alphabet
(accessed April 30, 2012).
The Sigil Disk
The Sigils are the most potent form of magic on Llars, though not the only form of magic on Llars. There are six major Sigil disciplines: Flame, Water, Air, Earth, Shadow, Spirit. These disciplines each draw their power from something called a Tide, a tidal flow of energy that is only responsive to a particular form of Sigil magic.
Each discipline is represented by a small symbol on the Disk you see at the beginning of each chapter. This disk is derived from a prominent theme in Celtic mythology known as the Wheel of Taranis (not to be confused with Baron Tyrannus!). The Weel of Taranis is named for the Celtic god of Thunder who is often seen carrying a thunderbolt in one hand and a wheel in another.
The Sigil Disk has six rays, as in many of the early depictions of the Wheel of Taranis, which is just enough for each of the Sigil disciplines. The only discipline whose symbol is absent from the Sigil Disk is Spirit, for reasons which will become clear as the rest of the story is told.
I have included a link to the Wikipeida site on the Celtic god, Taranis and his wheel, for your own enjoyment and education.
Wikipedia contributors, "Taranis" Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taranis
(accessed April 30, 2012).
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About Me
I’m a veteran of the US Marines, a career law enforcement officer and graduate of NY Times Best Selling Author Tracy Hickman’s Scribe’s Forge. As Tracy was in large part responsible for inspiring me to write, this was an amazing experience. I highly recommend Scribe’s Forge for aspiring writers, and I recommend anything written by Tracy and Laura Hickman for avid fantasy readers like me.
When I’m not working or writing I am usually spending time with my family...or I’m in a mountain stream fishing for the elusive wild trout of the Great Smoky Mountains!
The names and artwork from these books are inspired mainly by Celtic and European artwork and mythology. The wheel on each chapter is a derivative of the Celtic Sun Wheel. Each space represents one of the Sigil disciplines: Flame, Air (lightning bolt), Earth, Water, Shadow (skull), and the empty space is reserved for the lost discipline of Spirit.
As this series concludes, I will be focusing on my sci-fi thriller series about 22nd Century lawman, Marshal Heck Thomas. I will also begin writing a modern adventure fiction series, a historical fiction series, and a children’s adventure series
More From Me:
The Chronicles of Llars
III
Shadowblade
IV
The Tomb of the Dark Paladin
The Chronicles of Heck Thomas
My upcoming projects include new series’ in epic fantasy,
modern adventure fiction, and historical fiction.
Feel free to contact me on my facebook page:
www.facebook.com/thechroniclesofllars
or on Twitter
Aspiring author? Check out the Scribe’s Forge, hosted by the Master of Fantasy himself:
NYT Bestselling author, Tracy Hickman.
Do you like fishing as much as me? Stop by and talk to Joe at Ancient Mariner Tackle.
Tell him I sent you and get a discount.