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by
Richard S. Tuttle
For years the Darkness shrouded the world causing fields to
wither and die. Forest growth halted and animal life grew scarce and lean. The
bounty of the sea diminished to the point where fishermen had trouble feeding
their families. To add to the misery of the peoples of the world, rogue armies
took control of the lands as governments fell and perished. Banditry ran rampant
and people kept to their homes in fear of their lives.
Out of this era of desperation and misery arose the son of
a fisherman, a seemingly simple lad born in a small village on the coast of
Sordoa, but the future of the world had been waiting for him. After seventeen
years of being a fisherman’s only son, Arik Clava was thrust into a world of
danger and set on a perilous quest to destroy the Darkness. Accompanied by
others his own age, and guided by a strange pair of gypsies, Arik would grow
into the Warrior King, and his companions would become the Knights of Alcea.
Arik was given the Sword of Heavens, a magical artifact
that would vanquish a portion of the Darkness with each gem restored to its
hilt, but the gems did not come easy. The Knights of Alcea were constantly
hunted by the minions of Sarac, an evil mage with vast powers, but each gem also
brought new allies sworn to the boy king. Fairies, unicorns, dwarves, elves, and
even dragons eventually swore allegiance to Arik, but Sarac’s forces were even
greater in number. Huge armies of men, goblins, ogres, and yaki swarmed over the
land to prevent the boy king from fulfilling the ancient prophecy. As the great
armies of Sarac swept across the continent, the fragile land was further beaten
down until food became a precious commodity.
In the end, King Arik and the Knights of Alcea won the day.
All of the land was united under the banner of the Warrior King, and the evil
Sarac and his minions were destroyed, but the cost was great. The land was
barren and bloodstained. Fishermen had no boats, and farmers lacked implements
to coax life into the soil. Tradesmen had no shops, and merchants had nothing to
sell. It seemed as though the only profession with a steady stream of customers
were the healers, and they had more than they could handle.
For three years the people of Alcea toiled to reclaim their
lives, and many were well on the way to recovery, but others were not. While
peace reigned over the land, and the skies were no longer tainted by the
Darkness, many people were lured to a new religion. The Temples of Balmak began
to appear, and the priests offered a vision of paradise that proved tempting to
many. It didn’t matter to those who sought refuge from misery that Balmak was
an unknown god. What mattered to them was the thin sliver of hope for a better
existence.
In Tagaret, the capital of Alcea, King Arik and Queen Tanya
worked tirelessly to rebuild the kingdom. Prince Oscar’s vast fortune was
spent trying to help the provinces get back on their feet, but even he did not
have enough gold to cure all of the ills of the devastated kingdom.
The Knights of Alcea did not disband, but neither did they
still exist as a group. Each Knight went his own way, trying to rebuild his life
after years of continuous battle. Wylan and Sheri moved to Southland, the
boyhood home of Wylan. Tedi and Natia spent all their time with the gypsies, and
Alexander and Jenneva retired to Atar’s Cove. Prince Garong returned to the
elves of Elderal, and Prince Darok settled back into the dwarven caves of Lanto.
Bin-lu returned home to Lanoir. Only Fredrik and Niki remained in Tagaret with
the king and queen. Fredrik was appointed the Royal Sorcerer, and his wife,
Niki, became his assistant.
Little did anyone know that storm clouds were massing on
the horizon, and that the hard years of rebuilding Alcea were about to look like
a short interlude of peace between great wars.
The Demonstone Chronicles is a continuing work. The
estimated length of the series is 6 volumes.
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| Book
1 of Demonstone Chronicles |
Book
2 of Demonstone Chronicles |
Book 3 of Demonstone Chronicles
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They do not wear shining
armor, nor do they carry colorful banners. Their names are unknown to
the average citizen, but their commands carry weight over all but the
king. They are the world's masters in warfare and magic. They are the
Knights of Alcea.
The
days of warfare and Darkness were supposedly over, and the Knights of
Alcea had scattered across the huge nation, returning to their private
lives, their services no longer required. Unknown to them, a storm is
rising over the horizon. When seemingly senseless acts of violence erupt
across the breadth of Alcea, the Knights of Alcea are drawn back into
action, but their enemies are shrouded in secrecy as they move forward
with a diabolical plan designed to crush Alcea forever. |
Compelled to
journey to an unknown land and spy on mysterious enemies, Alexander Tork
assembles a small but deadly force for a voyage that may well be his
last. Five Knights of Alcea, three Rangers, and three elves from Glendor
set sail on a stolen enemy ship through uncharted waters to the homeland
of the followers of Balmak. Guided only by a crude coastline chart found
on the stolen ship, the Alceans find a vast continent that is preparing
for global war.
Journey to Zara with the Knights of Alcea as they discover strange new magics and
encounter an empire that seeks to plunge the world into misery and
despair.
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The Remora has sunk, and there is no way for the
Alceans to return home before war breaks out. Stranded in the land of
their enemy, seventeen Alceans set out to bring a quarter of a million
enemy soldiers to their knees.
Alexander Tork poses as Garth Shado, a special agent
for a wealthy Tyronian merchant. To plot the destruction of his enemy,
he makes alliances with all of the enemies of the Federation, but the
real task will be in pulling the coalition together and coordinating the
diverse forces under his command.
Time is short and many of his new allies balk at
Garth's efforts to create a Council of War. The fate of Alcea rests with
the ability of the small group of Alceans to inflict damage on the
Federation and obtain information on the attack plans of the enemy. Only
a Council of War can ease the flow of soldiers set to attack Alcea.
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| Book
4 of Demonstone Chronicles |
Book
5 of Demonstone Chronicles |
Book 6 of Demonstone Chronicles
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As
two continents prepare for a world-wide war, a small group of Alceans
plot to free the Dielderal elves from the grip of the Federation. The
goal is to make the elves simply disappear, but over a thousand elven
children are held captive in the four major cities of the Federation,
and the Dielderal elves will not flee while their children are
endangered.
Complicating
matters are the 'births' of a new breed of demonkin, the Claws of
Alutar. While the K'san demonkin are charged with crushing Alcea, the
Claws of Alutar are singular in purpose. Their goal is to assassinate
the heroes of the Mage, and their victory would spell far more than
defeat for Alcea, as the world would crumble into a decaying ball of
misery
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Scrambling to prepare for the imminent invasion
of their homeland, the Knights of Alcea respond in unorthodox ways. On
the home front, the Alceans set out to design devious traps that will
lessen the incredible odds facing them. In Zara, Knights of Alcea and
Alcean Rangers set their sights on the heirs to the Federation thrones.
On both continents, a campaign of disinformation is begun with the
Alcean spymaster personally throwing himself into the very heart of the
enemy’s camp.
But
neither are Alutar's minions standing idle. The Claws of Alutar strike
deep into the heart of Alcea, bringing death inside the walls of
Tagaret, and the Great Demon's forces gain a decisive victory by finding
something that was never supposed to be found.
The
world is rushing to war at a dizzying pace, and there is no way to stop
it. Or is there?
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.Massive
Federation armies invade Alcea through magical portals seeking to
devastate the entire continent. Outnumbered four to one, the Alceans
grimly prepare for the bloody conflict, but victory on the battlefield
is not good enough for young King Arik. Knowing that the Great Demon has
initiated the war between the two countries solely to provide a million
tears to fulfill an ancient prophecy, King Arik demands that the Knights
of Alcea spare as many of the enemy soldiers as they can. While defeat
on the battlefield means death for the Alceans, a victory that allows
the Great Demon to fulfill the ancient prophecy will mean eternal
servitude to Alutar. |
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| Book
7 of Demonstone Chronicles |
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Using
the enemy's own portals, King Arik sends the elite forces of Alcea to
Zara to crush the Federation. Woefully outnumbered, the Alceans join
forces with the indigenous rebels to battle the massive armies of
Emperor Jaar while the Knights of Alcea scheme from within the enemy's
leadership to foil the Federation's ability to respond.
While the world focuses on the battle between King Arik and the
Federation, Fakir Aziz gathers the most powerful mages in Zara to carry
his own battle directly to Alutar, the Great Demon. Should the Mage
fail, all is lost.
Alutar: the Great Demon is the seventh and final volume of the
Demonstone Chronicles.
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