We have two announcements this Update.
First for those that have yet to notice the Count-Down clock on our webpage we are pleased to announce that the first Book of Amalure will be published in December 2010!
This is a limited edition printing and there will only be 10,000 copies printed in it. The next time it will be printed won't be until 2017.
Why won't it be printed till 2017? Because that is when all 7 Books have been released of course! That's right, the second announcement is that we will have 7 books in this series of Amalure, each one coming out a year apart from the last with a final reprinting of all 7 books in 2017.
We'll see you next week for Chapter 2!
©2010 Cyi Taiga & Jono Taiga
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Chapter 1: Narrator
History, as a subject, can be rather boring and time consuming. In fact one could spend their entire life consumed with long past dates and forgotten names.
But there are some historical events that are interesting. Such as the time before elves knew magic.
I know, I know.
This is not a subject to bring up in Zariah City on Remembrance Day. And they are most certainly not taught this during their formal education. But, yes. There was a time when even the Mages knew nothing of the magic that lay dormant within our worlds.
So let’s begin our lesson.
Yes, yes it has elves but more importantly…. it has a lake. A large bountiful lake that attracted all kinds of creatures, including various elvian clans.
Eventually, 100 of these clans joined together to form Zariah City. Of course it was not a city as we know of it today. More like a gathering of huts and fishing boats. To quell all claims to the lake, a Zariah Committee was formed to write out guidelines and rule upon local disputes. Every so often the Committee would rotate among the clans, varying in number. Any elvian man who wanted a seat simply put his name out there until he got it.
Logic tells us that if you get a gathering as large as this, you will find greed. Such as when the Zariah Committee decided that they were no longer going to allow seats to others. The Rafferty, Eamon, Delano, Oran and Uriah Families… there’s your greed.
Yes, you know them as the Bacchus Senate. “Founding fathers of Zariah…” we’ll move on.
It took a while, but through generations of alliances, smooth talking, bribing and in some cases strong-arm tactics… small laws started to limit the pool of elves that could run for the Zariah Committee. The last Zariah Committee had 6 elves and its final act was to pass a law to create the Bacchus Senate and the Common Goods Tax. You guessed it. The Rafferty, Eamon, Delano, Oran, and Uriah families were 5 of those elves. The 6th elf is unknown and has been scratched from history as much as possible. From this point on, seats for the Bacchus Senate could only be passed down to elvian male relations.
The political changes came slowly. Most didn’t even know that changes were happening. They were still allowed to build, fish, interact, and live as they chose. When the Common Goods Tax was introduced, it was small and used for public projects. Wood huts turned into stone buildings. Dirt trails became rock paths. A community hall and a library were built. Even a school where elvian elders volunteered to teach their craft to those who wanted to learn.
Magic came into elvian lifestyles innocently enough. A farmer learned to make small holes in the ground to help with planting his crop. A trader rubbed his hands over some logs to start a fire without flint or bow. In many small ways, by many different elves, magic was being discovered.
Now enters Fear. Greed, meet Fear.
The Bacchus Senate had become very wealthy from the Common Goods Tax. With the growing popularity of magic however, common goods started to be in less demand. Then one member of the Senate posed a question that would change Zariah forever.
“What if the use of magic bankrupts the senate?”
That day the Magic License was created. Any elf wanting to do magic had to register and pay a fee for the right to do magic. Any elf without such a license was referred to as a Commoner. As you can guess, very few were sold. So the Bacchus Senate created a group of elves called the Magi Knights, to enforce the license through intimidation. Each Magi Knight was given a Magi Bow that frightened all elves with their ability to create magical explosions. After that, Magic Licenses started being issued daily.
Even with the growing number of licenses being sold, many elves shunned the idea of paying to practice magic. Small groups would gather to shout “Free Magic!” to the Magi Knights that passed by. The Bacchus Senate passed a bill making any rebellion against the Senate a crime punishable by imprisonment. This is how the term Rebel came to be.
Unfortunately, we have come up to the point where things begin to get interesting.
With the mounting tensions it was bound to happen. Magi Knights sent to break up a gathering of Commoners. The end result: 53 dead.
The Bacchus Senate arranged for a procession of black clad Magi Knights to carry the slain through the streets the very day that the Mandatory School Law was passed.
It read “To protect the good Elves of Zariah from the dangers of the chaotic and lethal force known as Magic, all Elves must register and attend the Zariah School.”
But it didn’t stop there. To make it easier on the Magi Knights, once registered with the Senate an elf was given a mark over their right eye. They were known as Common Elves. If an elf were attending the Zariah School, they were given a 2nd mark above the first and called Student Elves. Once graduated from the school, elves was given a 3rd mark directly above the 2nd and called Educated Elves.
Only Educated Elves could apply to the Senate for the ability to start learning magic. If the Senate approved the request, the Educated Elf became an Apprentice. The final exam of an Apprentice was to remove their 3 marks on their right eye and create a single mark on their left eye. Only then were they referred to as Mage.
While most praised the Senate for the changes, a small number of elves left Zariah completely to start a new camp. They were referred to as Rebels and would be imprisoned if they returned.
And so was the environment that young Caedmon Doran grew up in. An orphan, a Rebel, and… as we will see… a thief.
©2010 Cyi Taiga & Jono Taiga
But there are some historical events that are interesting. Such as the time before elves knew magic.
I know, I know.
This is not a subject to bring up in Zariah City on Remembrance Day. And they are most certainly not taught this during their formal education. But, yes. There was a time when even the Mages knew nothing of the magic that lay dormant within our worlds.
So let’s begin our lesson.
Yes, yes it has elves but more importantly…. it has a lake. A large bountiful lake that attracted all kinds of creatures, including various elvian clans.
Eventually, 100 of these clans joined together to form Zariah City. Of course it was not a city as we know of it today. More like a gathering of huts and fishing boats. To quell all claims to the lake, a Zariah Committee was formed to write out guidelines and rule upon local disputes. Every so often the Committee would rotate among the clans, varying in number. Any elvian man who wanted a seat simply put his name out there until he got it.
Logic tells us that if you get a gathering as large as this, you will find greed. Such as when the Zariah Committee decided that they were no longer going to allow seats to others. The Rafferty, Eamon, Delano, Oran and Uriah Families… there’s your greed.
Yes, you know them as the Bacchus Senate. “Founding fathers of Zariah…” we’ll move on.
It took a while, but through generations of alliances, smooth talking, bribing and in some cases strong-arm tactics… small laws started to limit the pool of elves that could run for the Zariah Committee. The last Zariah Committee had 6 elves and its final act was to pass a law to create the Bacchus Senate and the Common Goods Tax. You guessed it. The Rafferty, Eamon, Delano, Oran, and Uriah families were 5 of those elves. The 6th elf is unknown and has been scratched from history as much as possible. From this point on, seats for the Bacchus Senate could only be passed down to elvian male relations.
The political changes came slowly. Most didn’t even know that changes were happening. They were still allowed to build, fish, interact, and live as they chose. When the Common Goods Tax was introduced, it was small and used for public projects. Wood huts turned into stone buildings. Dirt trails became rock paths. A community hall and a library were built. Even a school where elvian elders volunteered to teach their craft to those who wanted to learn.
Magic came into elvian lifestyles innocently enough. A farmer learned to make small holes in the ground to help with planting his crop. A trader rubbed his hands over some logs to start a fire without flint or bow. In many small ways, by many different elves, magic was being discovered.
Now enters Fear. Greed, meet Fear.
The Bacchus Senate had become very wealthy from the Common Goods Tax. With the growing popularity of magic however, common goods started to be in less demand. Then one member of the Senate posed a question that would change Zariah forever.
“What if the use of magic bankrupts the senate?”
That day the Magic License was created. Any elf wanting to do magic had to register and pay a fee for the right to do magic. Any elf without such a license was referred to as a Commoner. As you can guess, very few were sold. So the Bacchus Senate created a group of elves called the Magi Knights, to enforce the license through intimidation. Each Magi Knight was given a Magi Bow that frightened all elves with their ability to create magical explosions. After that, Magic Licenses started being issued daily.
Even with the growing number of licenses being sold, many elves shunned the idea of paying to practice magic. Small groups would gather to shout “Free Magic!” to the Magi Knights that passed by. The Bacchus Senate passed a bill making any rebellion against the Senate a crime punishable by imprisonment. This is how the term Rebel came to be.
Unfortunately, we have come up to the point where things begin to get interesting.
With the mounting tensions it was bound to happen. Magi Knights sent to break up a gathering of Commoners. The end result: 53 dead.
The Bacchus Senate arranged for a procession of black clad Magi Knights to carry the slain through the streets the very day that the Mandatory School Law was passed.
It read “To protect the good Elves of Zariah from the dangers of the chaotic and lethal force known as Magic, all Elves must register and attend the Zariah School.”
But it didn’t stop there. To make it easier on the Magi Knights, once registered with the Senate an elf was given a mark over their right eye. They were known as Common Elves. If an elf were attending the Zariah School, they were given a 2nd mark above the first and called Student Elves. Once graduated from the school, elves was given a 3rd mark directly above the 2nd and called Educated Elves.
Only Educated Elves could apply to the Senate for the ability to start learning magic. If the Senate approved the request, the Educated Elf became an Apprentice. The final exam of an Apprentice was to remove their 3 marks on their right eye and create a single mark on their left eye. Only then were they referred to as Mage.
While most praised the Senate for the changes, a small number of elves left Zariah completely to start a new camp. They were referred to as Rebels and would be imprisoned if they returned.
And so was the environment that young Caedmon Doran grew up in. An orphan, a Rebel, and… as we will see… a thief.
©2010 Cyi Taiga & Jono Taiga
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Intro
This blog will have chapters from the story "Amalure" being written by Cyi Taiga and Celt Jono.
Visit the Website with Character Bios, links to each Chapter and other fun stuff
Follow us on Twitter for updates
@AmalureStory
The authors personal Twitters
@Cyitaiga
@CeltJono
Visit the Website with Character Bios, links to each Chapter and other fun stuff
Follow us on Twitter for updates
@AmalureStory
***
All Characters, Story, Worlds and Events
are ©2010 Cyi Taiga and Jono Taiga
***
are ©2010 Cyi Taiga and Jono Taiga
***
The authors personal Twitters
@Cyitaiga
@CeltJono
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