Legacy of the Shroud - Tome 1: Resurgence

For 50 years, the Shroud Empire's greatest champions have been presumed dead...because of a lie.

The denizens of Etirran, remnant of a defeated kingdom, are under threat from their ancient enemy. Even after a spate of bandit raids by men bearing Shroud banners, many remain in denial, refusing to acknowledge their Enemy's resurgence. The chief of Etirran's Council, Elder Karan, evacuates the capital & reveals a secret report on his final battle against the Shroud. He has convened a desperate meeting with leaders & Heroes from all walks of life. Few have answered his call, fearing reprisals.

In the confusing moments following another deadly attack, Shiden Muiras, a young spellcaster, devises his own plan. Shroud forces have returned, & have regained access to their ancient power, attacking a villa belonging to his new bride & her younger brother, Hiro. Only their foe's great Heralds possess such catastrophic abilities, & Shiden resolves to slay them all in order to prevent further atrocities.

While the spellcaster tracks down a lead in a land far abroad, Hiro must protect their loved ones & journey into the north - even as he seeks aid & recovery following his first real battle. Fortunately, Hiro is a highly-trained champion of Etirran's annual 'War Quest' tournaments. Only time will tell if their skills will lead to valor & victory against an enemy most thought had been defeated forever. . .

Discretion is advised:This book series is intended for adult readers

*VOL. 1: REVELATION - COMPLETE

* VOL. 2: INTO THE NORTH - CURRENT ARC

* VOL. 3: THE RELIC - COMING SOON, TBA

* VOL. 4: INTO THE ABYSS - COMING SOON, TBA

An ongoing fantasy series spanning 5 numbered tomes with multiple volumes in each, usually 4.

This series is written as a traditional novel, but it is told here episodically with natural cliffhanger breaks, as in the speculative fiction shows I grew up with. The plotline and style is too difficult to pigeonhole into one specific subgenre of fantasy fiction. There are elements that sync up with multiple different ones.

Moment-by-moment narration centering on only a few characters and written as though they were reliving memories of it. If there are any kind of 'discrepancies', it's due to a character's perception and memory fallibility, intended to be more natural recollections of events rather than having an 100% neutral narration/prose style. There is what some might call slight 'head-hopping' but only a few named characters are focused on at a time in a chapter, generally. The format was also inspired by a certain WWII miniseries and the central character is usually the focus.

Not every chapter character will survive. This is a realistic depiction of war, albeit with a fantasy theme. Expectations should be tempered. I make a reference here and there, but they're homages not modern film humor that's immersion breaking, which I despise. Some might be obscure depending on how well-read you are.

*     Chapter length varies between 3000 to 4000 words on average, longer will be split into segments of that length,maybemultiple releases a day when longer chpts. are written.

*     Schedule: usually 2-3 chapters released on weekend as completed

(I wrote the first eight chapters of Volume One in six days straight, with ~14hrs of sleep throughout, just to give an example of how fast I work. That was 33,276 words in six days. Vol. 1 is ~85,000 words total.)

*     The volume cover was made digitally by me. It's essentially a de-fictionalized version of a sketch in the character Shiden's notebook...except I'm nowhere near as skilled. MS Paint gang. My pfp is another character. Hush, no spoilers. You'll know her when you see her.

*     Each main character will generally follow a certain game genre theming, VERY loosely. That said, this is not actually gamelit, I was just obsessed with gaming as a kid, and accidentally made the series this way subconsciously.

Acknowledgements:

I could not accomplish any of this without my faith; for that faith led me to this point, and I have been granted through it the ability to aid others, using what I achieved with this book's publication. This was a long and difficult twenty-two year journey but I persevered, despite the obstacles put before me.

Dedicated also to those whose life choices helped me bring this work to completion. Whether your actions were supportive or detrimental, conscious or not, this book was (still) completed. Thank you – and thank you anyway, even if I discover myself to be in the admirations of less than half of you. In memory also, are those no longer here, for their wisdom lingers in my thoughts – truly, profound, an unlooked-for and undeserved blessing.

For my friend and muse, Megan; & Miss C., a spiritual sister; two rescuers Heaven sent in a time of need

~SDG~

Yours,

Nexus

よろしく!🙏

Thanks for taking the time out of your day. Enjoy the tales.