Zachania (3 page)

He loved his father
with adoring devotion but it was his time to lead now, his time to
earn the respect and fear of his Empire.

Year 1546.

The frustrations of Unk
Tagra become too much, he leads a huge army of Degrain warriors
north in the direction of Zachania. Once again the northwest was
caught by surprise. The Zachanian’s had devoted the past five
centuries into farming and rebuilding the land while the Degrain’s
fuelled by internal war had grown in battle and now with the feud
ended and the two mighty houses of Tagra and Harkanikar joined,
there strength was immense.

Year 1547.

The Zachanian people
were quick to react once they were engaged. The Zachanian’s led by
their King Tanash Von Kui Samui, a born leader with skills in
gladiatorial combat fought back the onslaught of the Degrain’s.

The Zachanian Age of
Tanash had begun.

Year 1622.

For the last seventy
five years hostilities between Zachania and the Empire of Degrain
have raged, the province of Zanlia has fallen to Degrain
aggression, King Tanash Von Kui Samui killed in battle as he and
his army’s tried to liberate the Holy town of Zanlia.

Year 1623.

King Tanash Von Kui
Samui the 2nd crowned

Year 1628.

The Battle of Tanash
Valley, one hundred thousand Zachanian’s lose their lives in this
historic and savage battle.

The Gods having
witnessed this epic battle decide once again to intervene, Apollo
is sent to the Zachanian’s and the God Anfinnis is sent to the
Degrain’s, both Empires end hostilities, the Gods remained on
Kratos to oversee the peace summits, the summits prove to be
difficult as at first the Degrain Empire refuse to give back land
they have conquered.

Year 1629.

‘ The Summit Of Death
‘the first four days of this summit went well as the Degrain’s
finally began to listen to Apollo’s terms, but a hidden suspicion
lurked in the ranks of the Degrain General’s that their leaders
were going to give too much away. On the fifth day the resentful
Degrain conspirators decide to sabotage the talks, A Zachanian
General was slay in his tent while he slept, The Zachanian’s
demanded revenge, Apollo pleaded with King Tanash not to react and
the Degrain leaders promised that he would find the perpetrators
and have them punished. The next day was a very tense affair but
finally King Tanash put his anger to one side and decided to
continue talks in the hope of finding a peace. The conspiring
Degrain Generals were now feeling even more resentful as the plan
failed,

A fearless Degrain
warrior from the house of Harkanikar was chosen for their next
step, the Degrain Leader Lord Unk Tagra and Apollo were tricked
into entering a Degrainian tent once inside Lord Tagra was killed
and Apollo’s mortal body was beheaded, the Degrain’s then planted
Zachanian swords around the bodies.

The Lord God Cladas was
outraged and his actions reflected this, he deemed all life on
Kratos shall end as punishment for this final insult. That night a
deadly cloud of plague engulfed the whole island.

Year 1633.

The death toll of the
plague had now reached every corner of Kratos, Deaths in there
hundreds of thousands were reported, Both Empires were devastated,
Wizards from all over Kratos spent all their time searching for
cures but still the death toll rose. Five Pangkor monks went on a
holy quest to the fabled home of the Gods to beg them for mercy and
after months of battling mountains and freezing conditions they
finally reached the mystical land. At first the Lord God Cladas
refused their wishes to end the plague but after weeks of
requesting by Apollo and the monks the Lord God decided to give the
heroic monks an audience.

Cladas listened to the
monks pleas until he finally granted them their wish, so the plague
was stopped but the wish had its price. The Lord God ruled that his
God’s forget about all life on Kratos, they were forbidden to ever
again interfere in life of Kratos, From this day forth Kratos is
alone, if the survivors of this plague once again decide to fight
amongst each other then So be it !, From now till the end of time
they are forsaken.

Year 1634.

The survivors on Kratos
rejoiced at the end of the great plague, both the wars and plague
had taken a very heavy toll on both Empires, Zachania and Degrain
were crippled with disease and starvation; there only battle now
was that of life.

Year 1636.

Two long years of
suffering passed that seemed like two hundred as the ground still
bore contaminated food and the population’s health was poor. Later
in that year raised a new problem, one which proved more sinister
than any past events. A powerful civilization from a far off land
landed on the north eastern shores of Kratos. This invasion
numbered in their thousands, led by their ruler the Evil Tash von
Kallick the boats one after another kept arriving.This new Empire
marched south into Degrain, The Degrain’s tried to fight but after
centuries of war and being devastated by the plague they were
defeated. The Houses of Tagra and Harkanikar surrendered to this
new Empire and swore allegiance to serve.

Year 1637.

The Kallick Empire as
they are now known march west, Tallasian falls on the south west
shore, news travels to Zachania of horrific murders and crimes.

Year 1639.

The Kallick Empire have
now marched North they reach the realms of Zanlia and Zachania, the
Zachanian’s are given a choice Surrender or die. To the Zachanian’s
that was only one option, they were much to proud a race to
surrender and become slaves again. The Zanlian’s were attacked
first, the terrain around the holy city of Zanlia was ideal for any
invading armies, flatlands with no hills or mountains, the town was
crushed in a week.

Year 1640.

The Kallick Empire
enters Zachania and defeats the brave Zachanian armies, The
Zachanian King and his Generals and Dukes escape to the sanctuary
of the mountains as the towns and cities of the Empire are sacked
and burned.

The Kallick Empire were
victorious, all of Kratos lay Conquered.

Zachania was conquered
but thousands of Zachanian warriors still lived secretly in the
mountains and hills, they had formed a powerful secret society led
by the King and Dukes, The Kallick Empire had control of the towns
and cities but the Zachanian’s had control of the mountains and
routes, every night the Zachanian’s would come down from the
mountains and launch sneak attacks on the Kallick Garrisons.

The Kallick Empire
tried to find the Zachanian’s secret mountain homes but they never
did, the mountains of Zachania were scattered with thousands of
caves, some of which were vast caverns, the Zachanian’s became
masters in disguising the entrances.

Year 1740.

This way of life lasted
a century and Zachanian Mountain tribes became vast communities
while there brothers in the towns and villages in the valleys below
still lived in slavery in Kallick work camps. The Kallick Empire
had made their home in the north east where huge towns and cities
were built the name they gave their land was the Palace lands the
same realm that used to be Tusaria.

Year 1766.

Taken from the holy
book of Zanchek it states that Apollo secretly broke his vow and
entered Zachania as a mortal man, once in the hills he found a
child and raised him as his son where he trained him into a great
warrior, Apollo and his warrior recruited men, it took four decades
to form a army with enough strength to attack the Kallick
Garrisons. When the Zachanian’s did finally attack they succeeded
in liberating Zachania and after months of battles they liberated
the whole North West and Zanlia became there stronghold.

Year 1767.

The armies of Zachania
and Zanlia grew in strength and decide to wait out the winter
before marching east to the Palace lands.

Year 1767.

When winter had passed
the Zachanian’s were ready for battle, their vast army lay due east
of the town of Zanlia

But on the eve of the
journey The God Apollo was discovered by his fellow Gods, his
mortal life came to an end on the orders of Cladas or severe
repercussions would be inflicted upon Zachania.

The Zachanian leaders
fell into disarray and uncertainty so the Zachanian wizard’s took
control of the armies.

The Evil Emporer Tash
Von Kallick used his magic to cast a hideous plague upon the whole
northwest region.

The emperor then sent
two hundred Legions east to annihilate every living man in the
North West. Defeat was inevitable as the Empire reached the
outskirts of Zanlia. The Zachanian’s weak and mutated by plague
marched heroically to their deaths with no chance of victory and
the northwest was destroyed, the Zachanian’s who survived fled back
to their remote mountain villages.

Year 1777.

The Kallick Empire
enters Zachania but cannot use their magic, year after year they
searched for hidden villages destroying them when they were found.
For over fifty years they attacked Zachania until they left
convinced they had killed every living being there.

Year 1830.

The Empire on the
border of Zachania, the narrow entrance known as Death Valley is
ruled forbidden land, from here to eternity Zachania will be
forgotten.

Year 2177.

The Birth
of

TALON of
Tallasian
.

The seaport
town of Tallasian sat on the south-western shores of Kratos like a
shining jewel of Imperial might.

Its beauty was
known throughout the land, but war boats of the Empire sat in its
harbour with ominous awe, they wielded all that was powerful in the
Kallick Empire but in Tallasian the Empire’s might blended
harmoniously with the homes bleached by the sun and the fertile
land of the south and the inhabitants of Tallasian were amongst the
happiest on the island.

The Imperial
garrison in Tallasian was the largest garrison in the South-west
region and problems in Tallasian were the lowest throughout Empire.
Labour was plentiful, there were clothing makers, blacksmiths,
fishermen, and farmers, whatever the needs of the Empire were it
could be found in Tallasian.

Every aspect of
daily life was spent in harmony with the Kallick Empire. For all to
see, Tallasian had truly forgotten the past.

Tallasian not
only boasted a continual warm climate and clear blue seas, it also
has one of the greatest Gladiator arenas and finest Gladiator
schools on the island.

The gladiator
school was in fact the only school on Kratos which was run by a
civilian man and the only school on the whole island where soldiers
and townsfolk could train together.

Tallonus an ex
gladiator of immense strength, who in his fighting days travelled
the land and fought over three hundred times, was regarded by all
who witnessed his skills as one of the greatest gladiators who ever
graced the arena.

He lived in the
schools grounds with his wife Shirose, his father Zalon and his
three sons, Talon the eldest and twins Kramos and Tols.

Everyday life
at the gladiator school was based totally around fighting, every
morning Tallonus and his three sons would rise at the crack of dawn
and prepare for the day ahead. Sweeping the yards was always
Talon’s first chore then he would help his father unlock the stores
and lay out the gladiator’s apparel and weapons. Shirose would wash
the sometimes bloodied attire and make sure that the clothes were
always clean. When the gladiators arrived it was time for
Tallonus’s three sons to leave. With their chores done they
wandered off to their mother who would tutor them in other
education. At dusk they would join their father where he would
train his sons in combat before they would put everything back into
the stores and return home for their evening meal, wash and
sleep.

Every day was
the same except when Tallonus would accompany his gladiators to the
arenas on days of battle.

In the evening
they had a family meal. Then the boys would be sent to bed while
their father and Grandfather usually relaxed over a jug of
Tallasian ale.

It had now been
one Imperial month since the annual Rion sword contest had ended, a
gladiatorial event of great tradition and importance that was
staged in the greatest arena in Kratos, the Imperial arena of
Kallick town.

Gladiator
schools from all over Kratos would send their finest men to compete
in the competition where fighting was of the highest standard with
the victor of each weight class being pronounced champion gladiator
or “ GOLHECK “ in the ancient tongue.

Great riches
followed such a title, the new champions fame was immediately
recognized across the whole of Kratos and as Golheck he would then
be given two choices by the emperor himself. The first choice would
be to remain Golheck travelling the land fighting in the great
arenas where he would be paid a King’s ransom and return to defend
his standing. The second choice was more tempting, he would be
granted an honourable enlistment into the legendary Palace
gladiatorial guard, the emperor’s own personal army deep within the
mysterious Imperial Palace lands.

Last month’s
contest celebrated its third century of existence; it was staged
with all the regal splendour that such a momentous occasion
deserved. The milestone event was given every expense; it was a
huge celebration for three centuries of the highest combat.

But this was
not going to be remembered for its history, it was going to be the
year when the rules of the Rion sword contest were totally
rewritten.

An unbelievable
surprise had presented itself in the shape of a man named Kleg, a
man of total obscurity just one year ago.

Kleg had had to
fight and prevail in over one hundred contests in four months just
to make qualification. In just one year around Kratos he had become
a legend, he defied all the odds with a bravery some said they had
never witnessed before.