The Vestera Realms

The Vestera Realms consists of a vast region with many different kingdoms.  To the south lies Parto Sur the most magnificent city of the Realms guarded by troops of Paladins in shining armor.

Far to the north is Terraheim the frozen lands and home of the frost giants who ride fast moving glaciers into raids.

Off the west coast are the Thousand Islands, each a unique marvel.  It is rumored that there is an island completely populated by Cat-folk and another by Rat-folk.  Pirates frequent these shores.

The haunted city of Exdeth lies along the west coast ruled by the dreaded Count and surrounded by the haunted woods.

To the east of Exdeth are the Fey lands protected by the magic of the fairies and elves.

Between Exdeth and Parto Sur is the Korgoth Swamp a wild land of swamp creatures.  To the northeast of Korgoth is the gnome village of Gardenia hidden by illusions.

To the east are the Shadow Lands, a great range of mountains dividing western Vestera from the eastern realms.  The great demon lord rules from a fortress carved out of an entire mountain, by giants, surround by a ring of treacherous peaks.

Wolf Blooded

by Matthew Mikelson (Arranged by Hans Mikelson)

The wolves are a-calling, I can hear their cries
Yeah, the wolves are a-calling, I can hear their cries
The wolves are a-calling, a storm is on the rise

The wolves are a-calling, they're right outside my door
The wolves are a-calling, yeah they're right outside my door
the wolves are a-calling, like I've never heard before!

That thunder, that thunder's rolling in
Behind these doors, that eerie howling din
Roasting blood, boiling flames within

The wolves are a-calling, I can hear the roar
The wolves are a-calling, I can hear the roar
The wolves are a-calling, Let me through that door!

Crys ran back into the shack.  The shack was connected to a small shed which housed Sharl the great shaggy beast they used to pull the wagon to the village on market days.

For some strange reason Crys remembered a game Father used to play with her sometimes.  He would pretend to transform into a monster and chase her around the shack.  She knew that he was teasing but she would still get afraid.  Once he had chased her to the back of the root cellar under the floor.  She had squirmed between a couple of rocks and he could not reach her.

Suddenly there was a loud crashing sound and the wooden door began to splinter.  A second blow and the door was shattered as a great black claw like a curved sword cut through the door.  Quickly Crys opened the trap door and went into the root cellar.  She was still thin but she had grown.  She could barely squeeze through the cracks between the rocks.

Once she got past the opening there was actually a little more space.  Crys peeked through the opening between the rocks.  There was another crash as the hut above was demolished, the trap door thrown aside and an eerie light filled the basement.  The black creature lowered itself into the basement.  It seemed to be searching for  something, for her?

Crys shrank back into the crevasse further and found that instead of hitting a back wall she actually stumbled backwards and fell with a splash into a cold pool.  Instantly a long black claw began tearing at the crack, extending into the cave, trying to reach her.  But the granite wall was too strong.  It could not break through.

The Assassins

It was the perfect summer day.  Father had allowed Crys a break from here chores to gather fragrant flowers in the meadow.  Birds rejoiced in the long anticipated summer filling the air with music.  Seeds floated through the air on silken sails.  Nearby the mountains climbed into the clouds and were still draped with snow.

She brought the bouquet into the house to put in a clay jar of water and set it on the rough wooden table.  The hut was small and comfortable with a heap of furs in one corner for when the winter winds would find their way through the cracks and creep into the hut like icy fingers.

A shadow fell over the sun.  An eclipse.  Not uncommon, but often foreboding some ill luck.  Father was hurrying in from the fields, running.  He was shouting something to Crys but she could not understand it, he was too far away.  She turned towards where he was pointing and saw it.

Climbing down from the mountain pass was the creature.  It was large, larger than a horse and covered in a black carapace like a great insect.  Its legs each ended with a great spike like a downward curving sword.  The creature moved quickly over the rocky terrain and was moving towards her.  The sky changed from blue to grayish purple as the eclipse progressed and it grew suddenly chill and darker.

The second creature appeared on the slope above Father.  Crys could tell that it would reach him before he could reach her.