I'd like to introduce my novel, An Exercise in Futility. It's something of a subversion of common epic fantasy tropes, available in both paperback and ebook forms.
Beyond the borders of the mighty Kalharian Empire, the Tribes of Gurdur wander a vast plain. When the border falls under dispute and his tribe prepares for war, Ezekiel is left behind to train with his mysterious uncle. There he learns the art of necromancy, and begins to wonder: If a man can be brought back to life, why not a civilization?
And just for fun, here's the Prologue:
This is a legend passed down by the Tribes of Gurdur. Thousands of years before Kalhar, in the land that became Kura, a chieftan died in battle. His only child, a daughter named Lira, inherited command of the tribe. Lira was unmarried, and her sudden rise to power inspired two prominent men of the tribe, Gurdur and Umadur, to seek her hand in marriage. Lira did not love either man, and she knew that they only wanted her authority, so she evaded their advances. Gurdur and Umadur became bitter rivals, and their two clans prepared for war. Rather than see her tribe torn apart, Lira put aside her disdain for Gurdur and Umadur and proposed a contest: the two men would each present her with a gift, and she would marry the bearer of the better one.
Gurdur and Umadur accepted her proposal, but because of their hatred, agreed that the losing party, and his entire clan, would be forever cast out from the tribe. Both clans swore to uphold the agreement, and so Gurdur and Umadur departed in search of treasures.
Gurdur, lithe and agile, traveled to the east, and climbed the peaks of Yaramu. He searched the caves and valleys, but found nothing of value. After weeks of fruitless exploration, Gurdur collapsed upon the snowy mountaintop. He resigned himself to defeat, but refused to return with nothing to offer Lira, so Gurdur filled his drinking-horn with snow as proof of his journey, climbed down the mountain, and returned to his tribe.
Meanwhile, the strong and warlike Umadur also traveled to the mountains of Yaramu. There, he sought out the famous blacksmiths of Dornathel, the Dwarven capital, since metallurgy was unknown among the Kuran tribes. In exchange for a gemstone, the Dwarf gave Umadur a breastplate made of bronze, an alloy which no human had yet discovered. Umadur gave the Dwarf his thanks, and also returned to the tribe.
On the appointed day, the whole tribe watched as Umadur and Gurdur presented their gifts to Lira. Umadur was the first to hand her the gift, saying, “I give you this armor, crafted by a Dwarf from an exotic metal, to protect you from our enemies.” Lira smiled at the suitor, but when she put on the breastplate, it channeled the day’s heat into her chest, and she became weak.
Gurdur stepped forward, and humbly said, “Lira, I climbed all along the mountains, but could find nothing worthy of you. Still, I offer you this water, melted from the snow of the highest peak, as evidence of my travels.”
Umadur laughed. “Gurdur, you fool! That water could have come from anywhere. All it proves is that you are too lazy to lead this tribe.” But Lira was thirsty from the heat, and eagerly accepted the drinking horn. When it touched her lips, the water was just as cold as if the snow had just melted, and the water continued to flow from the horn long after it should have run dry. Lira drank until she was fully refreshed, and dumped water on the armor to cool it as well. Still the horn was full. “Gurdur’s claim is proven,” she said. “This water can only have come from the highest peak of Yaramu, for it is eternally cool and plentiful, and has saved me from the torment of Umadur’s so-called gift.”
She stretched out her arm to grab Gurdur’s hand, but before their fingers touched, Umadur gave an inconspicuous signal to one of his men, hidden in a nearby tree. The man shot an arrow directly at Lira’s heart, and the stone tip shattered against the bronze armor. She touched the surface of her armor, and felt that the arrow had not even dented it. It was then that Lira realized the true value of Umadur’s gift.
Lira said, “Gurdur brought me comfort, but Umadur brought me life,” and she took Umadur’s hand. And so, because of Umadur’s treachery, Gurdur and his clan were forced out of the land of Kura. They traveled north until they reached an unpopulated plain. Gurdur’s clan prospered, and split into many tribes. The Tribes of Gurdur filled the empty plains, and always remembered the tale of Father Gurdur and the treachery of Umadur.
Beyond the borders of the mighty Kalharian Empire, the Tribes of Gurdur wander a vast plain. When the border falls under dispute and his tribe prepares for war, Ezekiel is left behind to train with his mysterious uncle. There he learns the art of necromancy, and begins to wonder: If a man can be brought back to life, why not a civilization?
And just for fun, here's the Prologue:
This is a legend passed down by the Tribes of Gurdur.
Thousands of years before Kalhar, in the land that became Kura, a chieftan died in battle. His only child, a daughter named Lira, inherited command of the tribe. Lira was unmarried, and her sudden rise to power inspired two prominent men of the tribe, Gurdur and Umadur, to seek her hand in marriage.
Lira did not love either man, and she knew that they only wanted her authority, so she evaded their advances. Gurdur and Umadur became bitter rivals, and their two clans prepared for war. Rather than see her tribe torn apart, Lira put aside her disdain for Gurdur and Umadur and proposed a contest: the two men would each present her with a gift, and she would marry the bearer of the better one.
Gurdur and Umadur accepted her proposal, but because of their hatred, agreed that the losing party, and his entire clan, would be forever cast out from the tribe. Both clans swore to uphold the agreement, and so Gurdur and Umadur departed in search of treasures.
Gurdur, lithe and agile, traveled to the east, and climbed the peaks of Yaramu. He searched the caves and valleys, but found nothing of value. After weeks of fruitless exploration, Gurdur collapsed upon the snowy mountaintop. He resigned himself to defeat, but refused to return with nothing to offer Lira, so Gurdur filled his drinking-horn with snow as proof of his journey, climbed down the mountain, and returned to his tribe.
Meanwhile, the strong and warlike Umadur also traveled to the mountains of Yaramu. There, he sought out the famous blacksmiths of Dornathel, the Dwarven capital, since metallurgy was unknown among the Kuran tribes. In exchange for a gemstone, the Dwarf gave Umadur a breastplate made of bronze, an alloy which no human had yet discovered. Umadur gave the Dwarf his thanks, and also returned to the tribe.
On the appointed day, the whole tribe watched as Umadur and Gurdur presented their gifts to Lira. Umadur was the first to hand her the gift, saying, “I give you this armor, crafted by a Dwarf from an exotic metal, to protect you from our enemies.” Lira smiled at the suitor, but when she put on the breastplate, it channeled the day’s heat into her chest, and she became weak.
Gurdur stepped forward, and humbly said, “Lira, I climbed all along the mountains, but could find nothing worthy of you. Still, I offer you this water, melted from the snow of the highest peak, as evidence of my travels.”
Umadur laughed. “Gurdur, you fool! That water could have come from anywhere. All it proves is that you are too lazy to lead this tribe.”
But Lira was thirsty from the heat, and eagerly accepted the drinking horn. When it touched her lips, the water was just as cold as if the snow had just melted, and the water continued to flow from the horn long after it should have run dry. Lira drank until she was fully refreshed, and dumped water on the armor to cool it as well. Still the horn was full. “Gurdur’s claim is proven,” she said. “This water can only have come from the highest peak of Yaramu, for it is eternally cool and plentiful, and has saved me from the torment of Umadur’s so-called gift.”
She stretched out her arm to grab Gurdur’s hand, but before their fingers touched, Umadur gave an inconspicuous signal to one of his men, hidden in a nearby tree. The man shot an arrow directly at Lira’s heart, and the stone tip shattered against the bronze armor. She touched the surface of her armor, and felt that the arrow had not even dented it. It was then that Lira realized the true value of Umadur’s gift.
Lira said, “Gurdur brought me comfort, but Umadur brought me life,” and she took Umadur’s hand.
And so, because of Umadur’s treachery, Gurdur and his clan were forced out of the land of Kura. They traveled north until they reached an unpopulated plain. Gurdur’s clan prospered, and split into many tribes. The Tribes of Gurdur filled the empty plains, and always remembered the tale of Father Gurdur and the treachery of Umadur.
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