Goshen Sagas: The Grey March

By Cody Lee Collins and Dillon Sapp

According to the tales passed down through the tribes, it has been nearly 2000 years since an ancient cataclysmic event, known generally as "The Breaking", shattered the world. The Breaking transformed Goshen into a land where its inhabitants must live a life of strife and struggle to survive. Few understand this better than the Tribes of the Grey-lands on the South West coast of the Northern Continent of Rogas.

A young man, born into the largest tribe, heard the tales and legends of the Breaking and his duty to the Tribe, but the stories he truly enjoyed came from Bolsh, one of the caravan drivers that oft came to trade for the metalworks the Tribes were famed for. He envisioned the raids of the Abimelech warriors, the terrifying creatures lurking in the wilds, and the visits to distant lands and people all very different then the Tribes he was raised in. As he played the roles in his mind, a yearning grew in him to abandon his place in the Tribe and become one of those stories himself.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Cody Lee Collins
• Release date: Sep 3, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370123100

Cody Lee Collins

Things have never been easy in life but I've always found escape in readings and playing games since I was young. This gave rise to an enjoyment of writing. I would write After Action Reports for my favorite play-throughs of games.Then recently my friend, Dillon Sapp, came up with the idea of creating a new Literary world. So I joined him and for the last year or so, we have been building the Planet of Goshen, with a plethora of races, factions, and histories; even a Crusader Kings 2 Mod(That I coded myself.). Of course, above all that, stories known as Goshen Sagas.A Number of which have been published. :)Thanks for taking the time to read my bio.

Book preview

Goshen Sagas:

The Grey March

Written By Dillon Sapp

World created by Dillon Sapp and Cody Collins

Copyright

All Rights Reserved

Goshen Sagas Copyright © 2017 by Cody Collins and Dillon Sapp

Days of Strife Copyright © 2017 by Dillon Sapp and Cody Collins

The Grey March Copyright © 2017 by Dillon Sapp

Gawei Romance Copyright © 2017 by Cody Collins

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without the express permission of the copyright holders.

Dedication

Thank you to the reader for your interest and support. I hope you enjoy reading this world as much as we had creating it.

My thanks to Al Bani for the Cover Art and Interior Map, they are awesome!!!

Thank you, My Family and friends who have supported me through this adventure and to my beautiful wife who always stands by me.

Special thanks to my Co writer and dear friend: Cody Collins, Thank you for keeping this journey alive and fun.

Table of Contents

Title

Copyright Wyrm 5

Dedication Soule 5

Table of Contents Fiey 3

Foreword Wyrm 6

Boy 1 Hulgen 3

Boy 2 Wyrm 7

Boy 3 Axglor 1

Boy 4 Rogas and Pan Map

Boy 5

Boy 6

Boy 7

Soule 1

Boy 8

Boy 9

Soule 2

Wyrm 1

Hulgen 1

Wyrm 2

Hulgen 2

Wyrm 3

Soule 3

Wyrm 4

Fiey 1

Soule 4

Fiey 2

Foreword

All life struggles to live against the world's touch. Elements go unchallenged while the people clash among themselves, The breaking of the ancients took this land to a place from which it can never return…

Boy 1

A cold wind blew from the far reaching peaks of the Abimelech mountains, it danced down the slopes through tufts of snow while snaking in between the vast surrounding forests of a walled settlement. Swaying tops of the trees were just visible over the tall walls crest.

Inside the mighty walls, village activity teamed with life as we prepared for the end of summer. The men of the Roots were harvesting the last of the crop, covered in dirt I could hear their joyful voices carrying on the wind, this harvest would surely be a good one. The Founders were busy working their hot forges, sweat dripping off their brows as the heat of the forge surged while the wind passed through the coals, their heavy hammer blows rang out a constant tune. Men of the Stones silently trained in a cleared field, only the cracks of clashing hard wood staffs and the occasional grunt when the staff hit home.The thung of the longbow cords echoed through the field, as arrows whistled in the air to hit their mark. Our village was a peaceful place and the few travelers that passed by always called it a gem on the Rogas continent. This is the life I've always known.

Ehh boy! Quit your day dreaming and bring da wood to the forge!

Coming Thorin!

Thorin was a bear of a man, I could look him in the eye but he had arms as thick as a tree and hands like stone. And I was the poor soul who attended him and his forge.

I told you to put a step in it boy! The forge‘s gone cold due to ya day dreamin, is it that hard to stoke the flames? Am I being a bit too soft on ya!? The faster you work the sooner I get ya outa me forge. Now load the hearth already!

Thorin loved to bellow like an Aurock, sometimes I think he just likes to hear his own voice.

The job itself was simple once I learned how the forge heated the material and how to caste a shape with a clay mold. Even the brimstone smoke that would fill your lungs to the point of feeling like raw hard coal became a relaxing pleasure. You could make almost anything with a hot forge, that was the fun part of it. Though Thorin made it hard to enjoy much of anything.

How I got the job of tending to Thorin's forge was the result of a series of unfortunate events. I’m here to pay off a debt. I borrowed one of Thorin's Ku'tars to dig for relics of the ancients in the fields. Whenever we plowed a new field we found all kinds of strange things, pa said they were relics of the ancients who once populated all of Goshen until the breaking split the world apart. So says the stories anyway.

I was finding all kinds of strange coins as the Ku’tar easily dug into the soft plowed field. That is until Tomak, one of the more annoying boys in the village, decided he wanted to find relics too. I tried to explain to the elders that Tomak was the one that broke it but he blamed it all on me! Still can't understand why they believed him over me.

Boy! The flames? We need to finish these orders, I'll work ya into the night if ya don't move it.

Yes Thorin! I began to throw the aged Wyrm wood into the hearth, The wood was light and burned hotter than any of the surrounding trees, making it a favorite fuel source for the Founders in the village. I thought angrily to myself as I felt my hands becoming calloused by the days of handling the hard scaley bark. It was good for me pa said, makes me stronger he said. He just doesn't  get that I hate it here! The other kids might be excited to work a forge for the rest of their suns and moons but not me. I want to leave these walls and see the land!

Sweat dripped from my brow as I focused on working the hot Bellows, The wood burned as fast as I could feed it, The flames had a thirst that refused to be quenched. Thorin grabbed a piece a glowing metal from the forge and began rhythmic powerful swings with his huge hammer adding that familiar ping to the orchestra of the village forges. Every hit made bright sparks dance off the glowing piece. I tended to lose myself in thought as a strange comfort settled over me, the clash of metal deafening my ears to a calm numbness.

I Lived in what was often referred as the capital of the Grey-lands, Grijs. We were the largest village in the Grey-lands and had the strongest walls. Every village in the Greys was famous for their hot forges and tall walls, and we were known as the best among them. We could cast any shape with metals pulled from the hills and rivers, many traders sought our metal goods especially our Ku’tars.

I picked one up and twirled it around. The Wyrmwood tree with twisted branches etched on the hilt was fresh, Thorin’s mark. The best cast from the best forger in the village.

Pa said the Ku'tar is what separated us from the tribes surrounding us, it’s what gave our ancestors the advantage after the Breaking, The handle is twisted and contoured to fit the hand for a strong grip, we balance the blades weight from tip to pommel, the blade is short and not much wider than the handguard. while keeping both sides sharper than a warsel’s tooth. The full tool was as long as a man's forearm and hung on the belt of every man in the village. You were awarded one after your coming of age ceremony, which made it a tool every Grey-lands man used in day to day life with pride.

I jumped as Thorin clasped a heavy hand on my shoulder, his deep rumbling voice seemed to shake my very bones as he spoke.

Ye want to leave the village, aye?

What? Ahh... I didn’t say anything like that. When did you get behind me? Thorin was as quiet as a warsel when he wanted to be.

I can see it in your eyes, boy. You want to see beyond the walls, to go to new lands, and see the amazing things this world has to offer? Well I'll be the first to tell ya that's a dreamer’s dream. Do you have any idea what it's really like out there?

Thorin crossed his thick arms in front of his massive chest, his broad forearms were marked with countless burns and scars applied from his trade. He stared slightly down at me, as I felt myself shrink under his penetrating gaze.

You know they don't let anyone outside the walls until the coming of age trial. I managed to squeak out under his heavy gaze.

Thorin walked up to me, so close that our noses almost touched and his heavy beard scratched against my bare chin. He looked into my eyes and growled in a deep low voice, Have ye ever thought why that is? Hmmm... No? I didn't think so.

Thorin turned back to his work and his hammer blows, again, rang through the calm village air. He muttered under his breathe a saying I'd heard since I was a boy.

It's a harsh, cold, terrible place. You'd be lucky if you never had to set foot outside the village.

I smirked to myself as I mimicked the same phrase under my breathe, it's a harsh, cold, terrible pla-

My last word caught in my throat as Thorin turned to me with a look in his eyes that said he heard every word.

Boy. This land would chew you up like a Aurock chewing cod and spit you out just as easy.

Thorin always seemed to cast a larger shadow when he spoke of beyond the walls, My voice always started to shake when we would argue over it.

I can hold my own, I'm almost a man now!

Thorin stopped and looked at me with another ice cold stare, it was a famous terror among the boys in the village.

It always reminded me that Thorin was once a member of the Stones, all the Stones seemed to have that cold look in their eye. Though Thorin's seemed the coldest of any of them. But after he hurt his leg he left the Stones and became a Founder, of course pa always said it suited him better.

He continued to stare at me until the village bell broke the silence and signaled an end to the day's work.

Aye.... You're done for the day, go home boy.

Ancients guide me, still not right. I’ll have to hit harder! Thorin mumbled to himself.

The ringing of the hammer and anvil continued as I walked from the forge meanwhile Thorin grumbled to himself about wanting a hot chunk of Aurock meat.

I could feel the anger swelling inside me as it replaced the heat of the forge work in my body.

What's Thorin know! I kicked at a turf of grazed field as I walked home, They'll take me seriously soon enough, Only one more winter and everyone will take me seriously.

Lux’s bright rays fell behind the western horizon as I approached my family's lodge, I smelled meat on the cook stove and heard pa humming a popular song from the village Drink. We didn't have the biggest lodge due to pa being a member of the Roots but with Ma gone it seemed empty with just us two.

As a Member of the Roots he was in charge of growing food for the village, It wasn't the most profitable but people said pa had the best mind for it making him the unofficial leader of the group. Pa, I'm home!

Pa greeted me with his always smiling face. How was the forge, son? Did Thorin teach you well?

I rolled my eyes and plopped on the aged wood chair, It was hot and he yelled a lot…

Haha sounds like Thorin is treating you well.

Pa always smiled when he talked, like everything was perfect in the world.

This is a good thing, it'll make you strong, son.

Knocking the weathered chair backwards as I jumped up, I slammed my fist on the table and protested, I didn’t even break the damn Ku’tar!

Pa stifled my tongue with a look and motioned for me to stir the broth on the stove. My body obeyed the command before I thought to protest. Pa fixed the chair and sat taking a large breath before continuing, I know you didnt son.

Wha?.... You know? Perfect! You can explain to the elders and clear my....

Pa interrupted with a strong voice. I won't, this is a good thing for ya son. You'll be stronger for it.

I am strong pa! Why does everyone say I'm soft!? I can look the tallest man here in the eye!

Pa had a distressed look on his face.

There's many ways to be strong son, But a pack of Gayl would only be stopped with 1 kind of strength. If you were stronger you wouldn't be in this situation. Tomak is two winters younger and you couldn't stop him from taking the Ku’tar, he paused before finally looking into my eyes, I could see their green reflection in his, Son, the struggle you’re in today is developing the strength you need tomorrow.

I felt the boiling anger seeping out of every pore in my body, I couldn't contain the frustration any longer.

All you are is a Root, Watching grass grow! what do you know!? I can take care of myself! I stormed out, slamming the door behind me as I ran towards my favorite spot in the village, It was a small hill