Populla's Shadow: Adventures in the Snail Shell: Populla's Shadow, #1

By S. C. Coleman

Following the events of the Glass Empires and Age of the Third Arcon, Populla's Shadow follows the exploits of the Greater Continent's champions; seeking to save the world from spirits of destruction. The continent is in turmoil, and new forces are rising to stake their claims. The Treaty of Molina is broken, and the Third Arcon is slain. So, the continent enters a new period of shadow, which will bring destruction to all. The fate of the continent rests with a handful of agents, which know the truth about the situation, and those causing such turmoil. Will they succeed or fail? Adventures in the Snail Shell follows the exploits of five companions, as they encounter an ancient tower, and discover some secrets of the Greater Continent.

• Language: English
• Publisher: S. C. Coleman
• Release date: Jan 6, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201995102

Book preview

Summary:

Following the events of the Glass Empires and Age of the Third Arcon, Populla’s Shadow follows the exploits of the Greater Continent’s champions; seeking to save the world from spirits of destruction. The continent is in turmoil, and new forces are rising to stake their claims. The Treaty of Molina is broken, and the Third Arcon is slain. So, the continent enters a new period of shadow, which will bring destruction to all. The fate of the continent rests with a handful of agents, which know the truth about the situation, and those causing such turmoil. Will they succeed or fail? Adventures in the Snail Shell follows the exploits of five companions, as they encounter an ancient tower, and discover some secrets of the Greater Continent.

Part One

Adventures in the Snail Shell

Chapter One

The Seaside Tower

Unlike the northern coast of the Isolated Sea, which was speckled with rocky cliffs, the southern coast was sandy and flat. Now, the northern coast did have some beaches, but most were steep and narrow. Alternatively, the southern coast was made of many sand bars and open beaches. A boat would have its pick of places to beach, whereas the northern shore was highly treacherous. Although, there was one reason why the northern shore was more popular than the southern one; with no towns, or any population gatherings of any kind, on the southern side. In the north, there were many small Fox people villages. In the south, the great barren wasteland of the Midnight Desert stretched beyond the southern shore. That great expanse was known as impassable, and was also referred to as the Isolated Desert, or the Cracked Dry-land. Whatever the place was called, depending on the language used, it was a formidable part of the Greater Continent. Few had passed over its inhospitable plain and lived. Therefore, with nothing to be harvested, and the barren cracked earth beyond, few chose to build a residence on the southern shore. Also, without plants along the edge of the sandy shore, there were few places for fishing. Anything caught would need to be found in deeper waters of the Isolated Sea. The only place that had been built here was long forgotten by most civilizations. In fact, it had been built by an ancient people, long since cast from the continent. This was a large tower, with a high wall at its base. Oddly, the visage of this tower was not easily seen, as it was shrouded in a thick cloud. This cloud would, to some, look like oddly formed mist. White smoke billowed with dark smoke, and was pushed out to either side. This caused the whole structure to be shrouded in a large and continuous artificial cloud.

It was night now, as a single boat of travel weary strangers navigated toward the cloud in the distance. The further parts of the cloud formed mist over the waters, which caused the shallower parts, nearest the tower, to appear as though steam was coming off of the surface. A light rain had continued all through the night, constantly causing tiny ripples on the surface of the waters. Although it was night time, the high full-moon, and bright stars, reflected brightly off of the surrounding waters and illuminated the landscape. Fortunately, despite the light rain and distant sounds of thunder, the waters of the Isolated Sea were relatively calm. Only a few small waves would, ever so often, rock the sail boat; and these waves increased in tempo, as the small vessel neared the shore. Ahead of them, they could see only the huge artificial cloud, blocking out most of the landscape beyond. However, they could see along the coast, and, on either side of the great cloud, the flat land seemed to meld with the calm waves. The moon and stars might have brightened the continent below, but the travelers could only see so far. Even in the day time, the two types of surfaces might have mixed together; within their vision. Meanwhile, these four travelers could not look more miserable. The slight wind, which carried the cold winter of the north, and the steady drizzle above, caused the four companions to hide under blankets of fur. In fact, each one could’ve been mistaken for an animal of some sort, but a highly intelligent animal that could pilot a small sailing boat.

Ahead of the craft, on the misty desert beach of a long sand bar, a group awaited the arrival of the sailing boat, and its four inhabitants. The group on the beach numbered three, with one of the companions being a woman, and the other two appearing as men. As the sailing boat drew closer, the four companions inside witnessed better the features of those that greeted them. The plain faces of the two men were speckled with black tattoos, snaking across their flesh like the interwoven components of a basket, and seemed to continuously move across their greyish flesh. On the other hand, this effect, along with the greyish color of their skin, could’ve been a picture that was induced by the moon light and artificial mists. However, when contrasted to the porcelain skin of the woman, these two men did not appear human. This woman, in question, was a bit over average height and very striking. Her face appeared as though it had been carved from the most delicate of seashell pearls, but her slender figure was hidden under a heavy cloak. This cloak was not made from fur, as with the clothing of the new arrivals, but was made from a woven material. It shimmered in the moon light, as if it were made from thousands of miniature gemstones, and the dark material did not budge, against the slight breeze. Of course, it was debatable how this shimmering heavy cloak compared to the fur blankets of the new visitors. Conversely, the two male figures, to the lady’s left and right, wore far less clothing, than their human counterparts. These two greyish skinned men wore sur-coats, over sparkling mail habits, which reached down to their knees. These sur-coats were dyed a deep blue, and were covered in tiny silver crescent moons. This old style clothing choice was accompanied by a saber, carried on the hips of each of the two guards. Naturally, these sabers were attached to thick leather belts, which crossed over the wearer’s chest and waist. The two specters appeared as though they had stepped of the pages of an old book, dressed in the fashion of a bygone age. However, as the four sailing companions landed on the shore, they did not appear startled by this odd welcoming party. The four fur clad figures leapt over the side of their wooden craft, and then they pulled it up onto the sand bar.

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