The Pale Gunner (The Godmaker Saga pt1): The Esfah Sagas, #2

By Christopher Schmitz and Douglas Van Dyke Jr.

When Hirthak rescues a gnomish inventor from slave-takers in the marshes near Karakto, he is given a strange gift: a magic set of pistols. Unlike the kind used by the lava elves in their wars against the other races, these require neither ball shot nor powder.

 

After stumbling upon a village being savaged by raiders, Hirthak brings his guns to bear upon his fellow goblins. Can the gunslinger rescue the sea-side town, or will he take the deal offered by the notorious Warchief Melglut and finally be accepted amongst his own kind?

 

This exciting, new 12-story event in the Esfah Sagas begins the Godmaker story arc and is also known as Time of the Champions. Start this epic journey today!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christopher Schmitz
• Release date: May 10, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224689439

Christopher Schmitz

Christopher Schmitz (M.A.), geb. 1988, ist wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter am Göttinger Institut für Demokratieforschung.

Book preview

The Pale Gunner

The Godmaker Saga part 1: 2

Christopher D. Schmitz, Douglas Van Dyke Jr.

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TreeShaker Books

Copyright © 2024 by Christopher D. Schmitz

All rights reserved.

No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher or author, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.

Contents

Other Esfah Stories

The Pale Gunner

About Esfah

Appendices

About the authors

The Game

Other Esfah Stories

The Esfah Sagas is a large universe—here are other stories you might enjoy!

(stories with an *asterisk are novellas)

The Relic Quests

Ashes of Ailushurai

Rise of the Champions

Drakuwar

*The Clockwork Castle

The Cyrean Songs

Chill Wind

Eye of the Storm

Secrets of the Shadowlands

*Thunderfist and the Dragon

Tales of the First Age

Rise and Fall of the Obsidian Grotto

Cast of Fate

Army of the Dead

*Tome of the Tarvanehl

*Heart of Stone and Flame

The Godmaker Saga

Time of the Champions

The Magestorm Wars 1: Godmaker (coming soon)

The Magestorm Wars 2: Godbreaker (coming soon)

Special Invitation

Thank you so much for checking out my book! As a special bonus for you, you'll get a high rez edition of the Esfah worldmap plus a free book if you to follow my newsletter:

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I send about 2 emails per month after a few intro messages, (plus a few holiday/special event messages) and you can unsubscribe anytime—the newsletter and my Legends and Lorecraft group are the best ways to keep in touch, and the L&L group has a social component so can share what you like and chat with others fans about the stories.

The Godmaker Saga

Black Dragons and Blue Elves

The Pale Gunner

Strength of the Gwich'in

Bearer of the Shield

The Sword of Aeschere

Calling of the Champions

Slow Burn

Scales of Death

Under Siege

The Burning of Lurneville

Bastard of the Death God

The Pursuit of Madness

The Pale Gunner

T he first time I lost my entire family, the marauding trogs threw me and the other children into their meat-cart. The albino speaker shared with his horrified host at the evening campfire. It was already so full that I bounced over it and rolled down the hill behind it. By luck or by grace, they were too distracted to see my fate. I heard the hateful cursing of what was once my own kin against fellow members of our race. I witnessed the rest of the massacre from a muddy hole.

The speaker glanced upward at the canopy of stars. His shorter companion listened despite the grim news. The loss of my second family, the humans who adopted me, is still too recent for me to properly speak of. This time, I stood armed and tried to resist.

He looked down at his thick, gnarled hands—the hands of a trog, a goblin of Esfah. But all I had for their defense was a sturdy garden rake and a small dagger. I had no chance against the blue smoke of lava elf muskets and the overwhelming numbers of combined trogs and morehl. Again, I was thrown down, yet my injured body lay overlooked. Helpless again.

The pale figure pointed up to the bright orb in the sky. I made a pledge. As long as Rhaudian flies overhead, I would reject the bloodthirstiness of my fellow trogs and find a way to protect those who need it. I will be justice wherever it is needed.

Year 141 of the First Age

The small figure dashed between trees, fearing the noises in the distance: howls, gleeful cackles, clanging of weapons. Those noises chased him. He ran as best he could, but his pursuers had taller legs. He and the other gnomes that had escaped the lava elf city of Karakto knew they might meet this ugly fate. The initial escape would have inspired a bardic verse. No less than thirty of them broke free at once. To give everyone their best chance, they split into smaller groups soon after emerging in the first dawn’s light. If the gods willed it, some would find their way to brighter places.

After witnessing morehl catch and kill the rest of his group of five, Ginnefan Hemulton knew that his final hours were ticking to an end. His mind imagined a clockwork device winding down to a stop. Sweat dripped from his brow. Ginnefan’s legs stumbled often. He looked for a hiding spot but found nothing promising.

The pursuers would have him soon. He ran between trees and down ravines, but he didn’t have a clue of where he was.

Yet he could hear exactly where they ran. And they were almost on top of him.

Ginnefan ran around a clump of bushes, only to see a figure before him. Whoever it was, they stood nearly twice his size. The humanoid had been walking down a thin trail that crossed Ginnefan’s escape path.

The gnome hesitated. Was this a friend or foe? A large, hooded cloak concealed the figure’s body. The gnome got a glimpse of a pinkish hand, very pale, and clothes composed of a different stitch and pattern as the basic skins worn by the goblins chasing him. The humanoid carried a simple woodcutter’s axe over one shoulder.

As Ginnefan heard the pack of gnome hunters shouting war cries just behind him, he realized he’d led them straight at an unfortunate traveler. He blurted, I’m so sorry! I’m being chased. The spark of hope left his eyes, just before his legs succumbed to their weariness, and he dropped to the dirt.

Daring to look back, he saw the pack of gnome hunters charging through the brush. A handful of trogs overseen by a musket-bearing lava elf made whooping noises as they gleefully closed in on their prey. Ginnefan realized that he had another worry. Aside from losing his own life and the life