The Lands of Crow Chapter 1

Panthairous: The Lands of Crow - Chapter One

(sample  will expand if interest is shown)

Story unfolds during The Age of Bronze and Blood 

 Panthairous  (Pan-Th-air-us) This is an original world setting created by (me) Jack "JT" Norton. Spawned from my years of playing role playing games when I was younger. 

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AudioBook Notes:

One: every story is connected to another story in some way shape or form, but it may take you a couple of them to find the "thing" that ties them together.

Two: There are Six ages for my world each story appears in one of them.

• 1.The Age of Ember
• 2.The Age of Iron and Blood
• 3.The Age of Verdant Sovereignty
• 4.The Age of Shattered Crowns
• 5.The Age of Celestial Concord
• 6.The Age of the Obsidian Veil

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Three: Some of the character in the book are actual characters created by my players. All the adventures these players had in my world become permanent part of this world. I  have had players new characters run into old ones later on. 

* There will be another edit of this one fairly soon. Text to speech program is a bit off at times. 

Transcript

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A Dark Crow Flies Lands of Crow Chapter one Once in a vast realm ruled by nobility, there was a loyal knight named Sir Calvin. He was renowned for his courage, valor, and unwavering loyalty to his king, Cartiscus of Eldoria. One fateful day King Cartiscus summoned Calvin to the throne room. I have tasked you with a mission of utmost importance, the king declared, his face grave. You must journey to the distant kingdom of Menoth, a realm we have yet to make contact with. Their power is a mystery, and we must ascertain their intentions. With all due respect, my king, how could such a kingdom have existed without our knowledge for so long? Calvin has read more scrolls than most of their sages, and was surprised not to know of this kingdom. The world is much bigger than you believe, Sir Calvin. This journey will show you how big the world can indeed be. The king grinned, not taking his eyes off his most loyal knight. Yes, my king, I'm honored to serve you. Sir Calvin bowed deeply, ready to embark on his mission. With trusted men by his side, Calvin set forth, traversing treacherous forests, towering mountains, and desolate plains, until they finally, after several months, reached the ominous borders of Menoth. They would enter these lands uncontested and travel several days before passing the first town. The townspeople watched them as they passed through each settlement with a curious silence. The inhabitants did not speak even when spoken to a few times, when they needed to replenish with water or other supplies. These townspeople also were never in a rush or hurried, and did not stand around engaging in idle conversation. In one town, Calvin requested water from a stablewoman for their horses. She silently pointed to the water taught near the stable fences. Calvin noticed a tattoo on her wrist, a black bird with three lines underneath it. He offered to pay with gold, but she silently waved it away. She turned and calmly went back into the stables. Calvin began to notice they all possessed this mark. It was always a blackbird. But the number of lines differed. It was not age or status, because the marks varied from person to person, sometimes three marks, sometimes a half dozen. The only pattern he did notice was that there were always at least three lines. After leaving another town, Calvin's right hand, Sir Haymor, began riding closer to him. Once they were clear of another settlement, they passed an old man who pulled off to one side to let them pass. My lord, my gut is telling me that we may not be riding into the best of situations. The two men watched this older man stare them down as they rode past him and his worn cart of goods. Sir Hemer, your gut and mine are having the same conversation, but we have our orders, whether our guts like it or not. Calvin looked to his lifelong friend with a smile. Hemor smiled back, but it quickly went away as he pointed ahead of them. The morning fog was lifting, and in the distance a city was beginning to emerge on the horizon. They continued toward it, and it got much more prominent as the sun moved through the day. The air grew tense and heavy as they approached the towering black gates of the city. Soldiers could be seen moving back and forth on the walls high above, but did not seem alarmed by their visitors. Calvin and his group paused, and without any interaction, the gates began opening to them. Upon entering the city, Calvin is taken aback by the ominous atmosphere of this bland, dull place. Shadows flickered unnaturally across the walls, and laughter echoed eerily through the streets, which was unsettling. A lone armored soldier on horseback rode up to them from a dark street that appeared to lead up to the main fortress. The horse was sleek and trim, but incredibly muscled. Sir Hemer glances back to Sir Kemus, who knows more about horses than anyone in their kingdom. Sirkemus shrugged, just as puzzled as the rest of them about what breed horse it could be. The armor worn by this man and beast is polished black and trimmed in silver, and this was the first thing they'd seen that showed any decor or ornamentation. The regal rider motioned for them to follow, and turned to go back the way he came. They followed. As they moved deeper into the city's heart, Calvin knew they would never see home again. It was becoming clear that he and his men were riding into a trap. Calvin places his right hand on his thigh with his fingers open, slowly closing his hand to form a fist. His men saw this and prepared for what was about to come, and it came fast and violently. Soldiers poured out from every opening around them, and they fought valiantly. But it was not enough. Over half of Calvin's men died on those streets, but Calvin and the few men were kept alive by Minoth attackers. Calvin looked back one final time as they dragged them away to see their loyal horses also being slaughtered. His horse, Cain, was the last to go down and would kill four more soldiers trying to reach him. Calvin's heart shattered when Cain fell to the overwhelming blades unleashed against them. As the Menoth soldiers drug them away, he notices the blackbird tattoo on the soldier's wrist with only two lines. Bound and tortured in a cold, damp dungeon, Calvin endured the horrors of his captors' games, witnessing the execution of his brave men before his very eyes. It was clear he would be the last to die, and the last of his men to die before him was Sir Hammer. Calvin knew his life was now close to an end. He has seen his share of horrors in battle, but this was cruelty he could not understand. Their captors never asked them who they were or where they were from. When they came into their cells, it was either pain or death that followed. Nothing more. Days turned into weeks, weeks to months, and despair began to fill his heart. Calvin would notice the prison guards had the blackbird, but with one line he saw it often when they came to make sure pain was a constant memory for him. The only other people who came in were young men giving the prisoners their meals and water twice daily. Calvin was now the only one left of his people, but there were people in other cells. They appeared to be ordinary. If they were anything beyond that, it was taken from them by the horrors inflicted on them by their captors. Calvin woke up once again, in his urine and feces, to see robed women standing over him. She was unlike any Menoth Calvin had seen. Two guards stood beside her. She was beautiful, but also exuded an aura of strength that he found hard to compare to anyone else. They stared at one another, holding each other's gaze. Calvin determined not to be the first to look away. It was all the strength he had left. The physical strength he once had to get up and kill her was now a distant memory. You are indeed a strong one, knight. Her haunting speech was smooth, clear, and soft, almost like music. Your pain and suffering do have a purpose, mighty knight from the lands of Eldoria. She kneels, holding his gaze. The strength and suffering you and your brave men have endured has served us well. But it's time for you to join them now, in whatever afterlife your kind believes in. She touches his forehead with a long painted black fingernail. She looks away from him to one of her guards. Prepare. Her voice soft but commanding. Yes, my queen. The guard exits the cell instantly. She gracefully stands up slowly, looking down at him. As she stood up, Cal saw the blackbird on her wrist, but no lines were beneath it. She watches him for a moment longer, and then leaves with her remaining guardsmen. Calvin falls back to sleep, and is relieved that this will end soon, and that he can rejoin his brothers in arms. A dream somehow finds its way back into his battered and broken mind as he sleeps. Calvin walks into his father's study, where he sits, reading one of the many books his father always proudly surrounds himself with. There is an open door behind his father's desk, and he can see his murdered brothers in arms standing proudly, waiting for Calvin to join them on the other side. Father? Calvin's voice cracked because it no longer possessed the strength it once did. His father did not respond, but he read a bit longer before closing the book and putting it on the desk before him. Then he looked up to the frail son standing before him. You can't be real. So am I dead? Calvin takes several steps forward, but his father puts his hand up to stop him. You are not dead yet, my son. Your purpose is incomplete, so you must return. He leaned forward, putting both hands on his desk and stared intently at his son. I don't want to wake up again, father. He tries hard not to break in front of the strongest man he has ever known. Calvin is terrified, his father disapproves of the broken man before him. You will wake up and survive, because you are Calvin Sardikar, the son of John Calvin Saridkar. He does not look away from Cavin, who has failed to stop the tears he was not permitted to show as a child. My son, you will die one day, but only when the world has no more use for you. Your purpose is not yet fulfilled. So you must return. His father motions to the light intensifying from behind him. Calvin refuses to look back at it. He misses his father and wants to cling to this time with him, even if it is not real. Father, before I return, I have asked myself many times if you would be proud of the man I have become. Calvin desperately wants to run to his father and embrace him again. My son, there has never been a time when I was not proud of you. I want nothing more than for you to stay here with me, but our world needs you. He never looked away from Calvin. I love you, Dad. He feels himself being pulled away, but here's something he has always wanted. I love you too, son. For a moment, he feels his father's hand on his shoulder again. Sir Knight, sir knight, wake up. The voice is soft, whispering, and cautious. Calvin opens his eyes and turns slowly to see one of the young men who comes in to feed prisoners knelt next to him. He has a plate of food, which is a bit more than they usually receive. I'm Alaric, sir. These were the first empathic eyes Calvin had seen in a long time. They will not come for you again for four nights. If I can get you some sustenance for strength, do you think you could escape if I show you the way? Alaric looked over his shoulder to make sure other prisoners were not listening. Yes. Calvin sat up with the young man's help. Each day, Alaric returns with more food, and he motions for silence when Calvin tries to ask questions. On the fourth night, he returns, but the young man's face shows worry. It is time because they are coming for you tomorrow. Alaric gives him a crude knife. It's all I could get down here. Are you ready? Yes. But why are you doing this? Cal kept his voice low. Once I get you out, promise to return and avenge my family. The boy holds up his wrist, showing Calvin a single black bird with no lines on his wrist. Time to go, Alaric did not let Calvin respond. Together with the boy's cleverness, they managed to evade the guards and navigate through the castle's labyrinthine corridors. As they neared freedom, Calvin felt the burning desire to save himself and Alaric. They reached the final tunnel, and freedom was near, but Alaric stopped and handed him a small food pack. Come with me, Calvin urged, gratitude lacing his voice. But Alaric shook his head, tears glistening in his eyes. I cannot leave. When the Queen finds out I helped you, my sister will be tortured, abused, and butchered. But if I stay, only I will die. You must go but promise to return with a vengeance. My sister is our mother's grace, and my father's power that once ruled without the seductions of darkness. She can bring our people back from hell, but we need you to survive and help us. He points to Calvin to go as they can now hear the guards closing in. Heart heavy and spirit torn, Calvin accepted the young man's brave choice and ran as fast as possible. Calvin stumbled towards freedom because he could hear the guards' haunting laughter resounding behind him. Alaric had been caught, and Calvin could do nothing for the boy being dragged away. The last he heard was a child's tormented scream, a chilling echo that would haunt him forever. Story by J. T. Norton, 2025