Book 1: Shattering the Peace
Overview
The first book of the Dosjoryan Tales/ Of Men and Gods series. The first book, like the following books, describes the growing unrest and turmoil building in the land of Dosjorya though the lenses of many individuals, though with a focus on the young man by the name of Lavel Sucoret. In Shattering the Peace, Lavel and his Innen partner, an Oundat Gendirl named Vasem, begin to serve as is their duty while dealing with the consequences of having a particular bond that makes others see them as a threat. A timeline of events can be found here.Synopsis
A man wronged by his allies had been cast aside, losing both his Gendirl partner and his sanity. Fury leads him down the lost pages of mythology, towards a return on the days where gods roamed alongside mortals, with evil intentions in his heart. He wishes to see a world that allows such heartache and menace to die off-- but not before tearing down those who wronged him, those who would not hesitate to rip apart others like him.Detailed Summary
The New Innen
In the midst of the growing fear and tension brought on by the attacks and killings of Innena, young Innen Lavel and Vasem finally pass their exam on the third try. At last able to focus on their duty rather than on their shortcomings that had been hindering them on the exam, the newly ascended full Innen begin to hear rumors during their very first mission, rumors that pertain to them. Led by a caring but stern Anda Innen Naten Rutze, Lavel and Vasem join a hastily cobbled together troop sent to investigate a recent attack on another Innen. Naten is not optimistic about the mission to capture a member of the Zekor organization, the group that had been terrorizing Innena for many years-- and who killed his first bonded partner. Briefly joined by another Anda Innen whom he trusts, Henler Ulkatone and her Failer Sophikat, he relays to her his concerns about the mission, and of the notice given to the other Anda regarding Lavel and Vasem. Despite knowing the reasoning behind the order, Naten also knows what happened last time the same order was given, and his current mission was one of thousands that was attempting to clean up the mess it made. He also swears to himself that he would not let Lavel or Vasem be killed by other Innena who do not share Naten's restraint."If you see those two, keep a close eye on them. Should you feel worried about what they may do, report them or take matters into your own hands," was the report he had been given, not by the Elui but from another Anda. -- Naten RutzeLeft to set up an ambush for anyone returning to the area to investigate the previous attack, three Zekor members attack the troop, though despite their careful planning and augmented strength given by Conjurer Fimen Whaquri, one of the Zekor's co-founders, they fail to kill anyone from the Innen troop. Two of the Zekor die, one from self inflicted wounds. Vasem manages to pin down the third, appearing as the youngest and most inexperienced member of the ambush party. The entire troop celebrates their triumph as the first to capture a Zekor member alive. Naten remains subdued, concerned over how close they came to death and pondering whether they should continue their current mission or return to Eleson immediately. He chooses the latter, then sends Lavel and Vasem south to Tanfor to prepare for their second mission. Meanwhile, hidden in a place few know of, Azen Niarow looks over reports given to him by his Zekor spies. He hears word of Lavel and Vasem, of how many suspect that the Innen possess not only a close bond, but one so close that breaking the bond drives them to madness. Azen thinks about his dead partner Resdie, killed in an attack that would have killed him too. The Order of Innena never apologized to him for ordering them dead, not even after he and Fimen began their reign of terror with the Zekor. Despite wishing the world could end so that his pain could never again be faced by others, Azen knows he must act sooner if he wants to spare Lavel and Vasem from the fate that the Order have for them. Azen orders scouts to return to the five Gendirl god shrines while he himself travels briefly to the grasslands in hopes of meeting the younger Innen. He does intercept them in a small village south of Hasenburg, and they are unsuspecting of Azen's identity. Azen, in a disguise, warns them to be careful and watch their backs, and to trust no one but themselves. Before reaching Tanfor, Lavel and Vasem make a detour to Lavel's home village of Resendou. He meets with his parents and sister, who are happy to see them and proud of them passing the Innen exam. Lavel reluctantly shares the rumors he and Vasem have heard to Raelat, his father, late in the evening. While Raelat is unable to help, he does make Lavel promise that he and Vasem will do their best to serve with honor while ensuring their safety. Muridan, Lavel's mother, speaks with Vasem alone the next day, though they have a more light hearted conversation about the future and what Lavel and Vasem might do once they complete their active service. She also asks them to be careful. When ready, Lavel and Vasem leave for Tanfor, knowing that not just Raelat and Muridan, but the whole village of Resendou would aid them should they seek help.
Discoveries
Lavel and Vasem arrive in Tanfor and are placed under the leadership of an older Anda, Diyea Talten and his Kundeg partner Iat. They inform Lavel that Naten and Coustat, Naten's Dooken partner, are on their way to Tanfor and will help guide the younger Innen for the foreseeable future. Diyea, against the advice of those around him, speaks about Azen and what happened, for Diyea and Iat had long ago been tasked with observing Azen and Resdie. Diyea had developed a close relationship with Azen and though he wants Azen and the Zekor stopped, he hopes it can be done in a way where Azen is spared and allowed to redeem himself. Lavel and Vasem are horrified with the revelation, but also comforted by the fact that two Anda Innena are working to the extent of their power to keep them alive. Diyea gives them a minor mission in the meantime to ferry some letters and important items to a fledgling village along the Scatlin River. As the grasslands had been largely an area safe from Zekor attack, such a mission would be uneventful for Lavel and Vasem. As they worked in their mission, and as Naten and Coustat hurried to Tanfor, Azen watches as his scouts bring him the stone form of the God of Winter. All if his other scouting parties either failed to open a shrine or disappeared without a trace. He shows Fimen the god, and admits to his friend that all along, he wanted not just to destroy the Innena, but to destroy the world. Fimen, while fine with tearing down the Order by killing its members, became horrified with Azen. Azen senses this and imparts a bit of information so that Fimen has a chance of stopping him: go find the young Innen, Lavel and Vasem. Take them to a god shrine, starting with Stone Shrine near Great Lake Lavoxen. Have Lavel wake and bond with a god, so that someone would have the ability to stand against Azen and the God of Winter. Perhaps wondering if Azen might regret his current path, Fimen makes haste to Hasenburg, unsure if anyone will listen to him but confident in his ability to defend himself with magic. While with the Zekor, he had discovered the ability to increase his conjuring strength, though promised never to share that secret with anyone. Fimen is sent south by an Anda who does not believe him, though possibly thinks Fimen can kill Lavel and Vasem effectively and eliminate a future threat to the Order. The conjurer is promptly imprisoned in Tanfor and meets with Diyea and Naten. Convinced of Fimen's sincerity, Naten begins preparations to guide Lavel and Vasem to Great Lake Lavoxen and Stone Shrine. Diyea cautions him to plot a path far away from human settlement to avoid the Zekor and Zekor sympathizers. More and more average Dosjoryans in fringe settlements were harassing Gendirlo and Innena. Naten makes note of this and also seeks an Innen friend of Lavel and Vasem, a fellow Resendou villager named Samulin Esta and his Kundeg, Ahn.The Journey of a Potential Savior
When Lavel and Vasem return from their mission, they meet with Naten and Fimen. They learn of their next mission, and while hesitant they are also eager to do something that might end the unrest. The group of five head south to Bone Hill to meet Samulin and Ahn, and they begin their long, slow journey around Settled Dosjorya. Along the way, Lavel begins to understand what is being asked of him: break his bond with Vasem temporarily so that he can wake a god. The idea terrifies him, and angers Vasem. However, Fimen reminds them that Azen has awoken the God of Winter and fully believes Lavel could wake another. No one really knows if Lavel is the only one in Dosjorya who can wake a god, or if anyone capable of forming an Innen bond could do so. Naten reasons that the strong bond might be different and thus strong enough to affect even an immortal being. At times, the very air grows unsettlingly cold and they all understand that the god is not only active, but influencing the land with its power. Ahn and the other Gendirlo, somewhat knowledgeable about the gods as all Gendirlo are, warn that when the gods are out of balance, the land suffers. The group tries to speed up their progress, but Coustat and Vasem are creatures of the grasslands, not the mountains, and cannot navigate paths meant for surefooted Gendirlo with the speed they feel they need. Well into their journey, the group stops at the top of Kaguida Falls, one of Dosjorya's few waterfalls and a good fishing spot. Samulin falls off the top of the waterfall in a freak accident, dying upon impact with the rocky bottom. Ahn carries Samulin's body away to Resendou, leaving the group without their aerial scout. The experience shocks Lavel, who had never before seen a friend or acquaintance die.The Battle
Chilled, weary, and nervous, the group finally reaches Stone Shrine. They find the stone form of the Maker of Gods easily within the structure, and Lavel and Vasem proceed to break their bond. As cold as the air is, Azen and Winter are sure to be near. The experience tears apart Lavel and Vasem, but they both briefly forget their agony the moment Maker's stone begins to awaken."Life is cruel, Lavel. The world is cruel. The gods are cruel. The only way to end it is to do what the Destroyer of Gods can't. Destroy the world. You know what you must do to stop me. It will not happen." --Azen NiarowAzen arrives soon after Maker wakes. Both Azen and Lavel are covered in glowing armor by their respective god. Fimen is killed instantly by Azen, who knew the conjurer was a traitor all along, albeit a useful one. On the ground, Azen fights Lavel, Naten, Vasem, and Coustat while above them, the gods wrestle for control. Maker manages to sever Winter's bond with Azen, rendering him vulnerable. Because the Innen bond is strong enough to influence the emotions of a god, Winter retaliates by attempting to kill Lavel. During this, Coustat is mortally injured and Naten manages to defeat Azen. The gods move away, and Naten hurries to his dying Dooken. As Coustat passes away, Vasem approaches, still in agony. But the cause of his agony is not just his broken bond, but also because of the damage Winter did to Lavel by ramming into the young man's chest. If not for Maker, Lavel would be surely dead and his body might be unrecognizable. As it is, Lavel's ribs were caved in and a steady stream of power from Maker seemed like the only reason he still breathed. Vasem runs away from the scene, an action that feels bizarre to Naten in hindsight, though he understands that perhaps Vasem did not want to witness his partner's death. A phantom of Maker appears and warns Naten that Lavel's mind is broken, the other gods are stirring, and Lavel needs to be healed enough to survive before Vasem can be allowed to rebond. Curious Emeni approach the scene some time later, as well as Diyea and Iat. The older Anda had grown concerned over the time that had passed and left to investigate. The Emeni agree to help carry Naten and Lavel to Tanfor along with Azen who had been tied up and knocked unconscious. Diyea says Tanfor is the only city in Dosjorya that still openly supports the Innena. The others had not become hostile yet, but were known to withhold goods destined for Innen stations.
Aftermath and the New Hero
In Tanfor, Azen is put to trial by all present Anda Innena. Azen does not apologize for what he did, just as the Order refuses to apologize for what it did to him. Many cry for Azen’s execution, though others argue that Azen should be made to suffer and he must be left alive for that. It is decided that Azen will be forcibly bonded to a fallen Innen Gendirl, one who had broken rules and had lost any honor owed to them for having lost their partner. Azen accepts this, even encourages them to choose a Gendirl no one cares for. Along with his request, Azen also gives the Anda all of the information he knows about the strong Innen bond and the gods. By now, everyone has noticed that the land and the weather have not been right, and that the other gods have risen due to the imbalance caused by Maker struggling to keep Lavel alive. Now knowing a spell that conjurers can use to detect potential Innena, and more importantly those who can form a strong bond, the Order sends out all loyal and available conjurers to search for another individual like Lavel and Azen, for everyone is convinced that only those who can form such bonds can bond with a god. One such young man, Andreiah Ultmer, is found in the isolated village of Piatak, between Hasenburg and Tanfor. The leader of the Innena asks the three Nackadongo who are bonded to humans to escort Andreiah to the east, where most of the god sightings have occurred. Among this group is a young woman named Uletay Bok, bonded to the Nackadong Siebum. At some point in the past the group had stopped in Piatak to wait out a storm and Andreiah was smitten at first sight with Uletay. However, he never was able to reveal his feelings until now, and had long believed he would never meet her again. During the hunt for the gods, they begin to fall in love. During a stop deep in the mountains at the home of one of the Innen escorts, the gods show up and the hunting Nackadongo are caught up in their influence. Siebum receives the worst injuries, ultimately passing away, but not before Uletay and the rest come to his aid. This incident makes Andreiah fully understand the true weight of the mission he had agreed to in partial ignorance, and his resolve hardens knowing that this is a matter of life and death, not only for himself, but for Uletay, his father back in Piatak, and for everyone else he knows and cares about. Back in the grasslands, the Order manages to heal many of Lavel’s physical wounds, though their healers and conjurers cannot do much for his mental state. Completely and utterly broken, they hope returning home can help Lavel become more than a bed-bound invalid, and make arrangements to have him carried back to Resendou. Among those following him is Henler, who specializes in mental magic and is joined by her partner Sophikat. Vasem returns soon after, sorrowful and battered, and Lavel is awakened so that he and Vasem can reform their Innen bond. While flying, the Destroyer of Gods appears and whisks Andreiah onto its back. It forces Andreiah into a trance, awakening his inner power while guiding him to awaken the inner power of Azen and Lavel. From there, Andreiah is shown how to draw upon them and the god to forge a new sealing spell to force the gods back into their stone forms. Unable to fully understand what he is doing, Andreiah does not know if the god is telling the truth and guiding him to subdue the gods, or using him to do something else. Destroyer leaves him with a warning as the spell nears completion. Once he awakens he is greeted by those who carried him east, and is told that the gods have disappeared."Do not try to understand what which you must do. No mortal can grasp the complexities of the gods and their connections to the land and the mortals. I shall guide you along the way, so that you succeed." -- The Destroyer of Gods
Lingering Wounds
The unrest caused by the Zekor still remains, and the center of the Order moves to Tanfor where they are still fully supported. Andreiah is brought back there and told he is free to bond with an Innen partner. He is celebrated for calming the gods, and in the background, others celebrate Lavel’s actions in helping to defeat Azen. Andreiah is sent to a small village in the forest, with Lavel and Vasem set to eventually follow. Sabro is the village, and while it is at the edge of the forest, it has many amenities that allow those within to communicate easily with other settlements. Azen is also supposed to follow, so that they all can be together if their god-given powers are needed by the Order. However, Azen is thought to have died from lack of food and water while in prison. Naten, now bonded to another fallen Innen Anda, a Chailert named Jedeo, now looks to the future where the land must recover from the gods and the Zekor, while the Innena and the Gendirlo struggle to deal with Dosjoryans who no longer trust or respect them.
by Jen Wright (Jen963)
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