Signet of Solomon

[werewolf]

At the moment it looks as though the hero of KEY TO THE SEVEN SEALS [Eirik Sigurdson] will half Danish and half lrish.His father, Sigurd, was part of the partially absorbed Norse kingdom of Dublin, at the time of the Norman conquest in lreland [1169-71].He was one of the guards of Askulf, the final Danish king.After Askulf's capture and execution by the Normans Eirik's family fled to the Norse ruled lsle of Mann and then on to Galloway in western Scotland. lt was then semi independent and mixture of Gaelic and Norse as well.The Normans did not rule Scotland as they did England but they did have considerable influence there. The local ruler of Galloway at this time [1161-1185] was antagonistic to them favoring the Norse and Gaels.Eirik trained as a warrior there from the age of twelve [1176].[he was born in 1164]He faught alongside his father there from 1179 until Sigurd was slain in 1184.When the lord of Galloway died in 1185 Eirik departed because the new one was pro Norman and a friend to the Scottish king, William 2, whose failure [in 1174] resulted in the Scots being subordinated by Henry 2 of England.A rebel prince decended of an earlier Scottish king, had seized lnverness in the north in 1181. [Donald Mac Uillem].Eirik joined his followers until he died in 1187 and King William retook lnverness.Hearing rumours of another planned crusade after Saladin captured Jerusalem [Oct. 1187] Eirik headed for the continent, initially to Denmark whence his father's ancestors came.There, in 1189 he joined a combined Dano Frisian fleet commanded by the nefew of King Canute 6.lt stopped in Portugal on the way south towards Gibraltar and captured the Moorish town of Alvor for Portugal's king, Sancho 1.The Portuguese begged for them to remain to continue fighting the Moors [then of the Almohade dynasty ruled by Yusuf Al Mansur].Within the Mediterranean the fleet stopped at Messina in Sicily where they met up with another fleet made up of French, Flemmish and possibly a few Germans.Meanwhile, a Sicilian fleet was coming home due to the death in Feb. 1189 of William 2, Sicily's Norman king. [which set up a struggle between his nefew, Tancred, and prince Henry 4 of the Holy Roman Empire whose wife, Constance, was William's eiress.Henry's father, Frederic 1, Barbarosa was still alive then marching to the Holy Land via Europe and Turkey where he drowned crossing a river in June of 1190.]The two fleets continued on the the siege of Acre [on the bay of Haifa in northern lsrael].They helped to blockade the harbor beginning in Sept. 1189.The Crusaders were encamped around the then Moslem held city [since 1187] but were themselves surrounded by Saladin's forces which outnumbered them.Richard the lion hearted and Philip Augustus of France did not arrive until April-June of 1191.Frederic Barbarosa never did though one of his subordinates did bring a small remnant of his army there.[Later that same nobleman, Leopold of Austria captured Richard on his way home to England, holding him for ransome from 1192-1194, in the name of Henry of the Holy Roman Empire.][who got Sicily at Tancred's death in 1194 as well.]
Eirik remained part of the blockade of the harbor of Acre until it was surrendered in July 1191. My story begin a few days later[July/August].Richard and Saladin were still negotiating and would fight at least one major battle [at Arsuf] a few months later.Eirik will meet the villains, the sons of lblis , who hold hostage the lady Valeria from Constantinople and her maid, Aamira.They were taken as leverage to get her uncle, a scholar named lsidoros Vakharaios to relinquish the signet of Soloman which he now wears.lsidoros and his brother in law Darion have followed the cultists hoping to rescue Valeria and her maid.The cultists knew this and but let them follow because lsidoros still had the ring.The cultists stronghold was amidst the ruins of Petra [in Jordan.]Darion is of half Greek half Norse extraction, being a veteran member of the fabled Varangian guard.The sarcophagus of The immortal magus, Menander lies in Petra waiting.
lt is probable that Eirik's mother is not merely lrish but of the mythic Fair folk of the land of youth.[though l'm debating the explantion of what that actually is in this context.]Sigurd is more distantly discended of them.[about 800 years before.]This is the bloodline that will crop up in Aedan in the 17th century, Jared Nicholson in the 19th and lan Holderness and Ben Cord in the 20th.Of course the ring shows up too along with Menander's scroll which he turns into a codex in this era [late 12th early 13th centuries ad.]

[John Reid]

It depends upon your world view that you want to express as to who or what the Fairy folk really were?

All of history both written and unwritten falls under 3 great ages. The age of Magic, the age of religion and the age of science.

In the age of magic, magic was the only explanation required about how the mysteries of nature worked? Why the sun rose in the east or lightning flashed across the sky, etc.

In the age of religion it was the gods who provided the answer to those same questions and later God was the only explanation required.

In the age of science, relatively new compared to the other two, science attempts to provide a scientific explanation to nature's mysteries or at least a theory.

In our current age we have all 3 points of view co-existing as science laughs at religion who laughs at the occult who laughs at science.

So regarding fairy folk. If you wish to use a scientific explanation you might wish to explain them as aliens from another planet or beings from another dimension.

If you wish a religious explanation or paranormal one they may be scene as elementals, spirits of the elements, earth, fire, air and water.

So you'll have to decide which point of view you wish to promote?

Just my 2 cents
Knight-Hood

[The Muse]

What a great perspective you offer Knighthood!

* turns all of that over in her head....*

[werewolf]

l am presently at the end of chapter 12 about 150 pages in.The roes were briefly detained in the Crusader camp, meeting Richard the Lion Hearted and not long after leaving Acre were captured by a Moslem patrol. They were taken to the mountain city of Zophet [modern Zefat] the highest city in what is now lsrael [2790-3190 feet.]While being interrogated there word arrives that Richard had massacred 2700 Moslem prisoners before marching south from Acre.This resulted in the heroes being put in chains in the citadel's dungeon.Only because they were not provably 'crusaders' were they not simply executed. Eirik tore out of the manacles and faught his way almost free before being subdued again.One of his companions picked the locks on his manacles and the cell door freeing multiple prisoners and distracting the gaurds from killing Eirik.They rechained him in a new cell instead. Meanwhile, as prisoners they had been forced to give up the signet of Solomon though the officer who took it does not realize what it is.[the one who picked the lock was a half Egyptian half ltalian from Alexandria who arrived in Acre with Saladin's relief fleet from Egypt.He is a Coptic Christian rather than a Moslem, his late father being a merchant, born in Carrara but having sailed from Pisa.His Christian name is Vittorio de Carrara but in Egypt he grew up being called Hassan ibn Antun , his father being Antonio.]The priestess of the dark cult, sister of it's leader learns where the trio were taken first and heads to Zophet to get the ring for herself. The cult have recaptured the girl, Valeria that Eirik helped escape them in Acre. ln their camp she wracks her brain for a way to escape.The priestess, Asiyah, secretly gave Valeria a dagger, a bow and quiver of arrows but told her to hide them until their use was advantageous.Asiyah does not want to free and resurrect their imprisoned 'sleeping' master, the gnostic sorcerer Menander.She fears that if that was done she and her brother would become mere subordinates to him if they were even allowed to live.Her brother, Khadim ibn Khallil is a fanatic convinced that he will become Menander's right hand and receive his master's quasi immortality as recompence for freeing and reviving him.But Khadim is drawn to Valeria though he resists giving in to it.Asiyah sees this and worries her brother wants to replace her with Valeria hence her desire to obtain the ring for herself.Elsewhere, Valeria's father, Darion and maid, Aamira wait impatiently in Acre. Darion was wounded badl by a shapeshifter while in Richard's camp so that it could replace him to get the ring from his brother in law, Isidore, a plot Eirik foiled.His 'faerie' blood allowed him to see through the illusion when no one else did. Khadim was temporarily weakened, allowing his sister the advantage, due to the price he paid to evoke the Djinn that recaptured Valeria.

[The Muse]

o.O wow!!!

[werewolf]

Although it won't show up in the current phase of the story the sorcerer Menander lived on Earth before incarnating in Samaria in 33 ad..He 'master' has many names of course such as Abbadon , Apollyon in Greek,Set, possibly Nergal [or Zu] in Mesoptamia, lblis or Shaitan to the Arabs, Ahriman/Angra Mainyu/Ahidzakha for the Persians.....But as the hero comes from Ireland he was surely Crom Cruack/Dubh CennCroich there.Though admittedly based upon slim evidence l postulate that he was the chief god of the Fomoriagh Sea giants who derived from Africa in prediluvial times.The shapeshifter cited in a previous post was a reptiloid ala both conspiracy author David Eicke and the Serpent men of Robert E. Howard's Kull stories.They also have a cameo in Protector:the Awakenning.The Milesian [Gaels] were fooled into connection him with Don their patriarchal diety as Danu was the matriarchal one for the Tuatha de Danaan.Crom came to be openly worshipped with sacrifices under the 5th Milesian king, Tignermas.A third of his people died propitiating him on Samhain including the king himself, resulting in a seven year interregnum.Ultimately, St. Patrick overthrew his worship in the mid 5th century ad..Crom has been vaguely linked to the deadliest of the Formoriagh kings, Balor of the evil eye.He slew Nuadha the Danaan king but fell to his own half Danaan grandson, Lugh.Menander was Balor reborn in the middle east hundreds of years later. Later Eirik will use THE SWORD OF Naudha to defeat the resurrected Menander [the spear of Lugh may get in there too. l haven't decided yet.]Just as Lugh's spear relates to the holy lance/spear of destiny , Naudha's sword [Nodens in Europe] became Attila's sword in the 5th century ad..Eirik is of Naudha's line on his mother's side.

[The Muse]

wow...you REALLY research and plan out your details!

[werewolf]

[here's a new intro l'm trying out.]


ln the Beginning was the Darkness, before the birth of Light.The primeval night hated the coming of the light and the Order it brought,ever vowing that it should return.
The shadow is patient, waiting and plotting for the end of days when the Light shall be extinguished forever and night reign eternal.Order will fall to perpetual Chaos.
Throughout the long ages the emissaries of the Shadow have made their insidious inroads, corrupting all of Creation.ln every land and epoch have they arisen, in fair guise or foul, haunting the empty wastes or in secret amidst the teeming cities of men.
The Darkness has worn many names across time:Typhon, Set,
Ahriman, Nergal,Zu,Loki,Iblis, Shaitan...the Devil.To the ancient lrish he was Crom Dubh...the dark one or Crom Cruach, Lord of the Mound:The Devouring Wyrm.They offered up to him blood sacrifices in fearfull propitiation.
T'was in Eiren of old that the forces of Night suffered one of their greatest defeats.For the Fair folk, the Children of Danu, overthrew the worshippers of Crom, the serpentine shapeshifters known as the Formoriagh , lead by their wizard king, Balor of the evil eye.
But the spirit of Balor, still full of pride and malice, refused to depart the world as mortals were meant to do.He fled into the east to take up a new form even as his dark master vowed vengeance upon the Shining ones.ln the east Balor chose to incarnate in Persia, then the Earth's mightiest empire thinking there best to serve his master's will.
He was born as Haman, who rose to become vizier to Persia's king, great Xerxes.ln that role he became the bane to the Jews as is recorded undone by the king's love of Esther.Thereafter the spirit ,that had been Balor, passed through many shapes and as many names in the centuries that followed.
His fate became entwined with that of the people of Judea and later the growing empire of Rome.Yet, he never forgot his hatred of Danu's children nor his loyalty to his dark master, Crom.
After Haman he became councilor to Olympias, wife of Philip of Macedonia and mother of Alexander, instigating the prince's hunger to rule the world.Later, following Alexander's death, he returned as the lord of the empire of the Seluecids in Syria as Antiochus 4 Ephiphanes.He declared himself divine and defiled the fabled temple in Jerusalem inspiring the revolt of the Maccabees.Next he wore the crown of Judea itself, as the Hasmonean king Alexander Janneaus and then as Herod, the Great himself Finally, he was born in Samaria as Simon, the Magus,whom the Christians call the father of heresies.
But it came to pass that the Samaritan mage was bested by St. Peter at the court of mad Nero in Rome.He fell, from a great height though he lingered awhile before death claimed his dark soul.Before he perished he summoned his chief pupil, Menander, to his side, whom some said was his own son.The Magus anointed his successor, giving unto him the secrets of his occult knowledge.
Whilst the spirit of Balor buissied itself in the east the Lord of the Mound lured hence the Milesians;the fierce Gaels,to fare forth to Eiren and there to conquer the Children of Danu using magic that he taught them.The Shining ones were forced to retreat to their hidden enclaves, while Crom reigned supreme again. Too late the Gaels saw that he had duped them when he revealed his true face at last.
Long he demanded his bloody sacrifices of the men of Eiren and they had no choice save to pay the price he asked.
Yet, in the end Christianity arrived upon the green shores of Eiren and the sons of Milidh were released from their bond. The old serpent and his children were cast out.
By then Rome had fallen in the west, it's mantle assumed by the Church. So, unwittingly, Christendom bore the chief enmity of Crom and his servants,including he who had once been Balor and their struggle continued down the centuries....
For the Darkness can be defeated but never destroyed. At best it sleeps for a time. Ever it returns in new forms or old ones resurrected. And so things stood in the year of our Lord, 1191,4952 anno mundi, the 587th of the Hajira....the days of Eirik Sigurdson.Half Dane, Half Gael, secret child of the Fair folk he little dreamed the fate that awaited him when he sailed to war in the Holy Land. The Darkness had slept long. lt was time for it to awaken........

[John Reid]

Love it. I imagined Anthony Hopkins voice reading the narrative for some reason.
Keep up the great work
John Reid

[werewolf]

Chapter 1:"A city by the sea" [Aug.1191 ad]ACRE

Screams echoed down the street outside the tavern, drawing Eirik's attention. His head jerked in the direction of the commotion. He glanced out at the street to see what was going on, gulping the wine he'd just purchased thirstilly. He luxuriated as it went down his parched throat.
Eirik had spent his last few coins on the wine, lacking enough for a meal. Supplies were scarce in Acre so soon after it's surrender. His stomach ached with hunger but he did his best to ignore it.Just to get enough for the wine Eirik had sold his helmet. Before that it was his shield and mail hauberk.lt was ages since he'd been paid.
The heat was so intense Eirik found it hard to breath, being only slightly cooler in the shade of the balconies and colorfull cloth awnings that faced the whitewashed buildings along the street.The briney smell of the Middle sea pervaded the still air, as most of the city lay on a narrow peninsula.The lack of breeze was smothering.
Two girls burst through the crowd, running down the street in Eirik's direction.Both of them looked terrified, heedless of everyone around them.The nearer of the two was fair skinned with hair of pale gold and eyes like flashing emeralds. Her companion was a few steps behind.She had warm olive skin, bright amber eyes and lustrous black hair.Thier long hair flowed loose as they ran.
At first Eirik took them to be escaped slaves.But he quickly noticed that they were not bound by either ropes or chains.They bore no visible lash marks nor did they wear the jewelry, silken gowns and heavy cosmetics of courtesans.They were garbed only in light shifts and slippers as might be worn to bed....
Yet, even had they been slaves he wouldn't have cared. Eirik had no sympathy for men who baught and sold others, having endured forced servitude in Eiren, after his home there was conquered by the Normans twentyone years earlier.
Eirik was six at the time, seven when Askulf, the Norse king of Dublin failed to recapture it...the same Askulf who was his real father, though he never acknowledged it.
The girl's pursuers were all in dark hooded cloaks, capes or turbans with face veils, like some of the Moors Eirik had faught in distant Portugal.The men waved gleaming scimitars or curved daggers but otherwise did not appear to be armoured.Eirik counted nine of them.
They were not the sort of men the young Hibernian expected to be chasing mere slave girls.They clearly were not private guardsmen,slave drivers or merchants.Who they were he could not guess.Eirik's hackles rose. The whole thing felt distinctly 'wrong' to him.
lnstinct pressed him to act, though another part of him urged caution.lt was all none of his affair.He aught to stay out of it. There was no coin to be earned, only probable imprisonment or even death.And yet, when had he ever favored the way of caution?
As soon as the girls ran past him, he leapt into action, darting out into the street in front of the oncoming men.Eirik unsheathed his sword, it's polished two and a half foot blade glinting in the afternoon sun.Placing himself between the girls and their pursuers, he knew that he was gravely outnumbered.He'd faced worse odds in his day...once.But the girls were quite lovely.....
"Stupid ass!" Eirik said to himself, a wry self deprecating grin playing across his lips.But he made no effort to get out of the way."Who are those men?"Eirik called over his shoulder, to the wizened tavern keep who stood behind him.The man frowned uneasily,shuffling inside as though afraid.
Eirik's ear caught ominous whispers from the patrons within. They spoke of the Sons of Night and the Children of lblis in hushed frightened tones.That did not bode well at all.He, wished ,idlely, that he knew more of the local tongues.Even his fluency in Latin and Frankish was only passable.
The hood of his offwhite cloak was thrust back, revealing his shoulder length flaxen mane.His hair was held back from his ice blue eyes by a leather headband.The Hibernian towered almost a foot over most of those around him at well above two cubits in height.The desert sun had seared his skin red, though he hadn't blistered like many of his companions from the far north.
A close cropped beard climbed his square jaw to his broad cheekbones, a trimmed mustache clothing his upper lip.Eirik's features were blunt yet not unattractive in a rough hewn way.A few scars were faintly visible on his face, though long healed. lt was rare that his enemies got close enough to leave a scar, save those on his back, as a boy by his Norman masters.
Eirik's late foster father,Sigurd and his mother's brothers, Colum and Padraigh, had taught him well the arts of war after they all escaped serfdom in Eiren.Sigurdson had followed the path of the warrior ever since he was twelve, fifteen years before.Few were his equal with the blade.
Although left handed by nature, it was considered 'wrong'.He was forced to learn to use his right instead, even with a sword.They even broke his left arm to ensure it.While slightly better with his left than his right hand Sigurdson was deadly with both,even able to wield two blades at once.lt was a skill that had stood him in good stead.
Beneath his cloak Eirik wore a blue short sleeved tunic, that fell just above the knee, a wide metal studded leather belt girded his waist.Laced vambraces of toughened boiled leather protected his brawny forearms, black hose tucked into dusty buff colored boots to mid calf.A simple scabbard hung at his left thigh, a dagger resting opposite the sword at his right hip.He chose to wear them that way so as not to signal to his foes that he could use either hand.
"Move!"snarled the leader of the cloaked men in thickly accented Frankish.He glowered at Eirik, his brown eyes blazing.The knuckles were white on his right hand in which he held his sword menacingly.The threat was explicit.
"Does this street belong to you?"Eirik retorted without hesitation.He stood, his feet widely braced, ready."lf so then prove it!"
"Step aside or die!" hissed the leader of the hooded men. He lunged at Eirik without waiting for the Hibernian to decide.The scimitar sliced through the air at Sigurdson.Eirik wordlessly brought his own blade to meet that of his foe, easily fending it off. He'd expected the attack.Steel clanged against steel.....

[werewolf]

l hope you enjoy this little sampler of Key to the seven seals the novel l'm currently working on. l've brought it up before but this is the opening of chapter 1.

[John Reid]

Awesome. Made me want more though. Ok keep at it. I think this has great potential.

Knight-Hood

[The Muse]

*rolls eyes* Between you and knight-hood, these cliff hangers are going to be the death of me.....

[werewolf]

l had gotten up to chapter 12 but being me began to revise it again since that point.l'm back up to the beginning of chapter 11 currently about 125 pages in.They are only just now leaving Acre, having been detained for awhile by Richard the lion hearted.l tried to punch up the action a bit in part 1. l hope it worked as that is what will bring any prospective readers in.l wanted to set the scene in chapter 1 and give a taste of the main protagonist, Eirik.l dropped a little of the detail about the siege and how he got there, figuring what l gave was enough for that point.l do flesh out his bio more later but a lot of the details are already hinted at.l 've since altered the date to late July from August because l imply the French king had not yet departed which he did on July 31.The portion set in Zefat might drop out. l'm not yet sure.l think it is coming together better than before. But it's hard for me to tell how it reads to anyone else.At the moment it's probably more Conan than Lord of the Rings but hopefully a homage not an outright imitation.

[werewolf]

I'm nearing the finish line on Signet of Solomon:key to the seven seals.l've reached chapter 23 and a bit past page 270.The heroes have escaped the prison in the city of Zophet, stolen some horses and continued on the trail of the cultists.The villain discovers that his prisoners do not have the ring,becoming enraged to realize his sister knew but had not told him.He imprisons her with the others as a traitor.When the heroe find the cult's base in the ruins of Petra[in Jordan] they are unaware they've been lured there as the villain knows one of them now has the ring.
The heroes, greatly outnumbered, separate.The heroine's father and the half Egyptian former thief and sailor enter the ruins ostensibly to negotiate but leave Eirik and the Templar to attempt infiltration since they were too few for a frontal assault.The villain brings out the other prisoners threatening to kill them all there unless he was given the ring.But Darion [the heroine's father] does not have it.He left it with Eirik, the only one able to see the shapeshifters for what they were in case one tried to pose as any of those captured.
The villain guesses that Eirik or the Templar posses the ring and must be close by.He decides to try to magicly locate them. The ring shields it's wearer but whichever one the villain is able to find it will reveal that his companion has the signet.But before the villain can begin executing his now useless prisoners in his frustrated fury Eirik appears to confront him, wearing the ring, both swords drawn......
That is where l'm now poised, trying to plan out the final battle.lt is short by the standards of my other novels but is the beginning of a longer cycle l'll return to later.

[John Reid]

It sounds awesome. I love sword and sorcery tales so I am really looking forward to reading this one. Just the type of book to curl up with on a rainy day. Keep at it.
KH

[werewolf]

l'm at chapter 30 and page 327, basicly into the clean up aftermath phase.This will probably be the final chapter save a possible epilogue.The ending almost demands a sequal or two to complete the character arcs but l'll let it rest for awhile before returning to it.After throwing in serpentine shapeshifters, winged Djinn, lifeforce stealing mists, zombies, hooded cultists,giant worms,using water and flames to see at a distance,magic rings, sleeping immortal sorcerors.... l will need time rearm my writer's quill.But l did that with the Gothic too, though it was 2 1/2 times as long.L prefer swordplay to guns but it's hard to choreograph fights.Movies and comics can do it visually. ln text one begins to run out of ways to describe it.[lf one includes the zombie part there's about seven or eight battles .]lt has a fairly simple plot but hopefully, enough odds and ends to redeem it even so.[All this just to unravel some of the history of that ring and the dread grimoire from All Hallow's Eve....]

[John Reid]

My hat's off to you. I cannot even imagine trying to describe a sword fight on paper, let alone multiple ones. Can't wait to read this one. Have you considered doing any artwork for it yet?

[werewolf]

OK, unless l decide to add an epilogue it is done.[30 chapters and 337 handwritten pages.]l'de guess it's probably between 64,000 and 67,500 words. Of course ,it points to future quests and confrontations with the villain. l don't know when l'll get to them. But if the book is ever published l will probably try some art for it, certainly a cover at least. But the future will tell if it goes beyond my note books.l'm not sure if there is a market for it these days.But it least it gave me the origin for the codex.That was one main reason l wrote it.l needed to find out myself.

[John Reid]

Cool. What's next on your agenda?

[werewolf]

l don't really know yet. l've ruminated on the lead characters of All Hallows Eve ,including the heroine's brother , a nyc detective, but no firm plots yet. The same is true for the hero of Protector [if l retain that title.]l want to do something with my research on Stoker's notes from Dracula but have not found the right angle yet.lt would be a story behind the novel, meaning it would not strictly adhere to the published version.The villain would not even be called Dracula as Stoker decided upon that name several months into writing the book.lnstead of Transylvania the villain would hail from southern Germany, between Munich and Salzburg as was seemingly the original plan.[lt shifted to Styria in Austria before landing in Transylvania.]
l'm somewhat less interested in rewriting the novel than using that altered version as a jumping off place for where the character went next.l'm interested in the vampire as a would be conqueror in the modern world even though through infiltration rather than military methods.l won't say romance is impossible but unlike many l don't see him as the Barnabas type pining for lost love.He would be more of a schemer and a predator.We'll see if l ever figure it out.

[werewolf]

l have also been thinking of finally getting around to PAYMENT IN KIND. My latest idea is that Eirik's son , from Signet, receives the ring and the extra life force gained in the course of the novel.In Signet Eirik and his future wife had just met.But eventually, he regains the ring and captures the codex [ca.1219ad] though his son is badly injured in the process and Valeria had died by then.Eirik saved his son by giving up the lifeforce that saved him in 1191. l'm still debating the son's name.Between his innate constitution,the extra life force and the ring Eirik potentially could have lived several centuries, aging about a month per year.
lnstead it was his son that did so,becoming the guardian of the book and ring.Although Menander was defeated in 1219 his chief minions or some of them at least, survived.They were undead,essentially vampiric like their former master.But they had to endure restrictions, like daylight, so that he could control them.Only he could create talismans that protected them from the restrictions.Those talismans only functioned while Menander lived and he could remove their power whenever he chose.They needed the codex to recreate the talismans themselves.
So, they hunted Eirik's son when he was not hunting them.He becomes a wanderer a little like the Gandalf type, though only in hisearly 20's in 1219.Like his father he doubtless had many adventures l may chronicle eventually.Fast forward to the 17th century.Eirik's son is by then known as Myles Corwen. Although about 430 he seems to be around his early to mid 50's [bit fit for that age unlike me...]ln his struggles with Menader's former minions he is shipwrecked on the east coast of Scotland near a small village called Dirleton. [about 20 miles from Edinburg.]Corwen is found and nursed by Margaret [Maggie]MacClaren.Due to his supernatural healing ability he recovers quickly.But he and she become involved.
Meanwhile, Myles lost the codex in the shipwreck but it too washed ashore.Only the right magic could destroy it so itsurvived the storm and the sea intact.lt was accidently discovered in a sea side cave only reachable at low tide beneath nearby cliffs.The finder was an accused witch who had escaped by hiding in the cave, her hunters assuming she drowned or was smashed on the rocks.Her name was Lilias Ruthven. Her family once owned the castle in Dirleton. They were aristocrats discraced before her birth for repeated plots against King James [during the 1580's and 90's before he became king of England.]The book gave her the very powers she'd been accused of having.
Myles wed Maggie and she became pregnant with Aedan.But word of his unnaturally swift recovery aroused talk especially since he was a stranger.His foes were not asleep either. The strongest of them a former Templar named Cyrus de Winter came seeking the codex and the ring.Having to travel by night,carry some of his native soil and difficulty crossing water had delayed de Winter.
The two confronted each other in a duel of both swords and magic. As had occurred long before Maggie was hurt and might die without help, her child with her.Although Corwen managed to slay de Winter no normal means could save Maggie.

[werewolf]

l'm now planning upon linking up Eirik, hero of Signet of Solomon, with Aedan of PAYMENT IN KIND.The linkage would be via Eirik's son.ln Signet Eirik gained the lifeforces of many others, reviving him.ln 1219 ad his battle with Menander culminates.But by then he'd already lost his wife,Valeria.EIRIK'S son was badly injured.To save him Eirik gave him the ring, enfused with the extra life force.ln giving it up Eirik died. [28 years after Signet.]
The son gains an unnaturally extended lifespan which Eirik could have had if he had not chosen to save his son.The son becomes the guardian of the ring and the codex, wandering widely.ln 1624 ,now known as Myles Corwen, the son washed ashore in eastern Scotland after a shipwreck due to a storm sent by his enemy, one of the former minions of Menander, who wants the book and ring.
This foe, Cyrus de Winter, was a former Templar whose existence was unnaturally prolonged by spells in the codex.Essentially a vampire, the restrictions upon him were intended to give Menander control over his kind.Only talismans made by Menander could make his servants immune to restrictions like daylight.Cyrus wanted the book to create such talismans himself.Then he would have all of the powers without the drawbacks.
Myles was briefly nursed by Margaret [Maggie] MacClaren.They became involved and married.Myles believed the codex lost at sea so that he could settle down at last.Aedan was conceived.But de Winter still wanted the book and believed Myles had it and knew he had the ring.Having difficulty crossing water and needing to journey only by night slowed de Winter down.But in time he tracked Corwen and confronted him.The two battled with swords and magic. Myles emerged victorious but at a cost.He was weary and injured while the pregnant Maggie was dieing. if she died so did their child. So, like Eirik before him, Myles gave the ring and the extra life force to her, though it meant his own death soon thereafter.
Meanwhile, the codex had not sunk to the sea bottom but also washed ashore when Myles did yet not at the same place.lt was found in a sea side cave below cliffs that could only be reached at low tide.[the cave itself did not flood but the only way down from the cliffs was only exposed then.]The finder was Lilias Ruthven, an accused witch who had hid in the cave to escape her pursuers.They believed her drowned or dashed against the rocks by the waves.Her family were disgraced aristocrats,who once owned the castle in nearby Dirleton. [In the 1580's and 90's before her birth they had repeatedly plotted against king James,prior to his assumption of the English throne.]The codex gave her the power she had been accused of having but did not make her immortal [unless she cast a spell making herself undead like de Winter had been.]So she remained in hiding.
The rest of the story shifts twenty years forward to 1645 when Aedan has grown up and returned from fighting overseas as a mercenary to join the royalist forces in Scotland alongside his stepfather, Jamie Sinclair.lt all comes full circle when Maggie is executed as a witch by lawyer Jonas Kincaid whose advances she spurned while her husband was away and viewed as a rebel by the Scottish government who were allied to Cromwell.Aedan , returning home too late, vows revenge upon Kincaid.He decides that themost appropriate doom is to 'introduce him to a real witch.
That proves to be none other than Lilias......

[werewolf]

l basicly double posted thinking l'de lost the first version before finishing it.

[The Muse]

no problem. Happens all the time....