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Hefft, the Keeper …

Hefft is the grandson of Garret.  Some time after Garret passed, his son, Tellen, drowned.  Tellen’s now widowed wife, finding that she no longer had the means to take care of a young son, delivered him to Patrin.  We don’t know his precise age, but he appears to be in his late twenties or early thirties.  If we consider ‘ten’ to be the age at which he came into Patrin’s care, then it is likely that Patrin was still active in Whitefield, where we know that at Serin’s request he returned to complete his journeyman training as a scribe, and later replaced Serin as Royal Scribe.  Meaning, that Hefft would have spent a good portion of his formative years in the Palace, among the Courts of Denion.

When Patrin retired as Royal Scribe, he returned to the place that gave him the most peace, Galin’s old cabin tucked away in the Grandwood.  Hefft, a grown man by that time, followed the aging Patrin and continued to serve him in the very same place that his grandfather once lived and served Galin.

With the exception of the occasional visit to Woodpoint for supplies, Hefft appears to have secluded himself at the cabin, caring for ‘old man’ Patrin.  At one point he brings home a young boy, that Patrin believes looks too much like him to be anything other than his son.

When Patrin decided to undertake his final mission, Hefft and the boy follow.  Patrin then abandons them at Portis Doha, for fear that the next stage of the journey will prove too much for the ‘weaklings’.

Author’s note: The presence of Hefft’s young son creates an interesting contrast of ‘worlds’ or ideology.  Patrin grew up in ‘violent’ times, but the boy clearly grew up in a more gentle world and is easily frightened by the ‘old man’.

Silva, Northwestern Denion

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Silva is the northern most city of Denion proper and a major base for the kingdom’s logging industry. Loggers working the surrounding forests bring their timber to the city’s port to be herded by tug down the Cut, to the Low Lake, and finally to Lordingport.

North of Silva is the border of the County of Boars, a vassal state subdued by Denion. Being a border town, Silva has its share of blond, blue eyed Boarsmen. They are primarily hunters and trappers. The Boarsmen themselves have few logging concerns this far south of their major cities.

Patrick and Xadik stopped in Silva briefly, and discovering Sentinels waiting for them were forced to depart sooner than intended.

Audio Version of ‘The Rhine’ is Up!

Tuesday, February 12, 2019

So excited!  The audio version of Harmony Book 1: The Rhine, is live.  Narrated by Mike Luoma from Glow in the Dark Radio!

The Rhine Amazon Link

Thank you everyone for your support!

- RL

Ylva, the Wolfmaiden

The eldest daugther of King Arbren of Valenkept, and his deceased wife Adolphina, Ylva is the quintessential barbarian Princess.

CAMP OF THE DEAD
Through dialogue we learn that Ylva’s mother founded an order of female warriors called the Wolfmaidens, and at her passing Ylva became their leader.  We don’t know the circumstances that led to her decision to lead her warriors deep into Beldenkept territory, but the result was almost fatal for the princess.

Patrin and Xadik, on their trek north, skirt the fortress city of Beldenkept, only to stumble upon a camp of dead female warriors in wolf headdresses.  Patrin finds the half dead Ylva amidst the carnage.  Against Xadik’s will, they rescue her.

VALENKEPT
With her Wolfmaiden’s dead, and bearing the shame of being rescued by lowlanders, we have Patrin’s observations to tell us that in the late evenings Ylva was busy in the barracks of her former warriors.  She was instrumental in Patrin’s discussion of treason with her father.

THE SIEGE OF BELDENKEPT
Ylva sees the assault on Beldenkept as a natural course of action.  Patrin and Xadik follow her through wintry lands that seem untouched by man.  Arriving at the massive citadel the trio are forced to battle their way through the dungeon like corridors, only to find themselves severely outnumbered at the end of their search.

Lordingport, Northwestern Denion

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Situated on the southeastern shores of the Low Lake, the former capital of Denion is the final destination for the northern logging industry. Denite logging crews on the trail all the way from Silva, float their logs down river, called the Cut, from the High Lake..

Lordingport is also the domain of Lord Marshal Astolin, commander of the city’s garrison, and a central figure in the conspiracy to place Galin back on the throne of the kingdom.

By the end of Greater Things than Thou it is evident that there is a ‘mole’ within the conspiracy, and Patrin becomes increasingly distrustful of Astolin, despite Garret’s assurances that whoever the rat maybe, it’s not him.

In All Things Ruin, while Patrin and Xadik follow the northern logging trail, intent on reaching Valenkept, Garret and Astolin search for the traitor among them..