Djedar Rath is an enigma: a former slave who escaped from his masters more than once, he at last is truly free... or so he claims. Yet still he always chooses to wander alone, with at most a horse for company, never letting anyone get close and leading a solitary, nomadic life.
But it is a life of righteousness and devotion, both to his gods and to his order. The many strange tattoos that cover Djedar's body mark him as a captain of the Medjai: an enemy of those who would do evil and all who would defile the sacred sites and tombs of his homeland, Kemhet. Djedar serves the Medjai unflinchingly. Some doubt he actually serves them out of a desire to do good.
Why Djedar chooses to eternally be alone remains a mystery to all but those who know his story. Unfortunately for his preferences, the time is coming that he must break his solitude...
Most Medjai uphold honor, yet Djedar cares nothing for it. He hunts anyone who commits atrocities against Ma'at, reserving unique hatred for those who would practice dark arts, worship dark gods and demons, and defile tombs. He fights without honor and kills without mercy - an act he often deems necessary.
Djedar always travels alone, preferring no company at all or else only the company of animals to any people. He will find any means to avoid anyone relying upon him, especially traveling with him. Why he behaves with such strict rules of absolute solitude, he refuses to say. Some claim it may be an oath to one of his precious gods, while others believe he simply cannot stand his fellow Men.
Yet another enigma about Djedar is his devotion: devout to the gods, yet at once he can be critical of them. Regardless, he seems devoted to all things divine, particularly his chosen deities, Horus and Anubis. He takes special care to observe rites and rituals, and he puts great faith in the gods, along with their plans and designs, always ascribing actions and events to the interminable will of Fate. Some even say he may frequently act as a masked, anonymous priest of Anubis in certain cities during burial ceremonies.
Djedar never speaks of himself, his past, his current life, or provides reason for anything that he does - and, in fact, prefers not to speak at all. He comes across as grim and stoic. It seems nothing can force him to hold an extended conversation or discard a shred of his mystery... for he trusts no one.
Deep in the deserts of Kemhet lies the resting place of Pharaoh Ankhu the Endless, an evil so powerful that the gods themselves sealed him away in a labyrinth. He wanders it as a cursed undead, a walking mummy, searching for his own still-beating heart. Now, the warlock Lord Tefnahkt the Red is seeking the lost tomb to unleash Ankhu’s power. One of Tefnahkt’s slaves, a man named Djedar Rath, may be the key to stopping him. Aided by the ancient order known as the Medjai, he must prevent Tefnahkt from freeing Ankhu and unleashing his wrath upon the world.
Rage.
Few can match the fury of Sir Tom Drake in battle – not even a Demon of Wrath. When Tom killed just such a fiend in single combat, a feat of which most mortals would never dream, he became the Demon Slayer. To the people of his beloved city of Illikon, Tom is a hero. But his city swears fealty to the Achaean Empire, and to them, he is just another knight.
Enter Sir Scaevius, Left Hand of the Emperor. With war raging against a barbarian alliance massing to the North, Scaevius takes command of Illikon’s armies and orders Tom on a suicide mission. Tom obeys, but not without protest. Soon, he finds himself fighting not only the barbarians, but his own superiors as well – and something else, something supernatural.
A monster is stalking him: a half man, half beast abomination from legend… a werewolf. It haunts his dreams and even his waking hours, and he starts to suffer blackouts, unsure what is real and what is nightmare. Hated by his superiors, hunted by beasts and assassins, Tom Drake must fight for his home, his life, and even his mind. The events that are about to unfold will change his life, and the world, forever.
A thrilling tale of adventure, dashing heroics, chilling horror, alluring mystery, and both personal duels and epic battles centered around memorable characters, Knightfall takes you to the edge of your seat in a wild ride set in a traditional dark age heroic fantasy world, where all myths are true – and monsters from legend seek to devour Men. Meet the sharply characterized cast, discover a new realm at once dark yet not without light and hope, and return to fantasy’s roots in the series The Prophecy of the Six and the world of Wulfgard.
View BookWant to hear more about this character, be the first to hear about upcoming works, and even to meet upcoming characters? Be sure to check out my Patreon!
