Blades of the Tiger (Novel)

Blades of the Tiger is a fantasy novel by Chris Pierson. It is the first book in the Taladas Trilogy.

The book follows the chieftain Chovuk with his protector Hult, the lord Barreth Forlo, and the elven magical thief Shedara as they are drawn together by the manipulations of an ancient evil.

Blurb[]

The War of Souls is over. Takhisis is dead. On Ansalon, heroes and gods have banded together to save the world from destruction. A new peace, of sorts, has taken hold.

Half a world away, on the continent of Taladas, the troubles are just beginning. Sorcery, long thought lost, has returned to the world. Disasters wrack the land, nations clash, dark forces stir in the aftermath of the Godless Night.

On the grasslands of the Tamire, an ambitious lord unites the barbarian tribes, streaming south for plunder and bloody conquest...

Among the fortresses and cities of the Minotaur League, a victorious general returns to his family after years away...

In the shadows, an elven thief tracks a mysterious enemy that seeks a statue of eldritch magic...

One will live, one will die, and one will wish for death. For ancient powers are waking in Taladas.

Chronology & Geography[]

The story takes place on the continent of Taladas after the War of Souls. The tale is introduced in the prelude by a Red Wizard of Ansalon in Nightlund who is magically viewing the events.

The year is not specified, but events in the story indicate it occurs some time after the War of Souls.

The action occurs all across Southern Hosk and Northern Hosk, the western side of Taladas. Characters travel across the regions of The Tamire, Okami, New Styrllia, Armach-nesti and Thenol. They are all eventually drawn to the Tiderun Strait.

Content Warning[]

The story contains graphic depictions of child murder. The story contains an attempt at suicide.

Plot Summary[]

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow

Prologue: From the Archives of Nightlund, Vol. XIX, penned by the Red Robe Pelander

The tale is introduced by the wizard Pelander, who has witnessed it in visions. They explain that Taladas is a rumored continent across the ocean that was the obsession of his mentor Bezok. Pelander describes Taladas in general an how it relates to the world of Krynn. He then writes what he has seen in his visions before they fade from his memory.

Chapter 1: Blood Eye, The Imperial League

Shedara sneaks into the fishing village of Blood Eye at night after stowing away on minotaur ship. She sneaks to the keep of the village that has a tower with a continual flame at the top. On her way, she unseals and reads her instructions. Unusually, the mission is from the Voice of the Stars, Princess Thalaniya. Shedara is ordered to retrieve a portrait of Silvanos Goldeneye that is kept in the keep.

Ruskal Eight-Fingers wakes in the night and putters around his tower. Thinking he sees intruders in the baily, he gets his sword and joins up with his minotaur bodyguard Kesh. Kesh is killed instantly and Ruskal is disabled by shadowy figures.

Shedara spider climbs over the wall. She hears sounds of fighting and finds dead tylors that were guarding the keep. They were stabbed but there is no blood. She climbs through a window and finds Ruskal not quite dead. Ruskal mistakes her for Kesh, so Shedara asks questions until he dies. He says that he didn't see the attackers, only shadows, and that they wanted to know where the Hooded One is. Ruskal says that he sent the Hooded One away and won't tell anyone where, not even Kesh. After Ruskal dies, Shedara finishes her job.

Chapter 2: Hill of Lost Voices, The Tamire

Chovuk and Hult wait at the Hill of Lost Voices for Krogan Boyla to arrive. Chovuk goes back to Undermouth village to wait and Hult watches from high on the hill. He sees a single rider approach, a wounded member of the Boyla's party. He rushes back to camp to get help.

Chovuk and Hult go to the rider while the other warriors watch for an ambush. They find him unconcious and nearly dead, so Chovuk carries him back to the healer in Undermouth. Chovuk threatens her and demands success, but she doesn't care. She performs a ritual that saves the rider from death. The rider tells his tale of the Kazar tribe attacking them. Chovuk, Hult, and two dozen riders leave immediately to find the Boyla. They find the site of the attack. The warriors prepare the dead. Covuk and Hult search and find the Boyla, but is still alive despite his wounds. Chovuk is startled, then apologizes as he kills the Boyla with a Kazar arrow.

Chapter 3: Kristophan, The Imperial League

Barreth Forlo, marshal of the sixth imperial legion, leads his legion back to Kristophan after the death of Emperor Ambeoutin XII. They have returned after a three year campaign against the undead hordes in Thenol, to the south, and come home victorious. But instead of a triumph parade, they are returning to mourn the emperor, per the law. Instead of leaving troops to maintain the peace in Thenol, all legions were recalled to the capitol to see to the transfer of power.

Forlo is looking forward to retiring after twenty five years of service. As they cross the final hill, they see that half of Kristophan has been destroyed. The northern end of the city, where the imperial palace and the nobles' mansions were, was entirely swallowed by a chasm.

They get to the gate. Tyrel, one of Forlo's officers who returned after being wounded in Thenol, tells him that duke Rekhaz is running the city from the Arena. Forlo and Grath travel through the ruined city to the arena and are let in. Rekhaz is sparring against groups of soldiers. When he finishes, Forlo and Grath present him with the head of Bishop Ondelos who lead the Thenolites. Rekhaz crushes the skull with his hoof. Rekhaz asks Forlo to continue leading the sixth legion but he refuses. Forlo shows him his copy of the writ signed by Emperor Ambeoutin allowing him to retire after the Thenol campaign. Rekhaz thought all copies were destroyed in the city and angrily allows Forlo to leave. Grath becomes the marshal of the sixth legion.

Chapter 4: The Borderwold, Armach-nesti

Shedara returns to the forest of Armach-nesti. She meets with her brother Quivris in a clearing with carved stones that pre-date Armach-nesti. He gives her a hard time for being late. She says she succeeded but needs to speak with the Voice of the Stars. They leave immediately on hippogriffs.

They meet the Voice, Princess Thalaniya. Shedara hands over the painting and says there is trouble. Thalaniya uses a scrying pool to watch the memories of Shedara, which exhausts Shedara. In the evening, they meet again and Talaniya brings the white wizard Nalaran so they can look through time. They look for the Hooded One and see the golden city of Aurim in the old Aurim Empire. They see a figure in gold cloth and blue satin that Thalaniya recognizes. Then they see a dark cavern full of soldier statues. At the end of the room is a black stone statue of the same figure. The hood of the statue pulls back to reveal a hideous face. Nothing is discussed. The next morning, Shedara leaves with sealed instructions from Thalaniya. Thalaniya also gives her a necklace that will allow them to speak with each other.

Chapter 5: Mourning-Stone, The Tamire

All of the Uigan clans gather at the Mourning-Stone so see off the old Boyla and choose a new Boyla. The Ghost-Widows prepare the body and raise it to a perch on the Mourning Stone with all the previous Boylas, then lash it in place.

After the ceremony Chovuk spends the entire day in his yurt while Hult guards. The drums calling the chieftains to choose the new Boyla begin, but Chovuk doesn't leave his tent. Hult sees a magical light inside the tent, considers investigating, but then the light goes out and Chovuk comes out. Hult tries to make sense of what has happened over the last week but cannot. They join the other chieftains by the fire. Chovuk, Sugai, Torug, and Hoch are the chieftains that have a claim to be Boyla because they can trace their ancestry to the first Boyla. Chovuk and Torug bicker while Sugai and Hoch keep the peace. Sugai says he does not seek to be Boyla due to his age and will adjudicate the proceedings. Hoch withdraws from the competition because he is too young, but says he will be Boyla one day. Chovuk gets more cheers than Torug from the assembled chieftains. Torug says that as Boyla he will destroy the Kazar, but Chovuk says he will go further and also drive the Imperial League from the Tamire. Torug calls him a fool and Chovuk calls him a coward, then they draw swords. Hult and Fox, Torug's tenach, fight. Hult kills Fox, but is then taken down by Torug. Hult is vaguely aware that Chovuk transforms into a steppe-tiger and kills Torug. Hult wakes the next day, being tended by a healer. Chovuk refuses to explain what happened.

Chapter 6: Hawkvale, Thenol

Forlo has a dream where the sixth legion is attacked in Thenol. The dream follows the events exactly as they happened as the sixth made it's final attack in Hawkvale near Hawkbluff. Forlo is vaguely aware that it is a dream, since he's had it many times. He is almost hit by an arrow in an ambush. Thenol fanatics attack with eerie quietness. The battle ends quickly and Grath goes to Forlo. Forlo shouts orders and then realizes that he was hit by a green flame arrow in the arse. Grath yanks it out and the flames spread to his arm.

Forlo wakes and Grath is there. They talk about how the dreams are unusual and Forlo goes back to sleep. The next day, during a march, Grath tells Frolo he is crazy for retiring. Forlo is released from duty and walks the rest of the way to his home, Coldhope Keep. He sees his wife Essana on the Northwatch and runs to her. The next day he makes her breakfast and they talk about trying to have children again despite their previous failed attempts.

Chapter 7: Uld, The Steamwall Mountains

Shedara rides her hippogriff to Armach and then travels overland to the Steamwalls. She is heading to the dwarven town of Uld. When she is less than a day away she spends the night in a cave high on a cliff wall. She covers the entrance with a tarp, starts a magical fire.

She thinks back on the conversation she had with Thalaniya on the third day of her journey using her necklace. Thalaniya had been researching the Hooded One and Old Aurim, and relayed what she learned to Shedara. Aurim was ruled by Golden Emperors, and one dynasty of emperors were evil and studied the magic of the black moon and the wild magic from the previous age. The worst and last of the dynasty was Maladar an-Desh, known as Maladar the Faceless because most of his face was missing; He saw, heard, and spoke using magic. He once used his magic to destroy the entire city of Am Durn by summoning a tsunami. After nine years as emperor, he was killed with poison by a servant boy. Maladar's soul transferred to the Hooded One, which he had built for the purpose. All graven images of Maladar were thought destroyed but the Hooded One was lost to time.

The next morning, Shedara scrys to try to find the Hooded One. She sees the dwarven city of Uld, and shadowy figures like the ones Ruskal described are approaching the city. She runs to the city at full speed. She arrives and sneaks into the village but all of the inhabitants are dead. Like with others killed by the shadows, there are wounds but no blood. The Hooded One is gone. Shedara reports to Thalaniya using her necklace and they reluctantly agree to use necromancy to get more information. Shedara finds a guard who died swiftly and summons his spirit to ask questions.

Chapter 8: Mount Xagal, The Ilquars

Chovuk and Hult, Hoch, Yamad and his tenach, Sugai and his tenach, and the survivor of Krogan's party approach the largest mountain in the northern Uesi Ilquar mountains: Xagal (which means "Claw" in the Uigan language). The Wretched Ones, the last tribe of goblins in Hosk, live in the mountain. The Uigan have been amassing to take vengeance on the Kazar for Krogan's death and now number over five thousand. Chovuk decided to gain the aid of the goblins to increase their army with disposable troops.

They know they are being watched but see no goblins. They come across old corpses of humans and elves on stakes. Chovuk stops and calls out that he wants to honor the goblin king, then pours fifty Kazar death rings onto the ground. The goblins call out that Chovuk and Hult may enter the mountain to meet the king. Hult gathers the rings and they enter a cave.

Chovuk and Hult squeeze through miles of goblin sized caverns. They tunnels open up into an enormous cavern and Hult nearly falls. They shuffle down the narrow, wet ledges to the King's dais. In the darkness they see innumerable goblin eyes shining. The king, hidden in darkness, says humans cannot be trusted and preemptively rejects anything they have to say. Chovuk tells them the plan to attack the Kazar and then the minotaurs. The crowd gets excited but the king rejects him again. The king calls for light and blue-white fires fill the cavern. They see that the goblin king is a huge, wormlike monster with a stinger tail. Hult is nearly crushed by the king. Chovuk transforms into a steppe-tiger and the two of them kill the king. Chovuk returns to human form. The goblins are stunned into silence. Chovuk makes his offer again. Gharmu, shaman and de facto leader of the goblins, agrees and calls Chovuk king.

Chapter 9: Hawkbluff, Thenol

Forlo dreams of Hawkvale again. The sixth legion marches through knee-deep, swampy muck in a thunderstorm. Grath tries to stay optimistic. They can see the Temple of Hith in the distance. Forlo suspects a trap and doubles the guard. They see Ondelos and his troops on a far hill and stop. There are not many troops and Forlo tries to figure out what the trap is. Forlo goes to climb some rocks to get a better view and gets stuck in the mud. Digging himself out, he finds a corpse under the muck. He realizes that the entire undead army is hidden under the swamp and then wakes up.

Forlo practices archery on gulls while thinking about the tides. Soon the moons will align in a way that lowers the tides of the Tiderun Strait completely, so that someone could walk across it. Essana catches him says that she's tired of him being so stir-crazy in retirement. They bicker a little bit and then laugh about it.

Chapter 10: Coldhope, The Imperial League

After sex, they get brunch and talk about Forlo's dreams. He talks and yells during the dreams. It's always the same series of dreams in the same order. He has told Essana about all of them before, so she knows which dream he had the night before because of what he was saying. Forlo is frustrated and hopes to fix the problem some day.

They go out and Voss, the chamberlain, tells them a merchant is there to see them. The merchant Sammek Thale yells at Essana about the wait and Forlo threatens him with a sword. Everyone calms down and Sammek explains that he was attacked by pirates only ten leagues from Coldhope. Everything was stolen and the crew was locked in the hold. It took them three days to escape. The pirates banner was a black trident on scarlet, the ship was a fast cutter, and the captain was a one horned minotaur. Essana and Forlo recognize captain Harlad. Forlo agrees to investigate and Essana is happy Forlos has something to keep him busy.

Forlo travels to Lamport, a dirty village known as a trading post for pirates and brigands. He sees Harlad's ship, Blade of Sargas, at the dock. For thirty years, Coldhope had been paying Harlad to stay out of their waters and keep other pirates out; Five hundred gold for the current year. Forlo goes to the Green Lady, a tavern named jokingly after an exclusive wine house in Kristophan.

He bribes the bartender to tells him which private room Harlad is in. Forlo is attacked as he opens the door, but easily dispatches the minotaur. Harlad realizes who Forlo is and they introduce themselves to each other. Harlad knows why he's here and offers a thousand gold and five year service to keep the loot, since the loot is dwarven metal and gems that Sammek was smuggling past Coldhope without paying tariffs. Forlo plans to get even with Sammek. Forlo rejects the offer, saying he wants something more worthwhile than gold, so Harlad takes him to the ship. Harlad offers the Hooded One as payment and Forlo accepts.

Chapter 11: Mislaxa's Necklace, The Tiderun

Shedara speaks with the spirit of a dead dwarf in Uld. It tells here they bought the Hooded One from Ruskal and quickly sold it to Sammek Thale on the ship White Worm. She builds a pyre for all the dead in the village and then begins tracking Sammek. She checks Malton but he never returned. Later she finds his ship across the Straight but the Hooded One was stolen by pirates. She tracks it to Harlad the Gray and finds his ship in Mislaxa's Necklace, a dangerous group of rocky islets in the Straight.

She anchors and sneaks across the islet. She finds a circle of stones with orbs atop, a ring created by the huldrefolk and dedicated to the moons. She cast a spell of invisibility and went to board Harlad's ship. Before she reaches it she sees a black, smoky ship approaching. She gets to Harlad's ship first and sneaks aboard while the minotaurs are distracted by the approaching black ship. She's heard by the guard on Harlad's cabin who misses her with a club before she kills him and slips inside. The black ship lightly rams them and begins boarding.

Shedara dodges Harlad and gets her knife to his neck, demanding the Hooded One. Harlad says it's gone. One of the shadowy ones enters the room. Shedara demands to know who has the Hooded One, offering to kill Harlad instead of letting the shadowy ones have him. He agrees, tells the name, and dies. Shedara fights past one of the shadows and more arrive. They try to magically compel her to say where the statue is but she resists. She realizes that the shadowy creatures used to be kender before they became what they are now. She leaps through a window to escape, diving into the water. She uses magic to breath water and swims away.

Chapter 12: Ghost Hills, The Tamire

Chovuk was talking in his tent all night as Hult kept watch. Chovuk had declared Gharmu the leader of the Wretched Ones goblins before leaving. The goblins had not arrived yet and the battle was in the morning. Hoch Tegin had spoken out against the alliance and was nearly killed by Chovuk for his insolence. Yol Tegin asks how to get the army to accept the goblins and Chovuk says to flog any who question it and kill any who question a second time.

The army of a thousand Uigan camps near the Kazar city for days until the two thousand goblins arrive. Hult is still uncomfortable with how it all started but remains loyal to Chovuk. In the night, he sees the light of sorcery in Chovuk's yurt. Hult burst in and sees Chovuk standing nearly naked and unaware in a circle of evil light. Hult senses someone else but cannot find them. The light vanishes and Chovuk collapses. Hult puts the unconscious Chovuk to bed and guards for the rest of the night.

The next day, the Uigan and goblins meet then attack Khal, the greatest city of the Kazar. Duskblade, king of the Kazar, orders his people to stay and fight, knowing that they would not win and would also be slaughtered if they fled. The Kazar are completely baffled when the goblins come over the hill and swarm the walls of the town. The Kazar are quickly wiped out by the goblins, before the Uigan arrive. Duskblade, barely alive, is brought before Chovuk who executes him for the death of Krogan Boyla.

Chapter 13: Hawkbluff, Thenol

Forlo dreams of Hawksbluff again. He tensely analyzes the situation with the corpses in the marsh. He tells Grath to spread word to the officers, quietly, for the clerics to spread out and be ready to destroy the undead when they wake. He waits as long as he can, until other soldiers begin finding skeletons and then orders the horns for a slow march. Ondelos casts his massive spell to awaken the undead, sending a black cloud of icy terror over everyone. Forlos orders the soldiers to watch their feet and signals the clerics. The holy power and the soldiers make quick work of undead. The soldiers cheer Forlos and Ondelos flees to his temple.

Forlo and Essana look over the Hooded One, which is now in their great hall. Essana wants it removed. Forlo doesn't think they can sell it until after the civil war ends so they agree to hide it in an underground vault. Essana tells Forlo that she is pregnant. A Mislaxan cleric said that it would be a boy.

A week later Forlo returns from hunting birds to find a horse from the Sixth Legion in the keep. Grath had come and wanted Forlo to come speak to someone about the war. Essana tells him to go and come back, thinking the time away would help, since they had been upset at each other about having the Hooded One in the keep. Grath and Forlo ride for five days to Silvermere lake where the Sixth Legion was camped. Forlo expects to see Akan or Shold, but Duke Rekhaz's tent and banners are at the center of camp. Grath says Rekhaz defeated Shold and wants Forlo's help defeating Akan.

Forlo goes to meet Rekhaz despite knowing he will decline the offer. Rekhaz requests political help, with Forlo lobbying the other regional lords to back Rekhaz. Rekhaz is furious when Forlo rejects the offer and is ready to kill him, but Forlo reminds him that the Sixth Legion will turn on him if he does. Forlo promises loyalty when Rekhaz takes the throne. Rekhaz promises revenge. Forlo leaves alone and the Sixth Legion prepares to march south for Vinlans.

Chapter 14: Coldhope Holding, The Imperial League

Shedara tracked the moons and watch a magical storm brewing on the horizon. She watched Coldhope noticing that there were very few guards; Probably all able bodied had been sent to the minotaur squabble. She is called through her necklace by Thalaniya. Thalaniya says that her scrying found no shadows near Coldhope, and that she sent Quivris to Marak to see the kender who live in that valley.

Shedara turns invisible and spider climbs over the wall. She picks the lock on the front door and slips into the empty foyer. She uses a spell to divine the location of the Hooded One and sees the underground chamber. She finds the door to the underground vaults guarded by two soldiers drinking and playing dice. She knocks them both out and ties them up. She sneaks past a chain trap and finds the stone door of the vault. She picks the lock and enters, finding the treasure of Coldhope and the Hooded One. She triggers a trap that closes the stone door behind her. The Gray Lotus above the door sprinkles pollen on her and she falls unconscious.

Chapter 15: The Malton Frontier, The Imperial Colonies

A violent storm over Malton ripped up banners, set lightning fires to four ships, and destroyed the monument in the center of town. The storm had lasted over three days. Normal storm would last less than half a day. Lorreth Accal had been assigned border patrol after a drunken fight in the barracks. After riding eight days, three of them in the storm, he spots the Uigan horde. Before he can react and run to a tower to blow the alarm horn, he is shot with an arrow by Hult. Chovuk sends Nabal to retrieve the soldier's head. Hult is unnerved by all he has seen but remains stoic.

In Malton, Sammek Thale was drunk in the Broken Keel, stewing over how he has been ruined by pirates. Alarms go off. He finally hears that the storm has ended and the alarms are for the Uigan and goblin barbarians approaching the city. Not believing it, he goes to a high tower to look. Then he runs for the docks.

The hordes wait outside the city and the tegins question Chovuk. When Hult doubts him, he relents and begins casting a spell with a green glow. The sky rotates and Chovuk brings down a tornado on the walls of the city, shattering the wall and raining it's stones across the field and city.

Sammek Thale watches the city burn from his escaping ship and changes course for Coldhope.

Chapter 16: The Temple of Hith, Thenol

Forlo dreams of Hawksbluff again. They are exploring the maze below Ondelos' fane. At each branch, they split the group. Grath takes fifteen to the left and Forlo takes fifteen to the right. Forlo sees a small figure ahead, maybe a kender, and remembers that this is where the dreams end and start over. Forlo pushes forward and sees that it is a dark haired, freshly undead child. The child asks "Why did you do this to me, Papa?" and Forlo wakes up screaming. That part of the dream was new and he fears it may be a premonition.

Forlo rides night and day back to Coldhope. He arrives in the night and all the guards are out and the lamps all lit. Essana explains that an elf is trapped in the vault and everyone is fine except two wounded guards. He goes down to the vault with his guards.

Shedara dreams of the Maladar. She is shackled on top of a tower in the golden city of Aurim. Maladar tortures her by animating her shackles to pull her apart. She wakes put is still paralyzed by the lotus. She manages to say her name after Forlo introduces himself. They speak for a minute but are interrupted by announcement of a visitor. Forlo orders Shedara imprisoned in the tower. Forlo and Essana meet Sammek Thale who tells them what happened to Malton. Forlo realizes that the upcoming lunar alignment is when the tide goes out, leaving the water in the Tiderun so low that it can be crossed in some places. He leaves immediately to warn the Legions.

Chapter 17: The Ruins of Malton, The Imperial League

Three days after the destruction of Malton, the ruins are still burning. Hult thinks he is in the Abyss as he move through it looking for survivors. Chovuk has ordered that any survivors are to be taken prisoner without harm unless they try to fight. He finds seven goblins tormenting a human child with a broken arm. Enraged, Hult kills them all and rescues the boy. Chovuk has the ten best goblin warriors executed and threatens to kill 100 next time if Gharmu does not get the goblins under control. Chovuk asks Hult what to do with the boy. After some thought, Hult decides to send the boy back to their home on the Tamire; When the war is done, Hult will return and claim him. Chovuk orders the armies to get ready to depart in the morning. Chovuk finds Hult ruminating in the ruins and comforts him, congratulating his decision with the child. He tells Hult that when the moons are full, the Tiderun will empty and they will attack across the straight. He also tells him that the army will march on Rudil but the two of them will go north to the elven lands. Hult is incredulous and amazed.

Chapter 18: The Twin Watchers, The Imperial League

Forlo rides hard for five days to reach the Sixth Legion. They are camped in the valley between the Twin Watchers. He thinks on the history of the Imperial League while riding, and how the return of the Uigan mirrors the driving out of the Uigan when the humans and minotaurs first became allies.

Grath greets him and calls a healer. Forlo tells Grath what is happening, then tells Rekhaz. Rekhaz rejects him and chastises Grath for defending him. Rekhaz offers on cohort of 600 humans if Forlo will rejoin the Legion. Forlo reluctantly agrees, seeing no other choice. Rekhaz punches Grath for defending him again. Grath decides to go AWOL and leaves with Forlo. Back at Coldhope, Essana is devastated by the news but refuses to leave her keep. Forlo thinks they might be able to get elven help from Shedara.

Chapter 19: The Dreaming Green, Northern Hosk

Hult thinks about his disastrous Name-Quest for a white dragon wyrmling. Three of his friends died before he brought home the skull and talons. The terror of traveling into the Dreaming Green, the perpetually green valley in the frozen Panak Desert, with Chovuk felt like that. They could hear instruments and catch movement in the trees, but never see the elves. They camp inside the elf lands.

In the night, Hult hears a noise and realizes that Chovuk is gone. Hult tracks Chovuk to a lake and finds him surrounded by magical green flames. On the lake, in the fire, is a shadowy figure. Hult charges the figure, but is knocked under the water by Chovuk and the magic ends. Chovuk tries to calm Hult, saying that it is not what it seemed. Hult is then shot by elven arrows.

Chapter 20: Coldhope Keep, The Imperial League

Shedara had been in the tower for nearly a month. Guards came by twice a day to feed her and empty her chamber pot. When the guards come this time, she attacks, hoping to escape, but Forlo blocks and throws her at the wall. Shedara agrees to talk instead of spending more time in the tower.

They exchange their stories. Forlo offers to exchange the Hooded One for help from the elves against the Uigan horde. Shedara is skeptical but agrees to ask. Solis is new, so she needs some other source of magic to charge the necklace and call Thalaniya. The go to the Witch Fangs, two leagues south east of Coldhope. It's an ancient huldrefolk monument to the moons that stores magical energy. Forlo agrees to lend strength to the spell and Shedara activates the necklace. In the joining, Shedara detects that some spell has been hidden deep within Forlo that he is unaware of.

They appear in Thalaniya's glade in Armach-nesti and no-one is there. They are attacked by shadow kender. A black dragon circles overhead and a shadow kender throws down Thalania's head. Forlo and Shedara snap back to the Witch Fingers. Shedara's necklace is broken.

Chapter 21: Unknown, The Dreaming Green

Hult wakes up naked at the bottom of a thirty foot deep pit with stone walls and a sand floor. He has been healed. Chovuk, standing next to dozens of merkitsa elves at the top, yells down that he must not move or he will be eaten by the monster. He spots a hatori, over 20 ft. long, approaching him. Chovuk says he can have his sword if he lives to the count of 100. Hult begins dodging around the pit until he cuts his foot on a bone. The hatori bites his wounded leg and pins him but Hult jams a large bone in its mouth. He finally gets his sword and makes quick work of the hatori, then faints from blood loss. He wakes again in a tent, fully healed. Chovuk is proud but also angry that he interrupted his ceremony at the lake. The elves have agreed to send Eldako, son of the chieftain, to join the horde. They leave the next morning.

Chapter 22: Coldhope Keep, The Imperial League

Shedara uses her scrying magic to show Forlo, Essana, and Grath the battle at Rudil. Forlo swears revenge on Rekhaz. Essana refuses to flee Coldhope for safety. Forlo has the nightmare again and goes for a walk. Shedara finds him and offers to kidnap Essana and take her to safety. Forlo refuses to ignore Essana's choice. Shedara then offers to help with his nightmares.

Chapter 23: The Temple of Hith, Thenol

In Forlo's mind, Shedara recognizes the temple of Hith in Thenol since she has been there before on a mission forty years before, right after the Godless Night began. Forlo remembers that he can't get past this hall without the dream ending. They move a little forward until they see Forlo's undead child. Shedara finds the threads keeping him out of the rest of the dream and cuts them.

They move to the fane. There is a blue light. The room is filled with piles of bones and corpses on hooks. Ondelos stands next to an alter made of bones and stabs a child, finishing a necromantic ritual. Ondelos shouts a word of power and seventy zombie children rise to attack. Forlo is the only survivor of the battle. After Forlo wakes, Grath admits that he was responsible. Forlo had gone completely mad and Grath had the Legion's wizards suppress the memory. Forlo kicks Grath out and tells Shedara to take the Hooded One and leave.

Chapter 24: The Lost Road, Tiderun Coast

Hult finally confronts Chovuk about the death of Krogan. Chovuk admits he set up the situation with the Kazar to kill Krogan. Hult is unnerved by Eldako the whole trip. After nine days, Chovuk has Eldako hide in the ruins atop a hill. Hult and Chovuk are met by Hoch and Sugai with dozens of bowmen ready to shoot. Hoch has orchestrated a coup, backed by Sugai. Eldako kills Hoch with a long range arrow. Sugai apologizes for his foolishness before he too is killed the same way.

Chapter 25: Coldhope Keep, The Imperial League

Forlo imagines the coming battle. Grath has gone with the cohort to prepare the defenses at the crossing. Forlo leaves Essana, Voss, Shedara, and two young guards (Davin and Ramal) at the keep. All the other staff had been given leave already or are going with Forlo. Forlo has a change of heart and asks Shedara to get Essana out of the keep if they lose the battle. He gives her the key to the vault to take the Hooded One.

Shedara goes to the vault. The magic in the key makes the lotus go to sleep. She uses magic to speak with the spirit within the Hooded One and Maladar steps forth. She orders him to do do something for her. Maladar cannot resist the magic and vows she will suffer for the indignity.

Forlo and his guards meet Grath at the Lost Road. They go to the top of a ruined tower and Grath describes all the defenses. They can see five or six thousand Uigan on the far side of the Tiderun Straight. They agree to relieve all the married men of duty and send them to save their families.

Chapter 26: The Lost Road, The Tamire

Three other tegins are executed by Chovk for taking part in the coup. Hult is worried. Chovuk explains that he only got the help of the elves to deal with the coup. Hult blurts out that he thinks Chovuk has been seduced by evil. Chovuk says that it has been worth it, knocks the wind out of Hult, and drags him into the tent. Chovuk summons his master with an amulet. The shadowy figure chastises Chovuk for summoning him with others present. The master puts Hult to sleep. When he wakes up outside he thinks it may have been a dream. Chovuk comes out of the tent looking thirty years older and full of magical power.

Chapter 27: Tiderun Shore, The Imperial League

Forlo watches the proceedings and then has final words with Grath. They leave on good terms and make bets on survival. Forlo gives Iver the signal flags to let Coldhope know the outcome of the battle.

Chovuk orders the goblins across the straight first. They cannot see the traps or the defenders but know they are there. Forlo watches the goblins set off all the traps and smash into their shield wall. When the goblins realize they won't make it, they retreat but the Uigan horde kill the last of them with a shower of arrows.

Essana asks Shedara to kill her when the Uigan arrive, but Shedara refuses. Essana sighs and goes to jump from the keeps wall. Shedara drags her back and puts her to sleep with magic. She has the guards take Essana to her bed and returns to the vault.

Chapter 28: Coldhope Holding, The Imperial League

In the vault, everything feels strange and the lotus has died. Shedara attributes it to waking up Maladar. She uses magic to speak with him again. They fight for control of each other and eventually Shedara prevails. She gives Maladar the order to cast the flooding spell as he did to destroy Am Durn. Maladar agrees and begins casting the spell. The shadows behind Shedara move.

Chovuk listens to the scouts reports of the defenses across the straight. Then he gives a rallying speech and the horde begins crossing. Grath gives a rallying speech to the defenders. Forlo orders Iver to take the flag of loss and ride for Coldhope.

Far to the east in the Boiling Sea beyond the Steamwall Mountains, an underwater eruption sends a geyser of water up that kills a lone brass dragon. The water begins flooding the Tiderun.

Chapter 29: The Lost Road, The Imperial League

Grath runs to the front, ordering the shield wall and the pikes against the cavalry charge. He spots Chovuk and claims the right to battle him. Chovuk sees him and also claims the right to battle the minotaur. Chovuk and Hult lose their horses but keep fighting through to get to Grath. Then the ground begins to rumble. Forlo watches the battle progress from the ruined tower and sees the water appear over the horizon. Eldako had climbed half way up the cliffside to get a clean shot at Grath, but his arrow goes wide due the the tremors. Realizing what is coming, he scrambles for the top of the cliff. Grath finally meet Chovuk. Chovuk changes to his tiger form and pounces on Grath before the minotaur can raise his axe. Grath is disarmed but wounds Chovuk with his horn. Grath thinks it a good death as Chovuk breaks his neck. Hult sees the Uigan horde panicking but follows Chovuk. Then the wall of water hits the horde.

Chapter 30: The Run

Forlo watches the three hundred foot wave wipe out the entire Uigan army. He remembers the story of Am Durn and understands this must have been Maladar, and that Shedara must have been responsible. As the Legion returns to battle against the remaining Uigan, he heads down the stairs but hears a large creature.

Chovuk, in tiger form, tears through the Legion and Hult follows in a daze. Chovuk barely recognizes Hult and heads for the tower. Forlo salutes them and Hult salutes back. As Chovuk readies to pounce, the magic leaves him and the transforms back into a decrepit old man.

Chapter 31: Coldhope Keep, The Imperial League

Shedara is magically tied to Maladar as they control the spell. When it ends, Maladar tries to convince Shedara to release him but she forces him back into the statue. She is startled that the statue has now taken the full form of Maladar. She turns to leave and the shadow kender attack.

Forlo pieces together that Chovuk has been betrayed and that Hult is done fighting. Chovuk demands Hults sword and attacks Forlo wildly. The battle is long and gruesome. Forlo is victorious and walks away. Hult's final duty as tenach is to kill Chovuk, then Chovuk's killer, then himself. He puts Chovuk out of his misery, then finds Forlo unarmed. Forlo accepts his fate, but Hult throws his sword off the tower.

Chapter 32: Tiderun Shore, The Imperial League

Hult begins following Forlo. They don't share a language, but they understand each other. The Legion began preparing the fallen to return home and piling the enemy corpses on a pyre. Of the 856 Imperial soldiers, 514 were dead and 122 were wounded. Forlo says good bye to Grath and walks the camp. The soldiers mock Hult but do not strike him. Forlo leads Hult to the Lost Road and gives his sword back, indicating that Hult can return home. Hult decides against it. Forlo gets horses and they ride for Coldhope, hoping to intercept Iver. They find Iver's corpse and dead horse near Coldhope and are attacked by shadow kender. The horses are killed, but they kill all the shadows.

Chapter 33: Coldhope Holding, The Imperial League

Hult recognizes the shadow kender but cannot communicate the details to Forlo. When they get to Coldhope, everyone is dead but they cannot find Essana. They hear Shedara upstairs. She is in the bedroom, protecting herself from shadow kender with a circle of candles. The three of them cut through the shadows. Shedara says a dragon took Essana and they find a single dragon scale left in the room.

Epilogue: The Emerald Sea, Neron

Far away in Neron, Whispershade, a seventy foot long black dragon, circles over a pyramid in the Emerald Sea jungle. It is carrying the Hooded One and Essana. It drops them off and a rider, then flies away. Other robed figures meet the rider. They discuss all the chaos they have caused and how they anticipate Shedara and Forlo will come for them. The Faceless Brethren carry the statue and Essana away and prepare to wake Maladar.

Characters[]

Major Characters[]

Shedara of Thelis, a Moon-Thief, Armach-nesti elven woman, moon thief, dark brown sharkskin suit, oiled leather boots and gloves, mask
Princess Thalaniya, Voice of the Stars, leader of the Armach-nesti elves, small, ancient, alabaster skin, silver hair, amethyst eyes, circlet of pearls and green dragon teeth
Chovuk, Tegin (chieftain) of White Sky clan, over forty, tall, brown skinned, thin black beard, shaved head with long braided pony tail, blue facial tattoos, crimson leathers, steel bracers
Hult, Son of Holar, Tenach (bodyguard and confidant) of Chovuk, nineteen, tall, brown skinned, thin black beard, shaved head with long braided pony tail, blue facial tattoos, brown leathers, bronze bracers
Barreth Forlo, human man, Lord of Coldhope by marriage, retired legionnaire
Grath Horuth-Bok, male minotaur legionnaire, grey furred, yellow eyes, second in command of the sixth legion
Essana Forlo, human woman, Baroness of Coldhope, ice blue eyes, long black hair
Duke Rekhaz An-Thurn, male minotaur, head of the Imperial Army and Navy, uncommonly cruel, tactical genius, nine feet tall, white fur with black mane in long braids
Sugai, tegin of Raven Eye clan, sixty years old, snow colored hair
Hoch, tegin of Wolf Moon clan, eldest son of Krogan, fifteen years old
Hooded One, a magical black stone statue from Old Aurim

Minor Characters[]

Pelander, Red Wizard of Nightlund, mentee of Bezok of Austas
Bezok of Austas, wizard who studied Taladas, vanished 17 years previous
Ruskal Eight-Fingers, retired human male soldier, sixty three years old, thinning grey hair, missing two fingers on his left hand, collector of oddities and antiquities
Kesh Ak-Chorr, minotaur, bodyguard and friend of Ruskal, slave to the Ruskal family
Unnamed healer of Mislaxa, human female, youthful older woman, small and frail, does not speak unless absolutely required
Krogan Boyla, human male warrior, almost seventy years, shaved head with white back braid and beard, chainmail and bronze plates shaped like dragon scales, helm with ajagh horns, leader of all the Uigan clans
Trondal, a legionnaire, a gossiper
Emperor Ambeoutin XII, male minotaur, Emperor of the Imperial League, commonly called "Ambo"
Kultam, male minotaur, son of Emperor Ambeoutin XII, heir apparent
Tyrel Morr, human male legionnaire officer, formerly of the sixth legion, lost his sword arm in the Thenol cammpaign, joined the Kristophan city guard
Ondelos, Bishop of Hith (Hiddukel), old, fat, piggy eyes, thinning white hair, wine colored birth mark on the left side of his face, red and white robes, scarlet miter, onyx staff with top carved as a grinning skull with garnet eyes
Quivris, male elf, brother of Shedara, Lord-Protector of Armach-nesti
Falasta, hippogriff, friend of Shedara
Nalaran, male elf, Silvanaes white robe wizard, the most powerful wizard in Taladas
Groaning Wind, human woman, over ninety years old, eldest of the Ghost-Widows, yellow robes, hair and skin covered in powdered bone
Torug, tegin of Ten Arrows clan
Fox, tenach of Torug, pale skinned, tall, mute, impulsive
King of the Wretched Ones, mutated goblin man, giant wormlike body, white-ish with purple veins, boney snout with fangs, pink bloodshot eyes, hooked barbed venomous stinger on it's tail
Gharmu, large goblin man, withered arm, cave scorpion headdress, staff decorated with dried ears
Voss, elderly human man, chamberlain of Coldhope Keep, bald
Sammek Thale, human male, merchant from Malton, pudgy, well dressed in silks, captain of the White Worm
Harlad the Gray, older minotaur man, one horn, foul tempered
Rugal, minotaur pirate for Harlad
Bek, minotaur pirate for Harlad
Stang, minotaur pirate for Harlad
Yol Tegin, human man, tegin of Horned Moon clan
Duskblade, human man, King of the Kazar, nearly seven feet tall, slender, greying hair, pony tail and long mustache, covered in furs
Shold Ar-Torath, male minotaur, called Woe-Blade, distant cousin of the emperor, former marshal of the Fourth Legion, in line to be emperor, flies a banner of gold ship on purple field
Count Akan of Highvale, male minotaur, regional lord, guileful and ruthless, friend of the emperor, flies a banner of black star on blue field
Iver, Davin, and Ramal, human men, guards at Coldhope
Lorreth Accal, male soldier from Malton
Nabal, human man, youngest son of Sugai
unnamed child, male human, pale skin and blue eyes, rescued from of Malton
Wyndan, male human, an herb and leech-craft healer in the Sixth Legion
Tho-ket, elf male, chieftain of the Singing Rain clan in the Dreaming Green
Eldako, elf male, son of Tho-ket, best archer in all of the Tamiere
Whispershade, a seventy foot black dragon

Importance to Dragonlance[]

The novel is the first to be set on the continent of Taladas. It introduces regions, cultures, and history of the continent. It introduces the connections between Ansalon and Taladas.

Trivia[]

There is a five page glossary at the end of the book
Mislaxa is the name in Taladas for Mishakal.
Jijin is the name in Taladas for Chislev.
Astar is the name in Taladas for Paladine.
Hith is the name in Taladas for Hiddukel.
Tylors are small, wingless dragons from the snow fields of the Panak Desert
Khot is a common minotaur curse word
The Pillar Gnomes build crystal globe lights. There is a metal wire inside that heats up to produce light
Neroni Snakeboughs are a scale-barked tree with branches that slowly wind and tangle
The Uigan people have facial tattoos denoting their tribe
The Uigan curved sword is called a Shuk
Members of a Boyla's retinue wear helmets with spiral horns
Chovuk's horse is named Dragonbone. Hult's horse is named Nightsedge
Uigan healers of Mislaxa are not of a particular clan. They migrate from clan to clan as they see fit. If a clan harms a healer, no healers will visit their clan for three generations
Uigan healers of Mislaxa know a ritual to save a severely wounded person from death. They soak rags with the blood of the wounded and burn them in fire pit. They stand in the magical flames and chant. The wounds are sealed and blood is restored to the wounded
The throne of the Imperial League is called the Sea Throne. It was carved from a single piece of turquoise
Heerikil is the elven term for all non-elf peoples
The elves of Armach-nesti speak the same elven language as the elves of Ansalon
The elves of Armach-nesti call themselves Silvanaes
The elves of Armach-nesti call hippogriffs sky-steeds
The elves of Armach-nesti do not sculpt or paint living elves
Shedara and Quivris call each other Shalindi, but the word is never defined
Thalaniya gives Shedara a silver necklace with a large white pearl. It allows Shedara to temporarily project herself to the glade in Armach-nesti, while her physical form stays where it is. The necklace's power is linked to Solinari, working best when the moon is full, but can be charged from other sources
Ajal was the first Boyla of the Uigan. Only his descendants may become Boyla
Minotaurs of Talada speak a slightly different version of Kothain from Ansalon.
Tamar Khai is a command to salute in the Imperial League. Grath calls the Sixth Legion to salute as Frolo is released from duty
Forlo's pet name for Essana is Starlight
The Wretched Ones are the last tribe of goblins to live in Hosk. Goblins used to control all of Hosk but were whittled away by humans and elves in the region. The Uigan believed them to be cursed and avoided them. They live in the largest mountain in the northern Uesi Ilquar mountains: Xagal (which means "Claw" in the Uigan language)
The Uigan believe bears are sacred, and that the Kazar are disgusting for wearing bear skins
The Uigan belive that turquoise is related to death
Kazar warriors who kill more than fifty opponents receive a silver ring with a turquoise setting
When scared, Hult prays to Jijin (Chislev)
The fisher-folk of Tiderun Strait belive that hurting gulls is bad luck
Malton is sometimes called Malton-on-the-Run (meaning "on the Tiderun Strait")
Khal, the greatest city of the Kazar tribe, was founded around an ancient stone well of unknown origin. The well was surrounded by thirteen broken statues of beautiful humanoids, not quite human or elf. The Kazar called them Dejal Ugai (First People) and said the Abaqua ogres in the east were all that remained of those people. The Kazar built a large town of sod houses and tents with wooden walls and fifty foot wooden guard towers.
The Kazar cleaver-like sword is called a Varun
Shivis is a Taladas game like chess
Malton has a monument in the center of town, a statue 80 foot high of Orrek the Stout
The Broken Keel is a dingy, waterfront tavern in Malton
The Wretched Ones goblins take fingers as trophies after battle
The Dreaming Green at the foot of the Ring Mountains, in far northern Tamiere, is a valley that stays green year round. The hosk'i imou meritsa elves live there and allow no trespassers
The Witch Fangs is an ancient huldrefolk monument to the moons that stores magical energy. There are 17 white stone plinths, six fallen over, and three leaning precariously. There are orbs resembling the three moons at the top of the plinths. There is a perpetual fog around it. It's on a bald hill two leagues southeast of Coldhope
The merkitsa elves wear their hair in long, dyed braids. Their clothing is covered in embroidered hunting scenes. They wear large silver plug earrings and colorful paint over their faces. Their teeth are filed to points. Their armor is made of iridescent carapace of giant insects. They make their bows from white ghostwood. They continue to pray to Astar (Paladine) after the War of Souls
Lost Road is the name of the crossing through the Tiderun near Coldhope. During some lunar alignments, the water is low enough that it can be walked across
Shedara casts Speak With Dead with the verbal components "moitak larshat ku talathom; Ikuno gangarog te apun do" (later spelled "moitak larshat ku xalathom") which means "Hear me, you who are dead; Hear my voice and answer"
At it's height, the Uigan and Goblin forces are over ten thousand
Shedara casts Sleep with the verbal components "Ast tasarak sinularan krynawi"
Elas is the Aurim word for "It shall be done"

Kender Tales[]

The cover art depicts Chovuk and Hult with very pale skin despite having brown skin in the novel. They are standing in the inner sanctum of Temple of Hith at Hawkbluff, which they do not visit in the novel.
Descriptions of the Uigan people sometimes use the terms clan and tribe interchangeably.
Sources are unclear on the date of the story. In the prelude, Pelandar says that his mentor has not been seen in 17 years. He also says that the Second Cataclysm ended his mentors ambition. The story occurs after the War of Souls. This leaves a range of possible years from 422 AC to 438 AC. Sources in the wiki generally agree on 424 AC.

Covers[]

Blades of the Tiger cover 1
Blades of the Tiger cover 2

Release details[]

Chris Pierson (2005). Blades of the Tiger (Paperback), Wizards of the Coast. ISBN 0-7869-3569-3.