Quest for Knowledge (Volume 1 of the FirstWorld Saga), Christopher Jackson-Ash [ebook reader web TXT] 📗

lines, reports are coming in of enemy troops approaching the northern outskirts of Sydney. All roads out of Sydney, heading south are blocked with traffic. Panic has set in. There are widespread reports of looting in several suburbs. The Prime Minister has called for calm and will address the nation at six o’clock this evening. The Australasian Government command centre has moved from Canberra to Melbourne. In Europe, the situation is also critical with Jihad forces advancing on all fronts. There are unconfirmed reports that Paris is now in the control of French Muslims with the support of left-wing students. The US President has repeated her clear statement that the US will not stand by and watch its friends be invaded. Her threat of nuclear reprisals, if enemy forces have not ceased their forward movements, has now only six hours to run. It is reported that US nuclear submarines are on the highest level of alert. The United Nations Security Council is meeting in emergency session in New York. Russia has cautioned the US not to precipitate the world into a nuclear conflict. Reports are also coming in that China has taken opportunity of the world’s chaos to invade Taiwan. There are also reports of North Korean troops massing at the demilitarised zone with South Korea, while it has fired missiles at Japan, which failed to explode. We have just received news that, oh my God.”

There was a pause while the newsreader pulled himself together. “I’m sorry for the interruption. We have just received news that Tel Aviv has been severely damaged by a nuclear warhead, believed to have been launched from Iran. Israel has retaliated by launching nuclear strikes on Tehran, Damascus, and Cairo. There is hand to hand fighting in Jerusalem. Surely, no one would launch a nuclear strike on the holy city? May God help us all?

 

The story continues in Elvenhome, Book 1 of Aftermath of Armageddon, which is available from www.FirstWorld.info

FirstWorld Timeline

The FirstWorld calendar began with the creation of the first and second born. The Wise have maintained records since their creation. Each of the races has developed their own calendar systems. In the Elannort system, each year is split into four seasons – spring, summer, autumn and winter. Each season is split into three months – early season, season, and late season. The second month of each season has 31 days and the other two have thirty days. The sixteenth day of the second month marks a special event. In spring and autumn, it marks the equinox. In winter and summer, it marks the solstice. At mid-winter, the sun is at its lowest point in the sky and it is the shortest day. At mid-spring, the sun rises exactly in the east, travels through the sky for 12 hours and sets exactly in the west. At mid-summer, the sun is at its highest point in the sky and it is the longest day. At mid-autumn, the equinox is repeated. Each of these days is a festival day – birth (spring); fertility/family (summer); harvest (autumn); renewal (winter). A new year festival is also celebrated between the end of winter and the beginning of spring. It is a single day, except every four years when an additional day is added.

 

(Year of Creation)

1 Elves and dwarves are created by the Great Old Ones for the Children. The elves are established in Eden, by Jeohab. The dwarves are set to work in First Delve at Devil’s Mouth by Satania.

25 (est)Primitive humankind is created by the Great Old Ones for the Children’s education. The first humans are dispersed over the land and given free will to determine their own destiny.

6567 Elannort and the Wizards are created. The Balance is established. The Great Old Ones leave our universe.

6569 The First Council of the Wise called by the Seven Great Sages. Councils are initially held annually. They soon become infrequent and are only called at times of need.

7001 The great sword Excalibur is forged in Elvenhome on the instruction of the Elven Lords. It is created to be the symbolic icon for the elven version of Jeohab’s Law.

7134 The Blood Ruby is discovered in First Delve. It is adopted by the dwarves as their symbolic icon for Satania’s Chaos.

7517 Dwarves unearth the Great Evil. It flees into the Northland where it festers and slowly grows stronger.

10135 The Great Evil takes human form as Gadiel.

11123 Gilgamesh born in Erech.

11101 -11131 Gadiel worshippers conquer most of humankind in the thirty-year war.

11138 Gadiel and Adapa, the First Great Sage, meet. Adapa and the Wise fail to act.

11144 Gadiel threatens First Delve and Elvenhome. The Battle for Elvenhome. The Great Sage Bedwyr passes to stone.

11145 The Sword Fleischaker is created at Manfred’s instigation.

11146 Gadiel defeats Gilgamesh but is critically weakened in the battle and flees back to the Northland to lick his wounds. Humankind is left devastated and dispersed. Fleischaker is lost.

11175 The Council of the Wise determines it must act to prevent the recurrence of humankind creating false gods and the re-emergence of Gadiel. Five of the six remaining Great Sages (Adapa, Al’Alim, Bilal, Cadell, and Calum) undertake to find and destroy Gadiel. The last Great Sage, Dammar, leaves Elannort on a “personal quest”. The remaining wizards are sent out, mostly in pairs, to live secretly within the redeveloping communities of humankind. Their charge is to preserve the Balance with minimum interference.

19229 Jhamed al Suraqi born in Elannort.

19231 The Sundering. An event so momentous occurs that the multiverse comes into existence.

25437 Penultimate (776th) Council of the Wise. Manfred is named Manfred the Fool and exiled from Wizards’ Keep. Jhamed travels with Manfred.

25532 Last of the Six Great Sages, Al-Alim, passes to stone. The whereabouts of Dammar is unknown. The power of the wizards is waning, many pass to stone. The Council of the Wise no longer meets. The dark ages begin. The balance begins to tip. The first-born begin to fade.

35532 Manfred and Jhamed return from exile and Manfred restores Wizards’ Keep. He begins his study of the ancient texts and his search for the Everlasting Hero.

37563 Ceridwen, last Queen of the elves, is born in Elvenhome.

40137 Ubadah, the King of Tamarlan, is lost in the Northland.

42879 The last of the elves return to FirstWorld by ship via Haven.

50103 David son of Dwahir son of Davit leads a group of Dwarves to establish New Delve in the Mountains of Death. They are never heard from again. The second-born begin to fade.

50302 Gadiel begins his conquest of FirstWorld.

50327 Dammar, apparently, passes to stone.

50443 Dawit son of Dia son of Din born in First Delve.

50449 Eshe of Erech finds the scabbard, Vasek, while excavating on Battle Plain.

50501 (eqv) Simon Redhead born in another dimension of the multiverse.

50506 Final (777th) Council of the Wise. Simon Redhead attends.

50506 The return of King Ubadah to Tamarlan.

50506 The siege of Elannort begins.

50506 The return of Dammar to Melasurej.

50506 The first battle of Elannort.

 

Imprint

Text: Christopher John Allen
Images: Nat Turner
Editing: Gail Nicholson
Publication Date: 08-06-2015

All Rights Reserved