A new Welgar story just completed - The Narcolopsia

 

 

I have just completed another Welgar story at 4,500 words, but as it is not really a complete story in itself but reads more like the chapter in an ongoing novel (all of my Welgar stories can be read chronologically) I may keep it in reserve for when, at some time in the future, I might decide to publish all my Welgar stories as a full-blooded saga.

 

The story is currently titled "The Narcolopsia".

 

 

Escaping the Dreamlands

My third Welgar story since publication of Welgar the Cursed by Tule Fog Press earlier this year has now been completed, at least in its first draft, standing at 15,200 words. 

"Escaping the Dreamlands" is the ninth Welgar story since I introduced the character in "Ossani the Healer and the Beautiful Homunculus" in 2023. Curiously, I have already begun to outline another inside my head (nothing on paper so far). 

The Welgar stories so far are:

"Ossani the Healer and the Beautiful Homunculus" © 2023 First published in Swords & Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy Volume 7 

"The Dark Priestdom" © 2023 First published in Savage Realms Monthly 

"Welgar the Cursed" © 2023 First published in Swords & Heroes (Tule Fog Press)

"Mask of a Mad God" © 2025 First published in Welgar the Cursed (Tule Fog Press)

"The Forbidden City of Cyramon" © 2024 First Published in Swords & Heroes eZine

"Emerging from Their Twilit Realms" © 2025 First published in Welgar the Cursed (Tule Fog Press)

"From the Ashes" - new

"Trapped in the Dreamlands" - new

"Escaping the Dreamlands" - new

 

Escaping The Dreamlands - my third new Welgar story since publication of Welgar the Cursed

I am now up to 12,000 words of a new Welgar tale, "Escaping the Dreamlands", a direct sequel to "Trapped in the Dreamlands" which I finished a few weeks ago. This marks the third new Welgar story since publication by Tule Fog Press of my collection Welgar the Cursed. 

All of my Welgar stories follow on from each other chronologically to form one ongoing saga. 

A new Welgar story finished - Trapped in the Dreamlands

I have just finished the first draft of a new Welgar tale, tentatively titled "Trapped in the Dreamlands". It stands at 6,600 words long and follows the events that unfold when Welgar feels a compulsion to visit the family he has not seen for several years in the northern hills.

This makes the second Welgar story I have written after publication of Welgar the Cursed by Tule Fog Press, the first being "From the Ashes".  

A new swords and sorcery story finished: From the Ashes

I am in a writing fit at the moment which has resulted in me completing another swords and sorcery story, one I started several months ago. This is a 6,800 word Welgar story, "From the Ashes", which also reintroduces two of my other recurring characters, Ossani the Healer and his apprentice Arrenya. It also includes a dog.

Welgar the Cursed

Illustration by Rizky Nugraha

Publication of my collection of Welgar stories is getting closer, with drafts of the cover and its artwork already in the pipeline.

The collection includes six stories in chronological order. The first, "Ossani the Healer and the Beautiful Homunculus" sees Welgar as a young mercenary, already distrustful of sorcery, who becomes embroiled against his will in thwarting an attempt to take over the city he has been employed to protect as a member of the city watch. "The Dark Priestdom" (published in Savage Realms Monthly) sees a slightly older, more mature Welgar pitch in to help Nadrain the Storyteller, who is being set up to take the blame for the abduction of the king of Oriaska's daughter, though there is an element of self interest in this, as Welgar sees it as an opportunity to gain the king's gratitude for helping to save the princess. Welgar and Nadrain sail to the benighted city of Agrypt where Welgar unwittingly earns the nickname of Welgar the Cursed when he is possessed by the spirit of a dark, Agryptian demon god. "Welgar the Cursed" (published in Swords & Heroes) sees Welgar realising for the first time how truly cursed he is, not only in becoming the image of an unwrapped mummy, but in the occasional violence the demon god that has possessed him will make him perform. "Mask of a Mad God" reveals even more to Welgar how truly evil this curse is, and leads to "The Forbidden City of Cyramon" (published in Swords & Heroes) where Welgar travels to the arctic north in a desperate bid to rid himself of his curse. The final story, "Emerging from Their Twilit Realms", reveals the full extent of Agrypt's insane ambitions to create a dark empire, which Welgar is forced to oppose. The stories detail Welgar's transformation from a carefree mercenary more interested in the quality of the local beer to an obsessed and cursed pawn in machinations he hates and distrusts.

The illustration above is from Swords & Heroes by Rizky Nugraha.

Update on my collection of Welgar stories: Welgar the Cursed

Image of Welgar used in Swords & Heroes

 

Work is progressing on a collection of my Welgar stories, Welgar the Cursed. My publisher recently sent me some first drafts of the cover artwork for my approval.

Hopefully the book will be available soon. 

 

The collection features six stories which detail the ongoing problems that my mercenary character has to endure, opening with Ossani the Healer and the Beautiful Homunculus. This is followed by The Dark Priestdom, Welgar the Cursed, Mask of a Mad God, The Forbidden City of Cyramon and, finally, Emerging from Their Twilit Realms.

The Forbidden City of Cyramon

The complete story can be read online for free courtesy of Tule Fog Press: The Forbidden City of Cyramon

Later this year Tule Fog Press will be laujnching a kickstarter to publish all of my Welgar tales, which will include Sorceries in Assabarr, The Dark Priestdom (Savage Realms Monthly), and Welgar the Cursed (Swords & Heroes), plus others.  

Welgar the Cursed to be published in Swords & Heroes edited by Lyndon Perry

 

I can now reveal that my story Welgar the Cursed will appear in Swords & Heroes edited by Lyndon Perry, probably in January next year.