Today is the day! I’m so excited to begin the paid memberships with the story of the Demoni Vankil, written by one of my best friends. Höbin Luckyfeller is a highly respected gnome, award-winning historian and has been a #1 New Yoke Times Best Selling Author for three years running. Demoni Vankil is his first publication, and I’m delighted to tell you that he has granted me exclusive rights1 to share his work with you.
An ancient puzzle box.
Fourteen letters.
A Council of Whispers.
…and a clerk.
Discover the 700 year old secret millions died to protect.
Paid subscribers can access the entire archive of this series from the beginning, along with other stories and every article I’ve ever written. If you aren’t a paid subscriber, you can access the archive for free with a 7-day trial OR earn a paid membership by joining the referral program!
Höbin’s Discovery
As a fishis (Field Scribe Historian), you collect a lot of …well, stuff. I collect more than most. That’s why I’m the best at what I do.
In my rented room one night, I found myself staring at the towers of crates and packages — unevenly stacked and precariously reaching over my bed and small table. My eyes wandered over the field dates and priority numbers on each container. It was a system I’d developed to keep track of current work projects in order of priority. Filled with the knick-knacks of my adventures, each item held a story already written…or a story waiting to be discovered and told.
I absentmindedly ran my fingers over the surfaces of metal, wood, and heavy plastic — lingering at the soft woven cloth of scroll pouches. Checking the numbers, my memories worked their way into the past.
For some reason, I was trying to remember when this collection started. Reflecting on the decades of research and discoveries of my life, I located the medium-sized, faded blue ‘smuggle crate’ I acquired while at University. Scratches and dents adorned the surface of my very first piece of equipment.
I remembered one of my professors encouraging me to ‘Be creative in collecting the data you may need.’ Chuckling to myself, ‘It’s called creative acquisition,’ they told us in training. The story you reveal may differ from the one you intended. Store away the dross until you can connect the facts and complete the puzzle.
‘Steal what you have to’, was what they meant.
My hand slid across the worn surface, searching for the hidden latch. There’s a soft ‘click’ as the seal releases the false bottom inside the crate. Removing my old field journals, the letters from Sylvia and Alhannah’s first hunting knives, I lifted the separator out.
Perfectly nestled in the bottom was a rectangular wooden box. A puzzle box made of a glossy red wood — sifterwood or manzanita from the grains. The crate preserved it well, the wood still polished after years. Except it wasn’t new.
The box was already hundreds of years old when I found it.
I was working for King Robert III on my very first job outside Clockworks City. Morphiophelius had been insistent. The priests were inexperienced with Gnomes despite the job requiring a 'professional touch'. From their wide-eyed looks…I’m not sure they’d even seen one until I showed up. The Church was determined to fill the holes in their history and prove their rights of succession, and they wouldn’t let any other humans on the dig site.
They found remains of an old kirk two days’ ride from Castle Andilain. The kirk was the residence and service location for a Brotherhood priest during his vows. Administering to the poor and needy, caring for the widows, teaching the orphans…and when someone was at death’s door, the priest would administer last rites and prepare a proper burial. His ‘flock’ were those within a two-day walk.
The Brotherhood's uniqueness came from their reverence for life. Ancient priests believed every soul had a purpose, to be remembered in life and in death. A life lived without acknowledgement would be an affront to the Gods. The priests felt it was their solemn duty to write about those abandoned souls — people at death’s door without family or friends to care for them.
From a historical perspective, I can appreciate that. It was a beautiful belief.
It was common for priests to preserve their life’s work. They’d hide their journals in hollowed out foundation blocks of their kirk before they died. The Church sought records with the priest's name and line of authority. The letters and testimonies about the 'flock', which the deceased priest wanted to be remembered, were ignored by the Church.
Unimportant. Discarded. Rubbish.
That’s when I picked up the puzzle box.
The priests couldn't open it, and they assumed it was broken because it rattled. Probably just a loose piece inside, preventing it from opening. Thus, they discarded it and left it on the research table…in the rain.
So I put it somewhere for safekeeping.
Shaking it lightly, I could still hear the loose piece inside. Adjusting the cybernetic implant in my left eye, I scrutinized the box more. The craftsmanship was extraordinary. Evolu make, would be my guess. It almost looked like they grew the box from a single plant, the mark of a true master’s hand. Almost invisible symbols hid in the knots of the wood, but I couldn't identify them.
These were new to me.
If I slid the carved shapes into the right combination, it should open.
Well, nearly a week and more than a hundred attempts later…the lid slid open. The puzzle was solved.
…or so I thought.
Contained inside was a set of letters. Fourteen neatly folded and stacked together, tied with a simple blue ribbon. Setting the box aside, I untied the bow and lightly examined the letters with the end of a pencil, careful not to let the oils of my skin mar their surface. The two top letters showed deep creases, light stains, and were slightly worn, while the other twelve were crisp with minimal wear. Actually, they looked as if they could have been written yesterday.
Fascinating.
I would soon discover that the answers to the greatest mystery of my career had been in my possession for decades…
Paid subscribers can access the entire archive of this series from the beginning, along with other stories and every article I’ve ever written. If you aren’t a paid subscriber, you can access the archive for free with a 7-day trial OR earn a paid membership by joining the referral program!
Unlike the rest of the series, being completely rewritten, Demoni Vankil is being cleaned up and added to. It cannot be purchased anywhere. you are seeing this new version for the first time. That being said, I wanted to show you the old book trailer from YouTube. I loved making it — but it has the old cover.
The Demoni Vankil is what first sold me on Wanted Hero. I remember you sending it to me and diving into it on a long plane ride. I could not put it down! Those letters enthralled me and I had to know more about this world and this gnome.
I'm so excited to see you adding to this!
Going on to day two of your work. I've gotten to Wendell's first trip to the Black market.
I'm able to follow the story much better, the second time around, than with the first reading.
Thanks for the great stories, Jaime.