Colours in the Steel

Colours in the Steel

Perimadeia: the famed Triple City and the mercantile capital of the known world. Behind its allegedly impregnable walls, everything is available. Including information which will allow its enemies to plan one of the most remarkable sieges of all time.

The man called upon to defend Perimadeia is Bardas Loredan, a fencer-at-law, weary of his work and of the world. For Loredan is one of the surviving members of Maxen's Pitchfork, the legendary band of soldiers who waged war on the people of the plains for many years, rendering an attack on the city impossible.

Until now...

### Chapter 1

A shipping dispute case between the Mocenigo brothers and the Dromosil family saw Teofil Hedin and Bardas Loredan as their respective fencer-at-law. Bardas successfully defeats and kills his opponent with his prized Guelan sword despite a cramp in his left knee. The Guelan sword snapped during the duel. Afterwards, Bardas and Athli goes to the tavern for celebration drinks and some banter.

In the City Academy, Patriarch Alexius introduces the fundamentals of the Principle to a group of new students. When the students are dismissed and Alexius retires to his chamber, he was disturbed by a young student, Iseutz Hedin. The student asks him how to curse a person. She wants to curse Bardas Loredan, who killed her uncle, Teofil Hedin, in the aforementioned shipping case. Alexius explains that curses are dangerous to carry out, but offers to perform it for her on her insistence. Alexius visualised Bardas killed in a court case against the girl, but is unsure if the curse worked. Iseutz was unsatisfied, as she did not want him killed but rather maimed. She leaves in a huff.

### Chapter 2

Temrai arrives at Perimadeia from the plains. He is in awe of the bustling city and the many machines that supplies its markets. Looking for a job as a bladeworker, he wanders into the arsenal, and is asked to demonstrate his skills. Temrai uses a secret flux powder that is common in the plains (three parts copper, one part zinc, six parts silver) for this welding, and the final sword impressed the master. He was given a job and payed for a small room to stay in. Later, he goes out to drink with his new co-workers, and remarks drunkenly on the difference between Perimadian life and life on the plains. As he blacks out from drinking, he remarks that his some people are very nice in the city, and thinks about asking his father to spare their lives when he comes to sack the city.

Meanwhile, Loredan just finished a divorce case, killing the opponent while sustaining a minor cut to his chest. Athli follows him home to help with some patching-up. It is revealed that Bardas lived in the extremely-poor region of lower city. His home was "bare, cold and immaculately clean", with only the bare essentials. Athli informs him the next case is in three weeks, and the opponent was Ziani Alvise, a famous and pricy fencer-at-law, who is the Advocate General and Imperial Champion. Bardas does not feel optimistic about the case. After Athli leaves, he laments the broken Guelan sword, and contemplates using his old army-sword for the upcoming case.

The history between Maxen's Pitchfork and the nomadic plains people is revealed. Maxen's Pitchfork is a regimen that once formed the City's only army, lead by General Maxen and his second-in-command Alsen. The army was overwhelmingly successful at first, but when Maxen died of gangrene, the plains people retaliated and defeated the army. Alsen died in the attack alongside the majority of the soldiers. A young Bardas Loredan took command and lead the survivors back to Perimadeia.

### Chapter 3

Alexius is not feeling well after cursing Bardas on behalf of Iseutz. After concluding his lecture on the new students, he runs into Gannadius, the Archimandrite of the City Academy. Alexius wants to seek some assisstance in getting rid of the aftereffects of the curse, and tells him about it. Gannadius informs him about the upcoming case with Alvise versus Loredan, suggesting that his curse is working well. They arrange to meet later, in attempt to fix the curse together.

Bardas is unwillingly dragged by Athli to practice his techniques at the Schools before facing Alvise. His skills proved excellent. However, during practice against sack targets, his second sword, the Boscemar, snapped. Exasperated, Bardas leaves the Schools just in time to see Alvise show off his exceptional skill by decapitating hummingbirds.

## Characters

**Bardas Loredan**

"Bardas Loredan, fencer-at-law, of the College of Bowyers and Fletchers, ten year's call."

The main character of the trilogy. In the first book he was a retired veteran from Maxen's pitchfork after seven years in the regiment, and three years of fighting the plains people. The first book takes place twelve years after his retirement, after two years in college and ten years as a fencer-at-law,

**Temrai**

**Iseutz Hedin**

"She was long and bony, with a thin face and pale blue eyes; fifteen, maybe sixteen years old, wearing her body like an elder sister's coat she'd be sure to grow into eventually."

Daughter of Niessa Loredan and niece to Bardas Loredan. Betrothed to her uncle Teofil Hedin at the beginning of the book, she swears to make Bardas pay for killing him.

**Teofil Hedin**

"On the opposite side of the court a huge blonde boy was rising to his feet, his head instinctively ducking from a lifetime of low ceilings."

Lawyer for the Mocenigo brothers in the shipping dispute, uncle and fiancé of Iseutz Hedin. Killed by Bardas Loredan in court.

**Gorgas Loredan**

**Gannadius**

"...frequently inopportune, often tedious, always pompous; but as far as Alexius knew he had no dark ulterior motives or savage ambitions, and his writing revealed a surprising perceptive and practical mind and a sharp intellect."

Archimandrite of the City Academy in book 1.

**Alexius**

Patriarch of the City Academy in book 1.

**Ziani Alvise**

Advocate General and Imperial Champion. One of the best fencer-at-law in the city.

**"The boy" Theudas**

## Locations

### Perimadeia

"...oldest and most beautiful of cities..."

Also known as the Triple City and City of the Swords, Perimadeia is a coastal city made up of three "tiers", and surrounded by colossal sea walls, which have protected the city from sea-bound invaders for seven centuries. On the land side, the city is encircled by two forks of a river, making it an island.

#### Upper City

The innermost, and highest tier is known as the upper city. House to the imperial family.

"...an unworldly flash of white marble and gilded rooftops,.."

#### Second City

"...a breathtaking jumble of palaces, temples, banks, market halls and public buildings of all kinds interspersed with and often indistinguishable from the private residences of the rich and mighty. All great Perimadians intend their houses to look like glorious and awe-inspiring office buildings."

#### Lower City

"...the largest and busiest section of the city looks like any city anywhere, except that it's much larger and more concentrated; as if the great conquering emperors of the pat had scooped up the cities acquired on their campaigns, picked out the look and everything else worth having and dumped the empty buildings at the foot of the mountain like a huge pile of oyster shells."

Contains "The Islands": shanty and tall apartments build in the circus district after the great fire, which was around 100 years ago. Loredan lives in one of the worse ones, with no clean water in the courtyard or heating.

## Trivia

"Traditionally, a fencer's coffin is borne by six of his colleagues in the profession, wearing their collegiate robes and with empty scabbards on their belts, while on the coffin lid rides the decrased's second-best sword - his best sword, of course, having reverted to the winner - and a single white rose, symbolic of Justice."

Bardas lives in Island 39, 7th floor.

Law sword blades are approximately 28 inch (71cm) in length)

At the beginning of the book, Bardas owned three swords: the Guelan, the Boscemar, and the Spe Bref.