Waylander the Slayer
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Waylander the Slayer is the protagonist of several of David Gemmell's books, including Waylander (1986), Waylander II: In the Realm of the Wolf (1992), and Hero in the Shadows (2000). Unlike other Drenai novels, whose events are dispersed over a period of over millennia, the three books follow, in chronological order, the life of Waylander (real name Dakeyras). The first book, Waylander, depicts him as an ageing man, in his forties.
Before this book, Waylander served in the Legion with friend Gellan. He retired and settled down with a woman named Tanya, siring three children, one an infant. However, Dakeyras' wife and children were brutally murdered by a group of raiders. That day, Dakeyras changed into the assassin Waylander. It took Waylander over nineteen years to find all the murderers, by which time the last had forgotten about the killings.
Then, Waylander took on contracts, becoming a professional assassin, until his actions culminated in the death of King Niallad of the Drenai, paid by Kaem of Vagria, who ultimately betrayed him and didn't pay the contract money; this resulted in waylander killing Kaem's only son.
Waylander begins with the cold and cynical Waylander saving a priest on a whim. The two have an influence on each other, Waylander hardening the priest and the priest, Dardallion, softing Waylander, and reawakening his long-forgotten humanity. Partly fueled by guilt, Waylander agrees to seek the Armour of Bronze, an artifact of legend that can give heart to his people, who are locked in a desperate war, A war brought about by his assassination of the king.
In Waylander II: In The Realm Of The Wolf, Waylander is a much older man, living in the mountains with his daughter Miriel. Miriel is one of the children waylander saves in Waylander as well as Danyal. In the second book Danyal has died, and Waylander is struggling to let go. "The Guild", a group of assassians, are trying to kill waylander for the hefty sum of 10,000 gold.
The reason Waylander is being hunted is because his step-daughter Krylla - Miriel's sister - has been killed by the drunken son of Karnak - the lord regent of Drenai. Karnak has sent the assassins to kill Waylander in fear of the unknowing Waylander's retribution.
During the book a man named Angel (a former gladiator) arrives at Waylander's cabin in the mountains, to warn Waylander of the assassins. Waylander already knows and invites Angel to stay and train Miriel in swordsmanship. Later on Angel is one of the most influential characters in the book and Drenai history.
The land of the Drenai is under attack by the Gothir to the north and by the Ventria to the far east. The Gothir emperor's chief wizard, Zhu Chao wishes the death of the Nadir Wolves tribe, because in future generations they will produce the Uniter, a man who will link all the Ndir tribes together in one unstoppable army. Also he wishes the death of Karnak and the Gthir emperor, in order to raise the Lord of all Demons.
The Nadir Wolves tribe face the 'Dark Brotherhood' (a cult of evil warrior-priests) and the Gothir lancers at Kar Barzac (a twisted palace of dark magic). In the basement lies a great crystal which, using arcane magic, merged Karnak's son with his guards, after he was sent there by Zhu Chao (whom he had sided with) to hide from Waylander. Miriel and Senta (the finest swordsman in the land and a former gladiator) have sex in the castle, after which they fight the Dark Drotherhood and Gothir lancers.
In the end waylander kills Zhu Chao and stops the demon, the Drenai people defeat the Gothir and Ventrians. In addition, Miriel, Angel and Senta along with the Nadir wolves stop the Gothir force. Also, Dardalion, Chief of the Thirty from the original Waylander dies defending the Nadir Wolves from the dark brotherhood. The Thirty are a group of priests dedicated to fighting one great battle against evil (in this case the Dark Brotherhood), from which only one member of the original Thirty survive. The One's task is to reform the Thirty from new volunteers amongst the priests of the Source scattered throughout the land. Senta and Miriel travel to the basement to kill the massive beast that Karnak's son has merged into. One of Dardalion's priests goes with them. Later on, Dardalion himself is torn between joining the fight against the Dark Brotherhood or going to kill the beast in the basement. Finally Angel comes to him and goes in his place. Eventually, Senta gets killed, and the priest gets influenced by the crystal, and Angel and Miriel kill the beast. In the very end Karnak, commissions assassins to kill Waylander again. He is found and 'killed', his crossbow and 'head' put in the great museum at Drenan. The crossbow is stolen (by Miriel) and used to kill Karnak. Miriel gives birth to Senta's son and later on, Angel's son. Senta is the ancestor of Regnak, the Earl of Bronze, and Angel, the ancestor of Druss the legend. Both Regnak and Druss fight the United Nadir Tribes at the Seige of Dros Delnoch.
