The Mythical Emblems of Gragodon – Volume 1

The realms of living beings are no longer the same as what we are used to seeing. Far into the future, our Earth has undergone one cataclysmic upheaval after another such that the past civilizations of human beings and their cities lie buried deep in its crust. What remains is the bare earth, the seas and vast lands, devoid of any monumental buildings or skyscrapers to speak of. In this medieval setting, a new breed of humans inhabit the world with other evolved life-forms – such as the ferocious lion-like citizens of Regnadea, the brawny Bezgrodh of the sandy plains, winged Gleidera of the Orvidean kingdom, warrior maidens from the realm of Solma, powerful Sorcerers who think nothing of bringing forth weapons of destruction, and an intelligent race of people dwelling deep under the ocean, just to name a few. A struggle for supreme power ensues, which results in the famed but long-forgotten mystical Gragodonian emblems being recalled from their secret alcoves across the seven realms of living beings. To counteract the forces of the Gragodonian emblems, other mystical powers, which look set to overpower the cause of the good peoples, are also set in motion. In this volatile backdrop, three young kings from the northern kingdoms of Lamiras, Meldovia and Varnosia are secretly charged with the task of battling the perpetrators of unwholesome intentions. These perpetrators, also endowed with immense mystical might, look set to unleash their unique brand of justice upon the common peoples of the world. Unexpectedly, danger stalks the three princes at the very outset. The royal comrades are none the wiser about the true identity of their nemesis and the price of their ignorance proves costly indeed. Will any or all of them fall by the wayside, in their quest to overcome the evil of the times? This is a story about Courage. It is about Perseverance. It is about Friendships and Loyalty. It is also about Love. It is about overcoming the obstacles and chall

The realms of living beings are no longer the same as what we are used to seeing. Far into the future, our Earth has undergone one cataclysmic upheaval after another such that the past civilizations of human beings and their cities lie buried deep in its crust. What remains is the bare earth, the seas and vast lands, devoid of any monumental buildings or skyscrapers to speak of. And yet, the inhabitants of this new world have the same longings and desires that have all along guided the race of human beings in their varied paths - towards the pursuit of power and greater glory. In this medieval setting, evolved breeds of humans inhabit the world with other never-before-seen creatures. Some of these are the ferocious lion-like citizens of Regnadea, the brawny Bezgrodh of the sandy plains, winged Gleidera of the Orvidean kingdom, fierce Reptila from the Solmian realm, warrior maidens from the Sol Hills, powerful Sorcerers who think nothing of bringing forth mighty weapons of destruction, and an intelligent race of people dwelling deep under the ocean. Distrust runs deep amongst the different races of beings. They prefer mostly to have nothing to do with any from the other races. Should one stray into the domain of the other, that person would least likely return to his own kind. The inhabitants of the seven realms of living beings are careful not to provoke one another. The annals of the past ages have taught them the value of an enduring peace. And yet, when one suddenly comes upon the secrets to employing vast mystical might, the fateful happenings of long ages do not seem so daunting anymore. A renewed confidence comes into play. Once again, the way forward looks promising. The need, to dominate over all the races of living beings, takes on a new meaning. A struggle for supreme power ensues. Many lives are lost in the process. To prevent such unwholesome aspirations from holding sway over the entire planet, the famed but long-forgotten mystical Gragodonian emblems are recalled from their secret alcoves across the seven realms of populated beings. To counteract the forces of the Gragodonian emblems, other mystical powers, which look set to overpower the cause of the good peoples, are also set in motion. In this volatile backdrop, three young kings from the northern kingdoms of Lamiras, Meldovia and Varnosia are secretly charged with the task of battling the perpetrators of unwholesome intentions. Melthur, one of the greatest Sorcerers of the times, reveals the happenings of bygone ages to a startled audience. The enormity of the task at hand is made clear. Though mighty by himself, he has lost much of his mystical talents to the wiles of an ageing body. The enemy, also endowed with immense mystical might, look set to unleash their unique brand of justice upon the common peoples of the world. Unexpectedly, danger stalks the three kings at the very outset of their valiant quest. While the young stalwarts seek out their powerful mystical emblems, the enemy also moves quickly to thwart them. The royal comrades are none the wiser about the true identity of their nemesis and the price of their ignorance proves costly indeed. In their quest to overcome the evil of the times, will any or all of them fall by the wayside? This is a story about Courage. It is about Perseverance. It is about Friendships and Loyalty. It is also about Love. It is about overcoming the obstacles and challenges, which each and every single person in this world faces in his or her unique way, inevitably thrown into our path in this self-discovering journey called Life.

Venkataraman Gopalakrishnan, an ex-banker, currently grooms primary school students for the Olympiad Mathematics Examinations in Singapore. The eighth and youngest child of his parents, Gopal credits his late father, Subramania Venkataram Aiyer, for his entry into the enthralling realm of books. He has come a long way – from reading a plethora of genres, like western novels, adventure, crime, science-fiction and fantasy – to feeling that he could also contribute towards the wide realm of authoring. The Mythical Emblems of Gragodon comes in a series of 6 volumes. It is an epic novel of the Aventure-Fantasy genre - something like ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and ‘Harry Potter’ series of books. Nine entertaining years have already passed, in the conceptualization and completion of this set of 6 volumes. The first two volumes in this series have already come out as a single book of forty chapters, launched during the Singapore Writers’ Festival of 2011 and financed through a substantial monetary grant from the National Arts Council of Singapore (NAC). An erstwhile reader himself, Gopal nowadays puts in much time, writing his unique genre of books. He lists J.R.R. Tolkien as one of his favourite authors. The inspiration for this adventure story came while he was doing a series of character sketches, on a coach trip from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore. His interest eventually took flight and he now writes with fervent zeal. He hopes that more Asian writers would come forth in taking the Adventure-Fantasy genre to further heights of proficiency and acclaim.

The author currently resides in Singapore with his wife and three children.