Wallia’s Quest
Series Description of Wallia’s Quest
“My name is Wallia, and I am a Goth.” With these words, Wallia begins the story of his quest for freedom from Rome and a homeland for his people. Driven from their lands by the savage Huns, the Goths are forced to seek refuge with the Romans. After being mistreated, exploited, starved, and forced to sell their children into slavery, they rebel. For the next forty years, Wallia leads his people in their fight for freedom. Beginning his quest near the mouth of the Danube along the Black Sea, Wallia and his people finally find a home on the Atlantic coast in modern Aquitaine.
Along the way, Wallia and his people destroy the Roman army and kill the emperor. They ravage Thrace, Macedonia, Greece, Illyricum, Italy, Gaul, and Hispania. They even sack Rome itself. As he pursues his quest, Wallia experiences triumph and tragedy, love and loss, hope and despair, loyalty and treachery. He fights bravely for his people but is betrayed by his enemies to the Romans. In the service of Rome, Wallia fights for the emperor until he learns that Rome cares nothing for his people. When the Goths rebel again, Wallia joins them. After his people are defeated, Wallia becomes a Roman hostage.
The story then devolves into a shifting web of alliances, intrigues, battles, and tragedy. Through it all, Wallia never loses sight of his quest. But the quest changes both Wallia and his people. At its beginning, Wallia is a brave and naïve warrior. As he navigates the complexities of a declining empire, Wallia is forced to become a scheming pragmatist who does what he must to accomplish his goals. The Goths changed too. Few of the people who began the quest were alive when it ended. During the journey many more people joined the Goths in their own search for freedom.
Wallia’s quest changed history. The kingdom he established outlasted the Western Roman Empire for centuries. It also helped to create our modern world.
Along the way, Wallia and his people destroy the Roman army and kill the emperor. They ravage Thrace, Macedonia, Greece, Illyricum, Italy, Gaul, and Hispania. They even sack Rome itself. As he pursues his quest, Wallia experiences triumph and tragedy, love and loss, hope and despair, loyalty and treachery. He fights bravely for his people but is betrayed by his enemies to the Romans. In the service of Rome, Wallia fights for the emperor until he learns that Rome cares nothing for his people. When the Goths rebel again, Wallia joins them. After his people are defeated, Wallia becomes a Roman hostage.
The story then devolves into a shifting web of alliances, intrigues, battles, and tragedy. Through it all, Wallia never loses sight of his quest. But the quest changes both Wallia and his people. At its beginning, Wallia is a brave and naïve warrior. As he navigates the complexities of a declining empire, Wallia is forced to become a scheming pragmatist who does what he must to accomplish his goals. The Goths changed too. Few of the people who began the quest were alive when it ended. During the journey many more people joined the Goths in their own search for freedom.
Wallia’s quest changed history. The kingdom he established outlasted the Western Roman Empire for centuries. It also helped to create our modern world.