In a world of magic and mayhem, where ferrets fly and trees talk, three unlikely heroes find their fates entangled with a deadly mystery.
*****
Tallon is a scoundrel-an elf/human hybrid ranger who leaves a trail of chaos in his wake. With only his w...
Having set sail from Ballsdeep Bay for the mainland continent of Ardenia, Tallon, Ben and Maisie make landfall at a bleak little port, from which they embark on an overland journey through the aptly named region of Deadwood.
When Tallon misreads the map and the party loses their way, Tallon falls victim to a mysterious illness that saps his strength. Having discovered his own inherent magic, Ben saves him from the grip of the eldritch god whose curse has withered the land, unknowingly bonding his soul to Tallon's in the process.
Though held at bay by Ben's magic, the curse lingers, and Tallon remains in a weakened state as the group faces off with bandits and adopts a young direwolf named Fann.
Traveling on, the group encounters a band of elves led by Queen Aeslin. From her, they learn that Deadwood was a lush land called Springwood before a rogue cult destroyed the old college and summoned the dark god of chaos, Volaer. Many elves sacrificed themselves to contain the demon, but Volaer's curse still corrupted the land, draining the life from any who bore elven blood.
With her people confined to a strip of shore and a ship on the waters beyond Volaer's reach, Aeslin offers to help Tallon and his friends in exchange for their aid. While Tallon remains behind and recovers, Ben and Maisie embark on a quest to retrieve a sacred diadem from the first queen of Springwood's crypt. Ben is nearly killed by giant spiders, and Maisie discovers her own gift for healing magic, but they return triumphant with the spectral queen's blessing.
Having discovered that Ben's fae magic acts like an antidote to the curse, Aeslin invents a scheme to push Volaer back, thus reclaiming part of her land and giving Tallon safe passage into Ardenia. The great spell requires training and preparation, and Ben spends several months under the tutelage of a wise elf named Bran. Their plans are derailed when Tallon nearly succumbs to Volaer's influence and one of Aeslin's crew is revealed to be a spy. With both Tallon and Ben injured, the spell is delayed and the risk of failure grows.
At last, the time arrives and Ben performs the cleansing ritual with the help of Tallon, Aeslin, and Bran. Volaer fights back through his link with Tallon, but Tallon prevails while Bran gives his life to protect him and Ben.
The spell is a success, and the western half of Deadwood becomes Springwood once more. With the blessings of the queen, the party travels on over the mountain pass and into Ardenia, in search of the healer Erianthus, and continuing their quest to investigate the Merchants Guild and the College of Alchemical Arts in the capital city of Ardensfall.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
