| Author: | Christopher Bradshaw | ISBN: | 9781311337542 |
| Publisher: | Christopher Bradshaw | Publication: | December 12, 2015 |
| Imprint: | Smashwords Edition | Language: | English |
| Author: | Christopher Bradshaw |
| ISBN: | 9781311337542 |
| Publisher: | Christopher Bradshaw |
| Publication: | December 12, 2015 |
| Imprint: | Smashwords Edition |
| Language: | English |
The vor-len have lived in relative peace for the better part of a thousand years, after escaping brutal enslavement at the hands of their "cousins", the ehlves, and settling on a chain of islands far removed from the great Mainland, where the greater majority of Ebstaxan's known races reside. As a spiritually evolved and philosophically inclined race, the vor-len lean heavily toward pacifism, though they are not above defending themselves when threatened. Indeed, the only native race to the islands, the prak'kan, leave the vor-len with little choice but to take up arms and employ their sophisticated martial tactics to preserve their sublime lifestyle.
Aside from this inconvenient disruption of their harmony, however, the vor-len have little to concern themselves with beyond loving each other hard and deep, and always searching the stars for ever deeper insights into the myriad mysteries of life.
But the stars seem to be shining colder for many people lately. In particular, in the wake of a seemingly random encounter with a prestigious draconic visitor, Jerius Kasal-Xandith begins to realize that all is not well among the islands. Not so well at all. As his control over his power to dive into the Kar'il Amarai'en, the Soulful Waters, goes increasingly awry, resulting in ever more distorted -and yet ever clearer- visions of himself and others, he finds that he can trust fewer and fewer people. And often not even his own sanity. Jerius must eventually make a choice; to continue to ignore the increasing signs of discord, or to venture off into territories unknown -territories both physical and of the mind and heart- in order to find answers.
Meanwhile, not only are his own beliefs, values, and perceptions of the world being challenged. Others of his fellows suffer across the islands. Ships are being attacked, with the crews going missing. Mutterings of monsters and betrayal spread. Sightings of ehlves cannot be wholly dismissed as delusions. Defensive outposts fall, with the prak'kan poised to bring ruin as never before to their hated neighbors.
All of it intimates something dreadful looming on the horizon for everyone...unless courage, truth, and trust can be mustered in time. Morninshea, the vor-lens' Overseer, always encouraged her people to look up during times of strife and discord, seeking the Comfort of the Stars. They are to flow as the Soulful Waters; timeless and changeless, yet ever changing, shifting and fluxing in balance.
..but what happens when the skies become wholly black, and the waters too deep and poisoned to delve?
The vor-len have lived in relative peace for the better part of a thousand years, after escaping brutal enslavement at the hands of their "cousins", the ehlves, and settling on a chain of islands far removed from the great Mainland, where the greater majority of Ebstaxan's known races reside. As a spiritually evolved and philosophically inclined race, the vor-len lean heavily toward pacifism, though they are not above defending themselves when threatened. Indeed, the only native race to the islands, the prak'kan, leave the vor-len with little choice but to take up arms and employ their sophisticated martial tactics to preserve their sublime lifestyle.
Aside from this inconvenient disruption of their harmony, however, the vor-len have little to concern themselves with beyond loving each other hard and deep, and always searching the stars for ever deeper insights into the myriad mysteries of life.
But the stars seem to be shining colder for many people lately. In particular, in the wake of a seemingly random encounter with a prestigious draconic visitor, Jerius Kasal-Xandith begins to realize that all is not well among the islands. Not so well at all. As his control over his power to dive into the Kar'il Amarai'en, the Soulful Waters, goes increasingly awry, resulting in ever more distorted -and yet ever clearer- visions of himself and others, he finds that he can trust fewer and fewer people. And often not even his own sanity. Jerius must eventually make a choice; to continue to ignore the increasing signs of discord, or to venture off into territories unknown -territories both physical and of the mind and heart- in order to find answers.
Meanwhile, not only are his own beliefs, values, and perceptions of the world being challenged. Others of his fellows suffer across the islands. Ships are being attacked, with the crews going missing. Mutterings of monsters and betrayal spread. Sightings of ehlves cannot be wholly dismissed as delusions. Defensive outposts fall, with the prak'kan poised to bring ruin as never before to their hated neighbors.
All of it intimates something dreadful looming on the horizon for everyone...unless courage, truth, and trust can be mustered in time. Morninshea, the vor-lens' Overseer, always encouraged her people to look up during times of strife and discord, seeking the Comfort of the Stars. They are to flow as the Soulful Waters; timeless and changeless, yet ever changing, shifting and fluxing in balance.
..but what happens when the skies become wholly black, and the waters too deep and poisoned to delve?
