David Burrows

Drachar is a ruthless and ambitious sorcerer who will stop at nothing to wreak revenge against those who betray him. From a lowly although arrogant Eldric lord to commander of the deadliest army the land has ever seen, he pitches relentless hordes of powerful soul devouring demons against his own people, the Eldric. Fierce battle is to commence and all in its path must fight or risk their soul being sent screaming from their twitching corpses. Madness tears at Drachar, a constant reminder of what should happen if he fails in his bloody pact, delivering one hundred thousand souls to the demons in exchange for the greatest of power. The Eldric must learn to summon demons of their own to stand any chance against Drachar's deadly arsenal of krell, demons and grakyn. Magic, swords, demons, and fell creatures clash in a war of such catastrophic proportions that the world will be forever stricken. Join Drachar the outcast as he rises to omnipotence. The die is cast, and events are set in motion that look set to destroy the world. The race is on for war threatens; a war like no other for sorcerer will battle sorcerer and demon set against demon.

Omnibus version. Soon men, dragons and demons will wage horrific war. A time is fast approaching when the fabric separating these worlds will thin sufficiently for demons to cross the divide, but the people are largely ignorant of this, preferring forgetfulness rather than confronting their fears. The Eldric, saviours of previous wars, have mysteriously disappeared from the world, leaving behind crumbling ruins. A sorcerer, Vastra, recklessly ambitious and driven by greed for power, seeks an Eldric talisman and recruits Kaplyn and Lars to help. Together they unravel an ancient secret that could doom them all. The evil that is Trosgarth is spreading across the land, monarchs are slain to deny the Prophecy from coming to pass, Priests of Ryoch are trained to communicate via their Shaols (their guardian spirits), while grakyn and krell gather in the remote regions of the world. As yet the drums of war beat quietly but all too soon they will call for all out war and who then will be ready?

A time is fast approaching when demons will once more cross the great divide, seeking fresh souls. The people are largely ignorant of this fact. Their saviours, the Eldric, have mysteriously vanished from the land, leaving behind only the crumbling remains of their once proud cities. The Prophecy, although not forgotten, has become a tale for children dreaming of heroic deeds in a distant war, but Drachar's followers have not been idle as they seek to influence events predicting that He will once more stalk the land, leading a demon horde. A quest to find what became of the Eldric leads to the discovery of a power, deep in the heart of a mountain. Its discovery will rekindle fresh hope that the Eldric can be found. In the coming conflict, new allies will be sought. A clash of powers will breach the fabric between the worlds, allowing the shade of a dead emperor to cross the divide. Priests of Ryoch will seek children with an evil shaol, creating omnipotent warriors. Death-knights will stalk the living and dragons will be set against demons. In a land smothered by doubt and treachery, few can be trusted. Friends that were once allies now seemingly stand with the enemy. A gateway to the demon world threatens all of humanity as once more a cloak of darkness covers the land.

Armies are gathering but Astalus, the Thracian court wizard, is in a quandary. Shocking news has arrived from an unlikely source. A spy, arrested brazenly entering the city, claims to be a prince from a royal household that was overthrown, the family members murdered over sixty years ago. Intriguingly, the spy's claim to be from Allund is more than a coincidence, for the army marching against them is also from Allund. Who indeed to trust? The stranger brings with him news of an army from Trosgarth, which can only mean one thing. Drachar's shade has been summoned and the Prophecy is coming to pass. Old alliances are broken and many monarchs slain. No sign yet exists of the king predicted by the Prophecy, who will save them all. Astalus, normally so certain and confident, is suddenly plummeted into his worst nightmare, for soon Thrace could be threatened by demons and, against them, there is no salvation. In a land fraught with betrayal, fear and death, the shadows are deepening.

Astalus has returned. He has found an Eldric spell book and, in particular, a spell to summon dragons. The allies march north to confront the Trosgarth's growing might. Warrior priests can now communicate across the battlefield using their shaol, death knights have been resurrected, and in the air grakyn are supported by a new threat - a demon/dragon hybrid. To make matters worse, Astalus discovers that the power that Kaplyn recovered so long ago can open a permanent gateway to the demon world. Drachar is finally free and his minions will march from the very depths of hell. Astalus knows all of this through a demon that has possessed him. The army marches to its fate, unaware of the trap awaiting them. Prince Fiad leads them. Will he be the army's salvation or damnation? The men mutter, uncomfortable in the knowledge that, at the final battle, a king will not lead them against the tides of evil. Drachar is poised, his death knights ready to tear the army apart.

Vastra is a man possessed. Where other men require food to sustain them, his craving is for power. He seeks an Eldric talisman, ensnaring two men to aid him. Fate guides his hand and, unwittingly, he chooses Kaplyn, who is seeking to escape his own destiny and Lars, shipwrecked and friendless, an outcast on the Allund shore. An unlikely trio, they form a fragile alliance but, recklessly ambitious, Vastra will betray them in a heartbeat. Throughout their travels, there are clear signs that demons are active, stealing souls to slake their hunger. Their journey takes them to a mysterious tower, beset by traps, where Kaplyn triggers a chain of events unleashing the full power of a prophecy that could doom them all. Deep in the heart of a mountain lays a power that not even Vastra has the audacity to envision. But who really is guiding Vastra's destiny? Kaplyn has the talisman and, for all of Vastra's threats, he is unwilling to part with it.