Prologue

Elonian Prophecy

When the last star dims

and the dawn of an endless night looms,

the Starkeeper will burn,

for where it walks death follows.

Tens of thousands of years ago when the realms were racked by a hundred-year war between Fero and Saru, the twin gods of death and creation, a magi with the ichor of akasha in his veins and the runes of power etched onto his skin appeared to safeguard the world of men.

Though the guardians of the four Royal Stars and the forebearers of all magic—Venant, Tascheter, Satevis, and Haftorang—did not intervene in the ways of ruthless gods, when the mortal world was pushed to the edge of obliteration by Fero’s dark arcane followers, they gifted the magi with the might of the stars. Between his star-touched light and Saru’s spark, victory was achieved. The realm of men was saved from Fero’s eternal darkness.

Some say the magi’s powers vanished with him upon his death; others say they simply remained quiet as the years slipped into centuries. No matter the truth, the world was at peace . . . and Saru slept.

Eventually, the gods, the guardians, and the magi were forgotten by the very men they had saved, and human kings, sovereignty, and power became the new gods. Saru and Fero faded into obscurity, their existence reduced to legend and their godly powers distilled to myth.

But like all monstrous things, the god of death was infinitely patient . . .

The light of the stars could not endure forever, after all.