Publisher's Synopsis
The days have grown dark in the lands of Arvalast. The people have forgotten about their king, and the light is fading from the countryside. As the stories of the King of Arvalast and his long ago holy rule pass into the annals of myth and legend, dark things prowl the woods, and shadows grow long.There is evil afoot, as the last days descend upon Arvalast. The light of the Illumina, phials of holy, pure light that Arvalast citizens carry with them, is dimming, as their collective faith in their King becomes trite, ritualized. Woodend, a modest, walled city in the northern regions of Arvalast, is a last bastion of light and good, holding true to the stories of their once and forever High King. However, the shadow wraiths of an ancient enemy are returning, and the baser emotions of mankind; sloth, envy, hatred, are spilling over as these wraiths worm their way into the hearts of the people. Enter a mysterious stranger on a dark, windblown night, astride a mighty steed. Gildareth has come at last; a long-awaited herald of the long absent King of Arvalast; so long awaited that none expect his arrival, nor heed it. He comes to warn of a growing evil in the lands of Arvalast, and he brings with him the full light and power of the Illumina. Inside Woodend, Willerdon, a tired, exhausted town governor who fears for his family and his people sits paralyzed by his own lack of faith, unaware that his son sits on the very edge of the epic conflict of good and evil. All the while, the forces of the enemy draw closer, as the hour becomes desperate. - The Press & Sun Bulletin
