Book four in the Ballicorean Universe series is essentially Kallista's story. Beginning when she deserts her companions during the Battle with the Shadow Militia, it follows her adventures as she makes her way back from the Crags of Dread, rescuing Berek and Greg from the Shadow Militia before letting greed drive her into extremely dangerous territory in the mysterious Chrons, mountains protected by the Guardian Wyverns. There, exhaustion and lack of mana cause her to sleep in an unsafe area. She awakes and discovers she has been possessed by Worrach, the ghost of a nobleman killed during the Battle of Farrow's Pass. While they learn to share the same body, Kallista finds that other intruders, notably the beings from beyond the stars, occupy her immediate future and she must learn that there is more to life than pleasure and thievery.
Major new characters:
Worrach Muscadine was a young noble who went with some reluctance, to fight in the Battle of Farrow's Pass, leaving his betrothed behind. When he was killed in the avalanche that wiped out most of the human combatants, his body was never recovered. A curse was placed upon those who weren't properly buried and they were condemned to wander through the foothills of the Chrons until they found another body to possess. It took nearly 500 years, but he found Kallista when she collapsed in dense woods on her way back to the dead miner's house in the hidden valley southwest of the Chrons. His skills, honed by all those years as a ghost, allow Kallista to develop some new traits of her own that will come in handy as her quest unfolds.
Lord Douthwick Senior and his son: The younger lord takes a fancy to Kallista in a remote inn. After he beds her, she steals the valuables he is taking to his father and vanishes into the night. Unfortunately for Kallista, the son immediately confesses to his father who puts such a price on Kallista's head that she is hounded and pursued by everyone in the elder lord's employ as well as every ne'r-do-well south and west of Coughlin's Burrow.
The Hag and her entourage of Animated Dead: When Kallista finds herself lost in a thick fog halfway through the mysterious northern passage in the Tarnished Mountains, she senses something malignant is hidden ahead of her. It turns out to be a hag who has collected a retinue of the sorry creatures known as Animated Dead. She rules a tumbledown collection of houses that lie in a small open area near the top of the pass. Kallista must find a way to defeat or trick the hag if she is to continue her journey. She succeeds, but at a galling cost.
Simon Twysle is a young man employed as a stablehand and general servant at the Inn in the Hedgerow, a town on the Yenson Flowage halfway between the eastern end of the mysterious passage and Vespersea. When Kallista realizes he is eager for adventure, she hires him as her servant and soon discovers Simon brings an added bonus. He possesses an ability to absorb and use mana to a degree that dwarfs Kallista's. He also demonstrates an ability to learn complex spells quickly, something that will save their lives later on.
Marvyn Wolfblood is Kallista's uncle and the reason she is returning to Vespersea after years of roaming the world. She vowed revenge for his treatment of her family after her father was crippled and now the time is right. When she discovers that he is in league with the creatures from beyond the stars, that only adds to her desire for revenge.
Nolan is the master thief of Vespersea who took Kallista under his wing when she was first on her own. He taught her everything he could about thievery. When Kallista learns that Nolan is in the prison that lies on the forbidding isle south of Vespersea, her own plans go on hold while she figures a way to rescue him and escape before being detected by her uncle and the shadowy gang in his employ.
Rahoma is the tall, mysterious trader in stolen goods who Kallista seeks out after learning of Nolan's imprisonment. He can provide the things she needs to successfully break Nolan out of prison. Rahoma also agrees to keep an eye on Kallista's sister and mother and protect them from Marvyn Wolfblood's gang..
Sepha Wolfblood is Kallista's sister who was born blind. Kallista left home when Sepha was little more than a baby. When they meet by chance on a street corner in Vespersea, Kallista's instinct is to run, but Worrach won't let her. The resulting reunion changes Kallista's perception of her sister considerably. When the creatures from beyond the stars kidnap Sepha, Kallista has no choice. She must try to free her before something awful happens.
Bion Pikelasher: While Bion was mentioned frequently in the first book, he never actually appeared. Now Kallista must find a way to get Nolan, Simon and herself to the Gallows undetected and consult with her former mentor. If anyone has the answer to defeating the creatures from beyond the stars, it is Bion and his library of arcane scrolls.
The Creatures From Beyond the Stars appeared several years ago and at some point approached Marvyn Wolfblood with a business proposition. They seek to corner the gem market on Ballicore as some with magical properties fetch a hundred times their price when sold elsewhere in the universe. While not even Mervyn Wolfblood knows much about the aliens' origin and motives, Kallista is able to determine a few things about them. They operate in the shadows of the universe and their cautiousness in dealing with the people on Ballicore stems from their desire to avoid attracting attention from the more civilized races in the universe, as well as whatever hides behind the wall at the end of the universe. They are humanoid in appearance except for having piercing gold eyes, much like the Snow Lords. They are technologically advanced, but do not possess any magical powers. Their genetic makeup has some subtle differences and it is these that Kallista hopes to use to defeat them and, more importantly, open a new realm of exploration and adventure for herself.
The remaining ghosts who accompanied Worrach for the past 50 years still prowl the foothills of the Chrons. Can they be reasoned with? More importantly, can they be enlisted in the modern battle to save Ballicore?
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