Quinn Garner

In the decaying capital of Ouraia, where an ancient order crumbles unacknowledged, apprentice Theronos is drawn to the exact peril he should flee. Trained under Master Eskylos—a mentor whose methods are as dangerous as his motives are opaque—Theronos chases the storms of an unraveling magic system. As he undergoes rigorous, graded trials that push his proactive nature to the brink, he uncovers the bitter truth: the rival ascendant faction he is being weaponized against is led by his own estranged brother, Alexios. Caught between a faltering empire and his own blood, Theronos must carve out his own brutal competence before the city’s slow death consumes them both.

Darachuin speaks for the shore-clans of the Drowned Coast, a stretch of ash-choked sand where the sea spits back everything it takes—splintered galleons, ancient iron, and the salt-cured dead. As a negotiator, he has always survived by brokering truces for the powerful, wielding no leverage of his own. But when a fully intact, blood-sealed vessel washes ashore bearing a cargo capable of shifting the balance of the coast, Darachuin must act first. He aligns with Ruaragh, a brilliant and ruthless shore-captain whose protection comes with a hidden agenda. Recounting his history to a captive listener in the present day, Darachuin reveals how this fragile alliance broke the coastal powers, forced him to forge his own strength, and proved that a friend's help can be the sharpest blade of all.