ALSO BY DAVID DALGLISH
The Shadowdance Series
A Dance of Cloaks
A Dance of Blades
A Dance of Mirrors
A Dance of Shadows
A Dance of Ghosts
A Dance of Chaos
The Half-Orcs
The Weight of Blood
The Cost of Betrayal
The Death of Promises
The Shadows of Grace
A Sliver of Redemption
The Prison of Angels
The Paladins
Night of Wolves
Clash of Faiths
The Old Ways
The Broken Pieces
Others
A Land of Ash
(Compilation)
ALSO BY ROBERT J. DUPERRE
The Rift
Book I: The Fall & Dead of Winter
Book II: Death Springs Eternal & The Summer Son
Others
Silas
The Gate: 13 Dark and Odd Tales
(Compilation)
The Gate 2: 13 Tales of Isolation and Despair
(Compilation)
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
Text copyright © 2014 by David Dalglish and Robert J. Duperre
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.
Published by 47North
P.O. Box 400818
Las Vegas, NV 89140
ISBN-13: 9781477809792
ISBN-10: 1477809791
Library of Congress Catalog Number: 2013940227
Cover design by Mark Winters
Map design by Paula Robbins & The Mapping Specialists
To Sam and Jessie, for putting up with our obscenely long phone calls
.
C
ONTENTS
ASHHUR’S PARADISE
NELDAR
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ROLOGUE
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E
PILOGUE
A
FTERWORD
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BOUT THE
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UTHORS
ASHHUR’S PARADISE
NELDAR
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AST OF
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HARACTERS
ASHHUR’S PARADISE
ASHHUR, God of Justice, creator of ASHHUR’S PARADISE
—JACOB EVENINGSTAR, child of two gods, First Man of DEZREL, sworn servant of ASHHUR
—BENJAMIN MARYLL, his student, a boy 14 years old
—ROLAND NORSMAN, his steward
—AHAESARUS, a Warden of the west
—GERIS FELHORN, his student, a boy 13 years old
—JUDARIUS, a Warden of the west
—MARTIN HARROW, his student, a boy 14 years old
—CLEGMAN TREADWELL, master steward of ASHHUR
—AZARIAH, a Warden of the west, brother of JUDARIUS
ISABEL, DUTAUREAU first child of ASHHUR
—RICHARD, her created husband
—ABIGAIL ESCHETON, their first daughter, 70 years old
—TUROCK ESCHETON, her husband, 38 years old
LAURIA DAGEESH, daughter, 23 years old, wife of UULON
CETHLYNN, daughter, 21 years old
—PATRICK, their only son, 65 years old
—BRIGID FRONIN, their second daughter, 62 years old, wife of BAYEN
—CARA, their third daughter, 61 years old
—KEELA NEFRAM, their fourth daughter, 58 years old, wife of DANIEL
—NESSA, their fifth daughter, 31 years old
—HOWARD PHILIP BAEDAN, master steward of the house
BESSUS GORGOROS, second child of ASHHUR
—DAMASPIA, his created wife
—BARDIYA, their only son, 87 years old
—GORDO HEMPSMAN, a man of KER
—KEISHA, their daughter, 7 years old
NELDAR
KARAK, God of Order, Divinity of the East, creator of NELDAR
CLOVIS CRESTWELL, first child of KARAK
—LANIKE, his created wife
—AVILA, their first daughter, 72 years old
—JOSEPH, their first son, 68 years old
—THESSALY, their second daughter, 62 years old
—MOIRA ELREN, their exiled third daughter, 52 years old
—UTHER, their second son, 41 years old
—CRIAN, their third son, 38 years old
SOLEH MORI, second child of KARAK
—IBIS, her created husband
—VULFRAM, their first son, 67 years old
—YENGE, his wife, 33 years old
ALEXANDER, son, 18 years old
LYANA, daughter, 16 years old
CALEIGH, daughter, 12 years old
—ORIS, their second son, 66 years old
—EBBE, his wife, 26 years old
CONATA, daughter, 9 years old
ZEPPA, daughter, 7 years old
—ADELINE PALING, their first daughter, 63 years old, widow of CATSKILL
—ULRIC, their third son, 59 years old
—DIMONA, his wife, 41 years old
APHREDES, son, 19 years old
JULIAN, son, 16 years old
—RACHIDA GEMCROFT, wife of PEYTR, 51 years old
—KING ELDRICH VAELOR THE FIRST, second king of NELDAR
—KARL DOGON, the king’s bodyguard
—MALCOLM GREGORIAN, captain of the Palace Guard
—PULO JENATT, personal guard of SOLEH MORI
—JONN TREMMEN, personal guard of SOLEH MORI
—RODDALIN HARLAN, personal guard of SOLEH MORI
—ROMEO CONNINGTON, high merchant of RIVERRUN
—THEO CONNINGTON, high merchant of RIVERRUN
—MATTHEW BRENNAN, high merchant of PORT LANCASTER
—BROWARD RENSON, rancher, widower of KATHERINE
—BRACKEN, his son, 33 years old, husband of PENELOPE
—KRISTOF, son, 15 years old
—MUREN WENTNER, magister of KARAK
—DEACON COLDMINE, Lord of HAVEN
—APRODIA SUNNETT, priestess of the TEMPLE OF THE FLESH
—PEYTR GEMCROFT, high merchant of HAVEN, husband of RACHIDA
THE ELVES
—CLEOTIS MELN, Lord of STONEWOOD
CARSKEL, son, 181 years old
AUBRIENNA, daughter, 103 years old, lover of JACOB EVENINGSTAR
AULLIENNA, daughter, 12 years old, betrothed to KINDREN THYNE
—LUCIOUS ANDERS, guardian
—NONI CLANSHAW, nursemaid of AULLIENNA
—DETRICK MELN, brother of CLEOTIS
—ETHIR AYERS, confidante of DETRICK
—DAVISHON HINSBREW, confidante of DETRICK
—ORDEN THYNE, Lord of DEZEREA
—KINDREN, son, 16 years old, betrothed to AULLIENNA MELN
—RUVEN SINISTEL, Neyvar (King) of QUELLASAR
—CEREDON, their son, 95 years old
—IOLAS SINISTEL, cousin of RUVEN, member of the TRIAD
—CONALL SINISTEL, cousin of RUVEN, member of the TRIAD
—AESON SINISTEL, cousin of RUVEN, member of the TRIAD
—AERLAND SHEN, chief of the EKREISSAR
