Blood Loyalty Synopsis

Blood Loyalty is an 83,000 word, adult, dark fantasy tale told from four different viewpoints; you get to experience the story from the point of view of the protagonist, the antagonist's assistant, the anti-hero, and the secondary bad guy. The tale is set in the world of Eoc and tells part of the struggle between the Terreni, who are the stewards of a physical and magical substance called Eoc's Blood, and the Society of the Elite who are an organization of undead made up of all the various races that populate the world. The Society of the Elite have tried for ages to steal the secrets of Eoc's Blood, which will allow them to dominate the various governments throughout the world and will allow the dark god of the Eocian pantheon to overthrow the pantheon and plunge the world into total darkness and chaos.

The first part of the book introduces the main hero, Korber ap Grumbly. He is a greater apprentice at the Terreni College of the Blood. This is where Terreni youth are trained to forge and craft the magic of Eoc's blood.

Also introduced is Tormic ap Jelinek, who is an anti-hero, bad things happen to him and he does bad things but he doesn't understand why and only wants to hang out with his best friend and get his master's robes. He is a greater apprentice at the college and Korber's best friend. The initial chapters introduce Gwen, who is Korber's wife as a secondary hero, a greater apprentice, and a practitioner of the martial art called the way.

In this first section readers are introduced to the College of the Blood, the Terreni Council, some of the politics of the Terreni and they get to meet the primary antagonist, Solomon, the high priestess of the dark god and head of the Council of the Elite.

The first section of the book reveals the main plot of the book when Korber is called before the council and asked to investigate a possible traitor leaking the secrets of Eoc's Blood. The council shows him a blood crafted sword which was not crafted by a Terren but found by Elves outside the boundaries of the Terreni realm.

Korber takes a blood oath to investigate the breach and to keep his investigation secret. At the end of the interview Korber asks to be removed from the Terreni crystal network which is a psychic network that is imposed on all crafters and miners of Eoc's blood. It allows the council to psychically monitor the thoughts and actions of anyone trained in the ways of the blood, through a crystal implanted in the left arm. Korber is told this will be considered once the investigation is complete.

He is given the ability to shape-shift and funds to accomplish his tasks. In the course of the investigation his forging mentor is killed when testing the suspect blade and the council is forced to bring Korber's wife into the investigation due to a psychic link she shares with Korber.

You are then taken back in time and introduced to the Elite council and shown how this organization of undead operate and the genesis of this current plan to usurp the Terreni. You are also shown some tension between members of the Elite council and the head of the council.

Based on a lead Korber receives from his forging mentor before he dies, the council request he travel to the Common Realm and find a character known as Hel's Hands.

You are then taken back in time again to witness the initiation of the Elite's plan. This introduces the traitor within the Terreni. He leads two Elite, a human and a gnome, to a home where they initiate a Terreni baby into the Elite. This baby happens to be Korber's best friend Tormic. .

The middle section of the book spends much more time developing the character of the Terreni traitor who at one point kills Gwen. He shows himself to be power hungry, mad, and one who desires to rule the world.

We also see Tormic spiraling downward mentally after discovering his true nature as an unwitting member of the Elite. He attacks Gwen before she is killed, utilizing the Elite ability to shape-shift but she fights him off. She is taken to the hospital and we are introduced too much of the healing magic of the Terreni. It is in the hospital where she is murdered by the traitor.

During this time Korber is traveling to the Common Realm and runs into the evil Elven wizard Scalphunter, a sadist to the core as well as a bounty hunter who is used by the head of the Elite council to exterminate other members of the council. Korber, in the guise of a gnome kills a member of Scalphunter's band. He is allowed to travel with them on their way to assassinate an Elite Dwarven rune-master who continually vies against Solomon, as well as to assassinate Hel's Hands ' the very person Korber was sent to find in the first place.

Korber is possessed by the spirit of his wife, Gwen, who now guides him in the use of the way, and helps him through the rest of the investigation.

Tormic is called to the Nest, which is the temple of the dark god and Solomon's dwelling place and the traitor is also called to the Nest so that final plans for destroying the Terreni can be made. Unbeknownst to the traitor he is going to be enslaved by Solomon.

Scalphunter and his band are unsuccessful in destroying the Elite Dwarf, Thanggrad who ends up allying himself with Korber to help destroy Solomon. Thanggrad tells Korber who the traitor is and also reveals to him Tormic's undead nature.

They travel to the nest and Thanggrad sets an appointment with Solomon, under the pretense of making peace with her. When they arrive Solomon displays ancient magic which gives her hold over Thanggrad, but as she calls Scalphunter in to destroy the Dwarf, Korber enters the fray and beheads her but it's not her.
It turns out to be Tormic. Scalphunter then begins the process of killing Korber but all the members of the Terreni council appear, interrupt Scalphunter and save Korber. They take Korber, and Tormic's body and leave the traitor to his fate as a slave to Solomon.

The final two chapters have Korber discover that he is also possessed by Tormic's spirit and he's taken on part of the Elite nature. He defies the council, and removes himself from the crystal network by tearing the crystal from his arm and walks off.

The Elite council convenes one last time. Solomon declares herself sole ruler of the Society of the Elite and disbands the council. She then tells the council they must direct all Elite everywhere to find Korber and bring him to her so she can enslave him.

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