Cast in Wisdom

## **Blurb**

**SOMETHING IS WAKING**

The fiefs that exist at the heart of the city of Elantra are home to sentient Towers that guard the world against the incursion of Shadow. But between the fiefs exists the gray world of the border zone. In it, geography changes between one passage across a border and the next. The rules of magic are different there—and yet somehow familiar to Kaylin Neya.

When a Shadow escapes, Kaylin must find out how…and why. If Shadows can breach the barrier erected by the Towers, the whole of Elantra will be devoured. It’s happened on other worlds. Bellusdeo, Kaylin’s Dragon companion, absolutely believes it can happen on theirs.

The border zone holds secrets and ancient histories, and people are gathering there in search of its power. Without even understanding what that power is, or why it exists, Kaylin is in a desperate race against time to find those secrets first. She doesn’t know who her enemies are. She doesn’t know how many she’ll face. But she won’t face them alone.

## **Plot**

When Nightshade abruptly vanishes from the collective Cohort consciousness after saying he was headed to the boundary areas, Bellusdeo, Kaylin and Severn go investigate. The boundary between fiefs grows and shrinks, but is recognizable by a decrease in color; the boundary between Tiamaris and Candallar seems the most likely candidate. In that gray zone, a bas relief with a large eye gazes on them and transports them into a repeating loop of a hallway with three exits and a wall including an entire crowd of missing persons carved into it magically.

Bellusdeo burns down one of the door frames, and Kaylin touches the stone underneath to communicate with some very low level of sentience. They pass into a large private library where librarian (avatar) Killian guides them out, and they exit in a distant fief. This does nothing to allay Bellusdeo's suspicions that Ravellon is inadequately guarded, and she insists on inspecting the other boundaries and fiefs; the one fieflord they talk to (Farlonne) is reassuringly fanatical about opposing shadow.

They talk to the Arkon Lannagaros, who is deeply agitated. Returning the next day to a boundary with Teela, they find a building that appears differently to each one; within a grey-haired Barranni named Larrantin (who Teela recognizes as a famous scholar who died a thousand years ealier shortly after raising the towers) gives Kaylin a freezing-cold book to give to Killian. He appears unfriendly and flanked suspiciously by two invisible arcanists (detectable by Hope's wing; human Baltrin and Barrani Illanen), so they take it to the Arkon, who is not calmed and suspects that if Kaylin lets go it will vanish forever back to its own time.

The next day, he returns with them to Tiamaris' border with Candallar. They hide and are trapped in a building when the two invisible arcanists walk to it with Candallar. Though the building they are in appears to be in another reality, the good news is Nightshade is in this one. Through the name-bond, Nightshade tells them he is with the kidnapped boy Robin; both are forced to relive the same academic day inside a lost university called the Academia, but outside of lectures they can escape scripting to learn much of what is going on. Kaylin, Bellusdeo, and the Arkon reach the library, where she uses her magical senses to avoid Candallar's arcanists and find two other books like the freezing one. Opening these awakens arbiters Androsse (Barrani) and Kavallac (dragon). With some difficulty, they help Robin and Nightshade escape Killian's unscripted lecture on the nature of True Names to find the chancellor's office, where the final arbiter, the giant-spider-like wevaren Starrante.

Enraged by the damage to the library, and helped by Robin's intuitive understanding of ward magic, they hold off the conspirators until the Arkon fully awakens Killian, who expels them. He unexpectedly offers Illanen the option of applying to join the student body, since he is truly motivated by a hunger for knowledge. Spitefully, Candallar tries to kill students and damage the building, and the Arkon burns him so thoroughly not even ash remains.

Lannagaros renounces his title (passing it to Sanabalis) and becomes the Academia's Chancellor. Kaylin tries to feel glad when it becomes clear Bellusdeo is going to try to take over Kandalar's fief Karriamis, but is also sad her best friend has moved out.

## List of Characters

1. Teela
2. Kaylin
3. Mandoran
4. Helen
5. Hope
6. Sedarias
7. Annarion
8. Bellusdeo
9. Terrano
10. Nightshade
11. Marcus
12. Caitlin
13. Joey
14. Severn
15. Grammayre
16. Quartermaster
17. Maggaron
18. Tara
19. Morse
20. Tiamaris
21. Killianas
22. Lannagaros
23. Ynpharion
24. Serralyn
25. Clint
26. Tanner
27. Candallar
28. Farlonne
29. Tain
30. Allaron
31. Larrantin
32. Baltrin
33. Illanen
34. Sanabalis
35. Emmerian
36. Caranthas
37. Robin
38. Androsse
39. Kavallac
40. Starrante
41. Dariandaros
42. Diarmat