The Umbral Storm

A millennium ago, the very essence of the world, the Heart, was shattered, its fragments scattered across the lands. From this catastrophe arose formidable martial orders, each dedicated to gathering these shards, for it was discovered that immense power could be harnessed by bonding them to the flesh of the chosen. These are the Sharded Few, warriors imbued with divine energies, driven by an insatiable quest to absorb enough fragments to ascend to godhood itself. Into this fractured world, Deryn is born, knowing only a life of relentless suffering. Orphaned at the edge of civilization and indentured to a brutal slaver, his prospects for escape seem nonexistent. Yet, unseen by him, ancient powers stir, new alliances threaten the precarious balance of the old order, and destiny conspires to pull Deryn into a monumental conflict. Against all odds, this unassuming youth will find himself a pivotal player in a game that will ultimately decide the fate of the entire world, forever altering the course of existence.