Book 1 - A Scourge Awakened

Ten thousand years ago in the World of Daea, mankind reached the pinnacle of its golden age as the Vahdrao, humans with the ability to draw on the power of the Ke'vaath that runs through the world and drives life forward, grew in number and were able to exercise their powers freely. In the past, as they drew on the Ke'vaath, Daea would naturally seek to restore balance to the energy that was taken from it. The result was often disastrous and the Vahdrao were hunted and killed for their abilities. Now, the creation of the Saateva, an artifact that nullifies these negative effects, has allowed the Vahdrao to flourish. As a result of their combined efforts, Aashkevath, the Lord of Ruin, was finally defeated after eons of conflict. 

But this victory came at a heavy cost. The vast amounts of power necessary to banish Aashkevath warped the Saateva, and it now only bonds with a small number of Vahdrao. And their connection to it is easily strained, burning away completely if pushed too far. Much of what humanity accomplished faded away, but at least the Lord of Ruin was gone.

As the millennia passed in relative peace, aside from humanity's inevitable tendency to war with each other, Aashkevath became a distant legend and the various peoples of Daea were free from the constant ravages of his drogha hordes. Until mysterious creatures begin appearing and indiscriminately slaughtering anyone they came across. They bear the mark of Aashkevath, but do not resemble the descriptions of the now mythical drogha, causing their origin to be in doubt.

Hiroki, a farmer from the village of Okatsoru, returns home to find his village destroyed by these creatures. He journeys to Shuyochi, the capital city of Ekkiji, a continent spanning empire that is the dominant military power on Daea. After fulfilling his mission to warn the Empress that one of her villages was destroyed, he is arrested and wrongfully imprisoned, only to learn that this had been done on purpose. A rebellion is fomenting, and the trail leads to the prison where he is incarcerated. It is a place where the Vahdrao and Mindrao, humans like the Vahdrao but only able to draw on physical sources of energy instead of the Ke'vaath itself, are unable to use their powers. He is visited by an agent of the Empress who tells him that, since he is a commoner with no connection to her, he is commanded  to find out what he can about this rebellion. 

In an attempt to find help in fighting the creatures, Taija Hayvarinen, a Healer from the Island of Xyleria where the Vahdrao have made their home, has embarked on a journey to contact Yshoru, the absent Creator of Daea. Widely mocked for her beliefs among the other Vahdrao, she seeks aid from the Empress of Ekkiji, whom she befriended fifteen years ago. At the orders of the Empress, she is accompanied by Daisuke, an Ekkijian warrior who does not share Taija's faith in Yshoru, and Kaori, one of the Mindrao who is particularly skilled in combat. The fate of the world hangs in the balance as they begin their search.