They conquered the universe and proclaimed themselves gods. The endless span of worlds was theirs to command. At the height of their power they realized they had but one foe left - death. They saw it as a limit to their power, a gap they could not cross. They named it the Void and in their arrogance they even believed they could defeat it - though in order to do so they had to become one with it. And so the Plague was born. The universe conquered anew. But there were other gods - those who accepted death and the natural order of things. They believed in evolution. For them, immortality was in the life of a child. It was the true path, paved by a power higher than even they; to perpetually evolve for the better. An infinite universe with endless evolutionary possibilities. The immortality of the Dead Gods faced off against the evolution of the Elders. With His birth, the end begins....

CHAPTER 1 -- THE BLACK DOOR OPENS In centuries there had been none like him. A Black Mage, a true Gatekeeper. Possibly even a god. Was there no limit to his power and potential? He certainly thought not, and meant to test that belief. What better way to do so than a journey through the Black Door? He had already confirmed his ability to control the Rift, and now with fifty of his most loyal soldiers he would enter it – to the dead with the Keeper and his archaic laws. If the Plague was real, he would send it running back through the Black Door and return home a hero. The Keeper himself would have no choice but to bow before him. Until then, secrecy was a must. The Council would condemn him to death for the mere ability to open the Rift. But for daring to enter it, the entire Seventh World would rise against him. His troops gathered in formation near the stairway of stacked circular stones leading up to the Rift – a haze of blue flames muffled the crunch of steel boots on dry bones, and clattering plate mail. The cover of night and the shadow of Lock Core did the rest, hiding them from prying eyes. Though typical...

Chapter 1 The Black Door Opens Chapter 2 The Midnight Sun Chapter 3 The Destroyer Chapter 4 Awakenings Chapter 5 The Council Chapter 6 The Drunk and The Dreamer Chapter 7 The One Elf Chapter 8 The Elven Death Chapter 9 A Dark Seed Grows Chapter 10 The Archenon Chapter 11 The Dwarves Chapter 12 A Feast Chapter 13 The Halfling Chapter 14 Days at the Timber Wall Tavern Chapter 15 A Lesson Learned Chapter 16 Beyond Limits ...