The Gilded Mirror
an excerpt

“Long ago, in the land of Arhlaam, there was a Great War between The Mother, Deirsali, and her dark twin Ukliel, the Destroyer. The Sisters despised each other, for Deirsali wished for her children to live in the Light, while Ukliel coveted all of Arhlaam for her own misshapen spawn to rule.

In order to protect us from The Destroyer’s evil, Deirsali battled her twin for many days. At last, The Mother defeated her wicked sister, and banished her to the Realm of the Lost. There, Ukliel and her children, called the Imoroth, were to remain for eternity, so that the children of the Light might live their days in peace.

The Mother did not escape the Great War unscathed, however. She was gravely injured during her trials, and she left Arhlaam so that she might rest and regain her strength. In her place, Deirsali left her daughter Syrti to protect and guide her children. Syrti led the people in the ways of The Mother for many years, and Deirsali’s children prospered, confident in the knowledge that Ukliel’s evil was forever vanquished. It was not to be.
One of The Destroyer’s spawn remained; a powerful sorcerer by the name of Orzul. Orzul was the favored son of Ukliel, and as such, it was he who was tasked with freeing his foul mother and kin.

As is the inevitable fate of those who share the blood of mortals, Syrti passed from Arhlaam, but in her stead, she left her children, and her children’s children, so that the people might always have a guide to the Light.

Orzul was not heard from again until many years later, and only a young princess named Inalla and a handful of her closest friends could hope to halt his sinister plan.

So begins Inalla’s tale…”