The last place Bernard ever thought to step foot in again was the city of Avignon. Now summoned by his guild’s Magister, he must defy a duke’s order of banishment to solve the bizarre and fiery death of his oldest friend, master alchemist Lorenzo.
Bernard, once a guild official stripped of his rank, expects a cold welcome and little support, so is accompanied by his journeywoman and goddaughter, Callista.
As Bernard, and Callista, unravel clue after clue, they are attacked and kidnapped, encounter more fiery deaths, and find that everyone—the Magister with his prophetic visions, status-seeking guild officials, the Alchemist Royal carrying a secret proposal, and even the woman Bernard once loved—seems to have a motive or agenda.
Forced to defend herself, Callista discovers her unique alchemical affinity with fire can be a weapon that, although it could consume her, may be Bernard’s best hope against a vast conspiracy intent on subjugating alchemists and destroying their guild.
This is a full-length version of my short story of the same title. Set two centuries in the future, it follows Arina Beljatova Ducharm, orphaned daughter of a millennia-long line of Yakut shamans, as she searches for her missing father. Her journey takes her from Mars across star systems and the Realm of Spirits. Ultimately, she confronts a malevolent entity that has been plaguing her lineage for uncounted generations, all for an offense lost to the depths of time.
Taking place in my Bedford Haven setting, this investigation module confronts players with an artifact possessed by the powers of the Deep Ones and their Goddess. A fateful whaling mission decades earlier and the unintentional waking of spirits by a visiting medium has put Captain Dover and his family on a collision course with ancient powers. If not stopped, retribution threatens all of Bedford Haven.