Artesia and her captains lead an army out of the Highlands to aid the Middle Kingdoms against the returning Thessids. The Empire's legions have swept across the land bringing death by sword and fire, and through it all, Artesia is plagued by dreams and haunted by ghosts as she ponders the choices she has made.

Artesia leads an army out of the Highlands to aid the Middle Kingdoms against the resurgent Empire of Thessid-Gola. As Artesia and her captains seek to join the northern army led by the High King's marshal, the Grand Duke Owen Lis Red, they are confronted with the myriad dangers and distractions of life on campaign. They encounter the Thessid enemy for the first time, meet and hire mercenaries from distant lands, and learn of the Empire's terrifying allies, the Isliklids, who heretically claim descent from Islik the Divine King. And through it all, Artesia is plagued by dreams and haunted by ghosts, as she ponders the choices she has made, and those she hasn't…

The drums and horns of war still sound through the Middle Kingdoms, though the invading Empire of Thessid-Gola has been dealt a setback. The powers at play -- the High King of Therapoli, his nobles and officers, the lurking Isliklid King, his warrior-servants, and the Sultan, commander of the Empire's armies -- are all maneuvering for advantage, setting snares and traps for each other, with prisoners of war now hostages held in the balance. And through this den of vipers marches Artesia, self-proclaimed Queen of Dara Dess, with magic coursing through her veins, the whispers of ghosts in her ears, and an army at her back as she confronts the temptations, limits and consequences of power.

Artesia and her captains lead an army out of the Highlands to aid the Middle Kingdoms against the returning Thessids. The Empire's legions have swept across the land bringing death by sword and fire, and through it all, Artesia is plagued by dreams and haunted by ghosts as she ponders the choices she has made.

Action, horror, politics, and sensuality combine in this DEBUT EPIC FANTASY novel for fans of George R. R. Martin and Michael J. Sullivan, set in the world of the Eisner Award-nominated Artesia comic books. To find the Sword, unearth the Barrow. To unearth the Barrow, follow the Map. When a small crew of scoundrels, would-be heroes, deviants, and ruffians discover a map that they believe will lead them to a fabled sword buried in the barrow of a long-dead wizard, they think they've struck it rich. But their hopes are dashed when the map turns out to be cursed and then is destroyed in a magical ritual. The loss of the map leaves them dreaming of what might have been, until they rediscover the map in a most unusual and unexpected place. Stjepan Black-Heart, suspected murderer and renegade royal cartographer; Erim, a young woman masquerading as a man; Gilgwyr, brothel owner extraordinaire; Leigh, an exiled magus under an ignominious cloud; Godewyn Red-Hand, mercenary and troublemaker; Arduin Orwain, scion of a noble family brought low by scandal; and Arduin's sister Annwyn, the beautiful cause of that scandal: together they form a cross section of the Middle Kingdoms of the Known World, united by accident and dark design, on a quest that will either get them all in the history books...or get them all killed. From the Trade Paperback edition.

The award-winning graphic novel Artesia comes to life in the Adventures in the Known World RPG, using a modified and easy-to-use Fuzion-based roleplaying system to plunge players into the strife-riven realms of the Known World, from the Warring Citadels of the Daragjan Highlands to the never-ending feud between the Sun Court of Illia and the Phoenix Court of the Empire of Thessid-Gola. Includes an expansive adaptation of R. Talsorian Games' LifePath character-generation system including birth omens, star signs and divine and heroic lineages, and rules for talents and abilities accessible to characters through the Arcana, the Tarot-like system representing the Known World's archetypal paths of power and the foundation of an unique system of experience, allowing game rewards for virtually all types of character actions.

The Book Is A Standard And Comprehensive Study Of The English Novel. It Would Be Found Highly Useful By The Students, Researchers And Teachers Of English Literature.