Before the Prince of Alcea can secure the Dwarven Ruby for the Sword of Heavens, he must first find an ancient magical shield created by dwarven magicians eons ago. The shield was carried into battle against the goblins, but the dwarves that carried it have never been heard from again. Meanwhile, the mysteriously senile Mage entices some of the Children of the Ancient Prophecy to join him in what may be a suicide attack of the Imperial Palace of Emperor Hanchi. The Contest of Power reaches a critical stage in Tagaret, and gypsy rebels must determine what the Ancient Prophecy means to them. Discover a world of might, magic, and intrigue as the search for the fourth gem of the Sword of Heavens brings danger to a new level.

Before the Prince of Alcea can secure the Dwarven Ruby for the Sword of Heavens, he must first find an ancient magical shield created by dwarven magicians eons ago. The shield was carried into battle against the goblins, but the dwarves that carried it have never been heard from again. Meanwhile, the mysteriously senile Mage entices some of the Children of the Ancient Prophecy to join him in what may be a suicide attack of the Imperial Palace of Emperor Hanchi. The Contest of Power reaches a critical stage in Tagaret, and gypsy rebels must determine what the Ancient Prophecy means to them. Discover a world of might, magic, and intrigue as the search for the fourth gem of the Sword of Heavens brings danger to a new level.

The mysteriously senile Mage entices some of the Children to join him in what may be a suicide attack of the Imperial Palace of Emperor Hanchi. The Contest of Power reaches a critical stage, and gypsy rebels must determine what the Ancient Prophecy means to them. Discover a world of might, magic, and intrigue as the search for the fourth gem of the Sword of Heavens brings danger to a new level.

As two continents prepare for a world-wide war, a small group of Alceans plot to free the Dielderal elves from the grip of the Federation. The goal is to make the elves simply disappear, but over a thousand elven children are held captive in the four major cities of the Federation, and the Dielderal elves will not flee while their children are endangered. Complicating matters are the 'births' of a new breed of demonkin, the Claws of Alutar. While the K'san demonkin are charged with crushing Alcea, the Claws of Alutar are singular in purpose. Their goal is to assassinate the heroes of the Mage, and their victory would spell far more than defeat for Alcea, as the world would crumble into a decaying ball of misery.

Lord Marak tries to gain support from the lords of Khadora as the Jiadin invasion begins. Complicating the situation is the arrival of a male mage, something unheard of in Khadora.

Posing as a merchant's warrior, the Avenging Shadow sneaks into the Northlands to learn what the rogue mages have in store for Amica, but the enemy is waiting for him and seals the mountain pass that is his only path of escape.

Follow the adventures of the Children of the Ancient Prophecy as the mysterious Master Khatama, the charismatic prophet Azmet, and the unseen Stafa Rakech take part in molding the Ancient Prophecy towards their desired goals.