The Black Sword of Xorimahr — Ivan Henley

In a world ruled by legends and defended by magic, many races lived together to maintain the balance. However, the humans waged war and the balance was broken. Now the other races fight to preserve all life and the land that sustains it. Thus began a time known as the Trials Of Balance.The true cause of the war was a cruel series of misdeeds committed by one man: Maph Toltor. Now he stands at the very heart of the whirlwind of battles, hiding behind the power of those around him and searching for a weapon that could make him almost invincible-The Black Sword of Xorimahr.Created by the mysterious Malkriss Xorimahr, the Black Sword has the capability of absorbing all magic cast its way. Unbeknownst to Maph, the Sword was created with him in mind, though its precise purpose is not so clear. Indeed, it is as much a mystery as Xorimahr, a magician with a face no one has ever seen. The Allied War, soon to become part of a vast legend, and all of its many heroes and victims are captured here in the first chapter of the Trials Of Balance.