The Master of the Sea — Alexander Barton Caceres

The tale that is about to be told takes place once more on the mysterious world that is Insectdom, albeit at a different time and a different place. Once again, the three mighty KaldreGrizwald, Mzlak, and Lazimffwill step into the frame of the story, in very different circumstances to the ones they found themselves in so long ago in the now distant past.

Almost one thousand years have passed since the ending of the terrible war against the Erkns that devastated much of the continent. The hordes of the underworld are long gone, and the great realms that had once been consumed by flames have now been restored to their former glory. The world has moved on and prospered since those dark days, much to the relief of those old enough to remember more evil times.

Alas, all is not well. There are new rumblings of discontent that now trouble the great sorcerers. There are numerous reports of violent raids carried out against Insect settlements along the northern coastlines by mysterious assailants. These vicious pirates leave no trace of their origin or existence, except their allegiance to an unknown sovereign: a so-called Master of the Sea.

Faced with such uncertainty, the three sorcerers must put their regular diplomatic duties to one side and discover the lair of these naval brigands before they can strike again. Together with a hastily organized crew of merchants, royalty, mercenaries, and soldiers, they will sail out into the vast largely unexplored expanses of the Northern Sea, quite unsure of what exactly they will find. Little do they know that they will come across a civilization so ancient, so sophisticated, and more fearsome than they could possibly imagine.