Honor, sacrifice, power, and betrayal.

Set on the planet Dañub, whose strange orientation and its orbit of a red-giant star scorches its North and leaves its South in relative calm, we meet our cast of characters. Mathos is the old scholar whose life's work is to discover the paradise to the south and rebuild society under its shelter. Mocked for his beliefs, he nonetheless toils on despite the odds, with the help of his apprentice, Djantu. Young and idealistic, and possessing an insight that borders on clairvoyance, Djantu dutifully follows his master towards their goal of reaching the legendary land of shade and water. Together, they propel their quest forward and enlist the protection of a warrior renowned for his courage, Jocabo. Haunted by a loss from his past, Jocabo seeks redemption by shielding his charges from harm, even though he fears their mission is doomed. 

In Part One, embarking on wooden airships, they begin their journey of thousands of miles across the desolate land between the hemispheres. After months of enduring hardships, they reach their distant objective believing their struggles are finally over. Only then do they discover much more than they bargained for.

Enter the people of the south, citizens of the great city of Ethenon. Blessed by good weather and resources, they have built an empire of wealth that amazes the voyagers. Led by Emperor Nerod and his general Darus, they are fascinated by the new arrivals and invite diplomacy between their two worlds. With the Dañubi's knowledge of ship-building and the Ethenean's unlimited resources and manpower, they combine their skills to inaugurate a new era in their planet's history. But as their societies collide, all learn that this clash of cultures will be much more than they can handle. The story of their conflict is laid out in Part Two.

Inspired by some of my favorite literary and cinematic adventures, and infused with parallels from history, this project has been a labor of love throughout my career. Now, with all 340 pages of illustrations and layout complete, only the coloring of the remaining pages stands between completion of the book.

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