The first book of the trilogy Fantasy. Fantastic story full of magic. The warm summer air was still in the yard. The sky was a clear, heady blue, punctuated by an occasional cloud ponderously Wintry across the emptiness. The thirty or so men and women in the courtyard shuffled restlessly. Their features were many and varied, but there were clear divisions within the square formation. In the front row were several towering, muscled men, clad in tough leather adorned with metal rings and carrying a varied arsenal of swords, axes and hammers. Also on the front row were a group of men and women dressed in pale cloth robes, clutching a glowing blue rods of glass and painted wood. Their heads were shaved, regardless of gender. In the row behind them was a line of men and women who appeared quite similar. However, half were wearing loose, gray robes trimmed with various colors, and carried a variety of wands and STAVES, whereas the other half was dressed flamboyantly far sea, sporting masks of purple and green, with frilled shirts and jackets to match, and all carrying the same purple-tinted kind.