Paladin's Curse

Vindin's elven mother was raped and left for dead by a troll raider when her village was sacked, but she was one of only a handful of her people to live. To her horror, she discovered that she was with child and after giving birth to an abominable child, she abandoned it with the scholarly martial arts masters at a mountain monastery of Syrin Houy.

Under the strict, but loving tutelage of the monks, Vindin led a secluded and lonely life of books, writing, science, and training in the arts of war, but unlike the other monks, he hadn't chosen that life. With his coming of age he achieved the honored title of swordmaster, and it didn't take long after that for him to inform his masters of his desire to leave his lifelong home to experience life outside the protective walls of Syrin Houy. Much to his surprise, his wise masters had long anticipated his departure, and as a parting gift they revealed that they had toiled for the last decade crafting a marvelous artifact: an earring that created the illusion of human appearance.

For a score of years Vindin moved from place to place seeking human acceptance, but even with the magical earring, his secret was discovered wherever he tried to settle down. Years later, when his monstrous appearance finds him outcast once again, he decides to renounce human civilization and live a secluded and peaceful life. Dejected and alone, he wanders the wilderness aimlessly until he stumbles upon a wondrous, abandoned cottage where he spends months in introspective isolation, but his solitude is disrupted, and he finds himself suddenly swept up in the troubles of a cursed paladin named Beronius.

In hopes of finding a cure for the paladin's curse they journey to confront the man responsible for Beronius' condition, the powerful Duke Harrin of Pyrones. Along the way they join forces with the roguish Prince Conlin of Yorenin and the beautiful and powerful wizard Avidrea. Together, with the help of the Talons of Yorenin, the King of Yorenin's elite guard, they embark on a harrowing journey to the kingdom of Pyrones where they discover that the dark wizard, known only as The Necromancer, is pulling all of the strings!

The Paladin's Curse is the first book in the epic fantasy series The Legacy of the Planewalkers.