The Gift of the Guardians Summary (Contains Spoilers!)

The story so far…

In the nation of Andoch, home of the Order of the Guardians, the newly crowned Guardian-King, Kredor Drude II, announces plans to consolidate power across the continent of Termain by exploiting a rarely used military agreement known as the Protectorate. With the support of his longtime friend and advisor, Natharis Tainne, Kredor forces the submission of the other realms through a blend of intimidation, bribery, and war. Only the nation of Baronbrock remains uncommitted to the Guardian-King’s imperial designs.

Against the backdrop of these larger machinations, six individuals take their first steps into the larger world of adventure and intrigue.

As Lughus and Thom depart Andoch to complete their scholarly apprenticeships, they are guided by the wandering swordsman, Crodane. Upon reaching the port of Galdoran, however, it is revealed that Crodane is an outlaw known as a Blackguard, a bearer of a Guardian who refused to swear loyalty to the Guardian-King. Choosing to trust in his instincts and his guide, Lughus accompanies Crodane into the widlerness, pursued by the Guardian constable known as the Hammer. During the journey, Crodane reveals that Lughus is the grandson and heir to Arcis Galadin, one of the greatest barons of Baronbrock and a direct descendent of Aiden Galadin, the legendary saint and founder of the Order of the Guardians. Joined by the great hound Fergus, Crodane guides Lughus northward through the wilds to the court of his grandfather only to be set upon by the Hammer and his men. Lughus is mortally wounded in the fighting, but he is saved when Crodane sacrifices himself and transfers his title of “the Marshal” to the young heir of Galadin…

Meanwhile, having fallen victim to his own fear, Thom is bullied by Andochan soldiers at the guardhouse in Galdoran where he becomes an unwitting accomplice in the escape of another Blackguard, the Wrathorn mercenary known as Magnus Bloodbeard. Forced to accompany Magnus, Thom sets sail for the pirate haven of the Sorgund Isles, to chronicle the mad Wrathorn’s quest for bloody revenge…

Back in the Andochan capital of Titanis, the third apprentice, Royne, is promoted to serve as personal steward of the Loremaster Rastis Glendaro. After voicing his dirct opposition to the ambitions of the King, Rastis is imprisoned and replaced in his role by Natharis Tainne. Believing Royne may have some insight into the depths of Rastis’s treason, Kredor and Tainne attempt use Royne to discover the Loremaster’s secret Book of Histories. In the end, their efforts fail when Rastis secretly passes the title of “the Loremaster” on to Royne and the former apprentice flees the city for the southern republic of Grantis…

To the west, in the nation of Dwerin, Brigid Beinn, the daughter of the deceased Archduke witnesses the nefarious self-indulgence and depravity of the aristocratic court of Blackstone. As her mother and uncle conspire to consolidate power and strengthen their alliance with the Guardian-King of Andoch, Brigid befriends an imprisoned assassin who turns out to be much more than he seems. Emboldened by the mysterious intruder, Brigid confronts the injustices of her family and plans her escape. Before she can do so, however, she is attacked by her wretched cousin, Alan Beinn, and nearly killed. Saved by the sacrifice of the Blackguard assassin, Brigid assumes the title of “the Blade” and seeks safety with her fallen friend’s companions in Baronbrock…

In the contested farmlands known as the Spade, Geoffrey of Pyle is the sole-survivor of a bandit attack. Unknowingly adopting the title of the legendary Blackguard known as “the Vanguard,” Geoffrey returns to his family and friends only to find their village the target of a mercenary troop turned bandit. When three young boys are kidnapped to bolster the bandits’ ranks, Geoffrey and his friend Oliver set out to recover them. They befriend a group of soldiers from Dwerin and together attack the bandit stronghold. Geoffrey and his allies are victorious, but during the fighting, both Oliver and Geoffrey’s son Karl are killed. Hoping to find a better life for what remains of his family, Geoffrey journeys to the port. There, he meets a young noblewoman seeking passage to Baronbrock…

And in the war-torn land of Montevale, Beledain Tremont, youngest son of King Cedric of Valendia, serves as his brother Dermont’s pawn in a plot to defeat Cedric’s rival, King Marius of Gasparn. With Bel’s pregnant lover held as hostage, Dermont forces Bel to infiltrate the enemy’s elite cavalry unit led by the Guardian general Marcus Harding, known as “the Tower.”  Yet, the longer Bel trains beside the Tower and the other Gasparan knights, the more he comes to respect them while simultaneously leading them into a trap. Finally, wracked with guilt, he ends the deception, choosing to trust in the Tower’s honor in hopes of salvaging his own. Together with King Marius and the Gasparan Princess Marina, Bel and the general hatch a plot to end the war once and for all via a champion’s duel. On the snow-covered plain outside of the mountain tower of Clearpoint, Bel is defeated by Harding, but is saved from death when the general sacrifices his life to name Bel the new Tower. Recognized as both a Valendian Prince and the Gasparan general, Bel is able to negotiate an end of the century-long conflict while sparing the lives of the rival king and his daughter. For now…