The book takes place in Planet Earth. It is so far into the future that the past has become irrelevant. Earth now even has Twin Moons. The moons look like Twins because the larger moon is further away. Throughout the book, artifacts from our modern time are going to be dug up by Archeologists and by Mermaids. The human presence is only felt through those artifacts.
There are surviving humans in the book. Their numbers are so negligible that they belong the endangered species list. Humanity is not important in the book. The dominant lifeforms are now elves, dragons, orcs, ogres, mermaids and elementals. Instead of science, civilization relies on magic. The story takes places in the Continent of Woden. In that continent, the most common lifeforms are elves and dragons.
There is a rivalry between the Kingdom of Muldred and the Kingdom of Otan. On the surface, they act as financial allies. Though in reality, they are constantly undermining each other or competing. This competition manifests in the form of designer children. Designer children are pawns in the Chessboard of their ambitious, power hungry families. All aspects of their life are planned, including whom they are supposed to marry.
In Muldred, descendants of the dragon Muldred are fashionable. They have the strength of the dragon, but none of the physical characteristics normally associated with dragons. Those that resembled dragons physically are considered ugly or scary. In Otan, if you resemble a beautiful elf, you are considered socially acceptable. Being an elf is not important. All those who do not meet those two very specific criteria are second class citizens.
And then in the middle of this madness is the small, independent City-State of Wallen. Wallen started out as a little fishing hamlet, with only one brothel. Their founding members were freed slaves, artists, craftsman, sailors, fishermen, selkies, humans, mutts and retired courtesans. Their tiny village grew over a century through trade and tourism. They have a covenant with the mermaids. In exchange of preserving the bounty of the ocean, the people of Wallen gain access to the goods that the mermaids dig up. Wallen then gives the mermaids items from the mainland.
Unlike its overambitious neighbors, Wallen has been slave free since its foundation. Due to the wisdom of their ancestors, only marriages based on love are considered valid. There are no binding contracts that unite two people. As soon as the love dies, the pair go their separate ways. The trade with the mermaids and the residents of Martisor allowed for Wallen to develop a different worldview.
The peaceful life of the residents came to an end when Otan decided to annex the city into their territory. Wallen had by then grown into a profitable city. Unlike Muldred, Otan's economy was based on slavery and conquest. Our story begins two years after Wallen managed to repel King Wodanaz's army. The residents are trying to put behind the horrors of the war. The war veterans currently operate the Warrior's Guild known as the Sacred Mask.
The Guild is named after the artifact that is used by the leader of the Guild, The Mad Elf Eric. Eric started life as a palace slave to King Wodanaz of Otan. He made it his personal vendetta to kill Wodanaz, no matter the cause. Everything changed for him when he met the Crown Prince Helmer. Eric too is trying to leave the warpath behind.
His current life mission is to take care of Helmer's children Allan and Marina. He also looks after Helmer's number one apprentice, Gregory. He raised the trio due to his guilt for using the Helmer, instead of helping him. The first book focuses on the Quest of the Arch Magus to reconnect with his estranged family, while dealing with the trauma of his past life as Crown Prince and Arch Magus.