The Anchors of Creation safeguarded its borders for thousands of years, ensuring that the Shining Host, the armies of the beings that lived outside of the world of order and who longed for its destruction, could only enter in small numbers, and so such invasions as took place were easily thwarted by the Exalted, who were at the height of their power.
During the usurpation of the Solar Exalted by their downtrodden subordinates four of the five Anchors were destroyed, either by the Solars wishing to deny the Anchors’ enormous powers to the usurpers, or vice versa. The fifth, meanwhile, disappeared so completely that it was as if it had never existed. All records of Cruithne, the Anchor of Earth, were wiped from the face of Creation, and it was forgotten.
Recently, of course, Cruithne has reappeared, in a decaying orbit over the eastern Threshold. At first it was believed to be a star, but thanks to the researches of the late Sesus Tarkin, prompted by an accidental discovery made in the Heptagram by his student Ragara Maliceä, the world at large has rediscovered the truth about Cruithne, as well as how perilously close to destruction the world is – for if Cruithne was to be destroyed, there would be nothing to hold back the realm of chaos.
It is therefore imperative that Cruithne be reached before it crashes into the ground, which it will do at some point during the upcoming Calibration, and that is only two days from now – giving the world, at most, seven days to go. Thus it is primarily to assist in this endeavour that a host of people, from all over the face of the world, have gathered and journeyed across thousands of miles, across rivers and plains, through forest and jungle, through the depths of winter and the height of summer, to reach the city of Rathess where flying machines are to be found, machines unique in their capability to reach Cruithne, the castle in the sky.
Among them walk the Exalted, and like shepherds walking among their flock they dominate this movement, this crusade to save the world. Unable to fight against their preordained roles, the leaders are the Solar Exalted: Fionn, Gavek, Talon, Vishwanathan and Belladonna. They are advised and accompanied by others: Ambivalent Tidings Carried on the Winds of Fate (in the guise of his own twin brother Ambivalent Tempest Carrying Words from Far Away) and the mysterious Ianthe, both Sidereal Exalted, neither known to the others by their real names; and the Terrestrials: Cathak Shazar and his sister Delandau, Fire-Aspects and experts on the city and environs of Rathess, and Princess Anna, heir to the kingdom of Grecia and granddaughter of the Empress Mnemon.
There are others, who are neither of the Exalted nor mortals: Mary Christian, a seemingly ordinary woman but that she fell from the sky, passing unwillingly from another world through Cruithne and into Creation, and who bears more than a passing resemblance to the former Scarlet Empress; Tjaru Chranatis, a “water spirit” whose memory stretches back to the beginning of time and who, if the ancient lizardman River Shield is to be believed, was an essential player in the usurpation of the Solar Exalted; and finally the most recent addition to the fellowship seeking to save the world is perhaps the most unlikely – the raksha Princess of Jasmine and Pearl, freed from captivity and torment by the Exalts in return for swearing an oath to aid them in reaching Cruithne.
Other, less savoury characters have taken an interest in the return of Cruithne: the Deathlords Mask of Winters and He Who Must Not Be Named were among the first to learn the secrets of the New Star, because of their patronage of the ghost of Sesus Tarkin. Each wishes to seize the awesome power of the flying island for his own purpose, and each has put plans into motion to ensure that, when the dust settles, it is he that takes possession. Like all the Deathlords, they act chiefly through their agents. Mask of Winters has forged a shaky alliance with the movement, and his two Abyssal Exalted (stolen from He Who Must Not Be Named when their alliance ended), Storm of Roses and Shadow of Despair, hold places alongside the Solars in their Deliberative.
He Who Must Not Be Named may have lost two powerful servants, but he remains allied to the ancient and subtle Azræl, renegade Chosen of Endings, and has recently resurrected the slain General Yy, son of Tarkin, to be his lieutenant. Returned to life, Yy is more powerful than before. The last of He Who Must Not Be Named’s minions is Karal Sesus Beloque. What could the Deathlord have offered this outcaste scavenger to secure his allegiance? What else but the promise of resurrection after death as an Abyssal Exalted; a power that is his alone.
The chief enemy of the crusade has not been the Deathlords, however, but rather time itself. After travelling for eleven months from the city of Nexus along the entire course of the Grey River, the travellers arrived in Rathess with less than two weeks to spare. And then they found themselves in the most hostile territory yet, with stalking lizards, fair folk and other nameless horrors still lying between them and their goal. At first they fought their way to an ancient skyship, but it was wrecked. Though they had the knowledge and resources to repair this craft, they lacked the time to do it before the Calibration. After days of bloody struggle and battle with the malevolent raksha Malik Khan, they took possession of a whole tower of these ancient vehicles – but they were all smashed. Finally, careful and clever negotiation with the goddess Relza has gained for them access to her personal stock of flying machines, all perfectly preserved and maintained. At last, the goal seems within reach.
But are they in time?