Zandru's Forge - Setting

Setting

Main article: Darkover

Zandru's Forge is set in Darkover's "Hundred Kingdoms" era. It is an era blurred in with the Ages of Chaos at the tail end. Breeding programs are no more, but wars are still fought with terrible Laran weapons. The events in this book start about 20 years after the end of The Fall of Neskaya. One part of it overlaps with Hawkmistress! as it contains Carolin Hasturs exile and the part where Romilly McAran joins his band. It also describes the early life of Varzil Ridenow (aka Varzil the Good) so events take place before Two To Conquer.

Rumail Deslucido has survived and with him his hatred for the Hastur clan which he instills in all his sons. His youngest son Eduin MacEarn enters Arilinn and tries to gain the friendship of Carolin Hastur, the nephew and heir to King Felix, in order to kill Carolin. But Carolin makes friends with Varzil Ridenow and together they share the dream to ban all laran weapons from Darkover when Carolin is king and Varzil a keeper. But when King Felix dies, Carolin's cousin Rakhal declares himself as king and outlaws Carolin. Meanwhile Eduin succeeds in killing Felicia Leynier, Varzil's lover and the sole surviving child of Taniquel Hastur-Acosta.