"As the artist mourns his fortune So the Dynasty falls to crumble, And the two branches snatch asunder" On the night Emperor Nero draws his last breath, a wave of destruction sweeps the Roman Empire to dust. The shining jewel of the West vanishes without a trace and so does change the course of History. A millennia later, and the dark Inquisition roams the lands but it hunts far more than public heresies. Tensions rise and somewhere far below the earth, an Ancient Madness stirs in its sleep. You are a recent member of The White Company, a mercenary guild on the far side of the law. Your job consists mostly of hunting artifacts and roaming ruins that the Church has forbidden to mention. One of your expeditions, however, leads you down a path that is much deeper than you ever anticipated. Do you believe in destiny? The first book is published!