Because Life Begins after Level 17 … right?

Teal Peggotty’s got it made. He’s mastered his aquatic magic—more or less—survived a series of death-defying adventures, and been handsomely rewarded for his troubles. Plus, he’s over the moons about his relationship with longtime crush Caedmon, a dreamy bard he’s known since childhood.

Hence, a vacation to their native Talpin looks like the perfect chance to exit their high-stakes, high-pressure lifestyle: why not quit while you’re ahead?

But is Talpin really the idyll Teal remembers? Going home means he has to figure out how to come out to his family and explain his unfinished studies to his mentors. And even after all his adventuring, he’s no wiser about the source of his elemental powers.

Besides, pushed to modernize by an enterprising group of business owners, the once-sleepy island is changing, too. As ambitions collide, new alliances beckon, and old secrets surface, Teal’s relationship with Caedmon is tested by the complexities of living in a diverse, evolving community.

Have they escaped the perils of adventuring only to find an equally daunting—and no less complicated—set of challenges at home?

When the situation escalates, debate devolves into a dangerous struggle over Talpin’s most fiercely guarded treasure: the Crystal of Mekhala. Holding a clue to Teal’s origins, the crystal also unleashes a destructive side to his power that could threaten the very existence of the island.

Even if they manage to work out their personal issues in time, can Teal and Caedmon prevent an ancient cycle of betrayal and retribution from repeating itself?

Teal's school essay, "My best friend Caedmon"

From Caedmon’s leather satchel: a prize-winning school-essay written by the 16-year-old Teal. When Caedmon asked to read it, Teal was thrilled; he mailed the essay to his friend and was a little disappointed when Caedmon never mentioned the essay again. But Caedmon did read it, and he kept the yellowing sheet as a memento of his friend.

Ferryman's log, entry #1

Teal learned to channel his elemental magic at the Tangled Depths, a venerable institution that rises out of the ocean about three miles away from Talpin. As part of its curriculum, the Tangled Depths requires every student to undertake a practicum known as the Journey of Self-Formation, often involving an attachment to a settlement or organization on the mainland.

For his Journey, Teal traveled to the Glade, a small outpost at the northernmost boundary of the queendom, where he apprenticed himself to one Uriah Styx, the village’s lockkeeper and ferryman (hence the title of Teal’s journal, The Ferryman’s Log). It was during this apprenticeship that Teal met a motley crew of adventurers who eventually became his close friends and traveling companions. In his first journal entry, Teal reflects on an encounter with bandits, which occurs while the party is traveling downriver by boat.

"The Crypt of Blood"

A cozy-ish, YA fantasy rendition of the dungeon crawl, a beloved sequence in D&D in which adventurers explore a labyrinthine environment while battling monsters and hunting for loot. Teal and his friends stumble across a mysterious crypt literally dripping in blood–will they risk everything for the promise of treasure or GTFO while they still can?

Ferryman’s Log, Entry #2: "Teal in the City"

In many D&D adventures, the city is a labyrinth writ large, full of mystery, danger, and possibility. Recording impressions from his first visit to the royal city of Dranseri, this journal entry captures Teal’s sense of entering a brave new world. At the same time, Dranseri holds the promise of a longed-for reunion for Teal–and the impossible hope that an old friendship might become something more.

"Where the River Meets the Sea"

Briefly reunited in the bustling city of Dranseri, Teal finally comes out about his feelings for Caedmon. How does Caedmon react to this revelation? Can he reciprocate? More importantly, will he?