Stepping on Arbitos — Nathan Cardwell

Sarah Hoffman is introduced to the civilian, somewhat nerdish computer scientist, Doctor Orval B. Kwibee, who has been disavowed by his military employers following the accident that led not only to Sarah's husband's and brother's having entered a catatonic state, but also to the similar entrapment of a quarter-million other role-players, who, the Doctor predicts, will remain trapped until the IBOT program is allowed to complete whatever mysterious internal objectives it has set for itself. Sarah reluctantly accepts Kwibee's seemingly ridiculous account. Even more reluctantly, she volunteers to participate by making an unauthorized entry into the now militarily controlled project.

Sarah opens her eyes to behold the alien world of Nirayel as she occupies the body of the computer-generated Paladin, Selina Valorous, who just happens to be a personal, if not precisely genial comrade-in-arms to Borin Krue.

At long last, Borin completes his arduous journey home, though it would appear that his unfortunate association with a certain infernal Druid is to persist, as he and the individual he scathingly refers to as "fleabag" have both been selected to serve in respective ambassadorial capacities.

While the leaders of Arbitos and Spurious Grove prepare to commemorate their upcoming alliance, dark mischief is afoot both above and below the streets of Arbitos. As Empire agents seek to sabotage an association that could very well put an end to their plans for invasion, their superiors determine that both of the newly appointed Ambassadors must die.

Sarah attends the Ambassadorial Inauguration under the escort of her good friend Marcus, a well-meaning fellow Paladin whose interest in Selina escalates directly after her disgusted condemnation of Borin's liaison with a barmaid. Still confused by that strange turn of events, she encounters Jesterwolf, who also happens to be the character template for her brother, Jesse. What follows is an unforeseen failure on the program's part to discern a similarity in neuro-pathways often found in relatives, especially siblings.

Arbitos is suddenly attacked by the Dark Empire. Enemies burst through an exploded section of stone wall surrounding the city. Having been caught unaware, the people of Arbitos cannot hope to prevail. Their only option is to evacuate the city, assuming that an avalanche of bloodthirsty Dark-elves doesn't overtake them first.

The pace quickens, the plot thickens, and Borin Krue's problems have only just begun as Book Two of the Rendering Nirayel series continues to expand the horizons of a world seemingly more real than the one he can't remember.