Tales of Er’Thu: Dark Night of Ka’Demeh

Dark Night of Ka’Demeh, the inaugural volume in the epic Tales of Er’Thu, masterfully weaves an intricate tapestry of power, control, love, and resilience. Against the backdrop of Er’Thu, a planet ruthlessly colonized and environmentally ravaged by space travelers from Earth, the narrative delves deep into the dual cataclysms of colonization and environmental devastation, offering a beacon of hope, unity, and rebellion. Two centuries after colonization, its original inhabitants are on the verge of obliteration. As the settlers grapple with a virulent plague, they cling to a draconian religious order led by Ata Nura. With the fierce Commander Aranver and crafty Governor Copal at his side, Ata Nura segregates the ailing and impoverished, banishing them to the Lower Plains under the pretense of divine retribution. In this oppressive climate, the regime employs a sinister method of control: fibrium, a drug that numbs the populace of the Upper Plains into docility. Disguised in their water, it erodes memories and malleability. Disturbingly, a permanent variant of fibrium is on the horizon, which could irrevocably modify human biology to cement this subservience. Amidst the privileged denizens of the Upper Plains is Tulip, a newly minted history teacher at a prestigious school. While many in the Upper Plains have comfortably forgotten or ignored the plight of those in the Lower Plains, Tulip's connection runs deep. Her father and brother were among those banished during the Plague's onset. In a move of profound love and sacrifice, her mother, a healer of souls, relocated to the Lower Plains to tend to them. There, she operates a bar, aided by three old men, former close friends of her husband. Regularly, Tulip braves the journey to the Lower Plains to visit her family, maintaining a bond few dare to preserve. On one such trip, Tulip's life takes a transformative turn as she encounters Ilhan. An enigmatic figure driven by a quest to find his sister Leilah and the elusive "Bird," Ilhan is haunted by his father's legacy – the chief scientist of Ka'Demeh who created both the plague and the mind-altering fibrium. Their alliance not only reshapes Tulip's worldview but also awakens her to the grotesque manipulations of the ruling regime. As their paths become inexorably intertwined, their shared mission crystallizes: source the antidote to fibrium, dispel the regime's lies, and spearhead a rebellion.