The Wizardwar

The Wizardwar, by Elaine Cunningham, is the third book in the Counselors & Kings Trilogy.

“

Defeat breeds anger. Hatred breeds revenge.

Once again, the counselors of Halruaa have beaten back an attack by the wizard Akhlaur. Once more, the kingdom has been saved from its enemies.

But victory comes at a terrible price. The aged king is weakened, his powers diminished. His chief counselor Matteo is torn between his duty and his heart. Tzigone, the hero of the battle of Akhlaur's Swamp, has been hurled into a dark world from which she may never escape. And at the edge of time, Akhlaur and his ally, the Magehound, plot their final revenge.

”

Summary[]

Matteo writes a journal entry summarizing events after the battle with Mulhorand, and the difficult task of proving Queen Beatrix's innocence that has been placed before him. He tells of growing doubts and whispers of treason against King Zalathorm Kirkson in light of his wife's accused crimes, and fears a wizardwar: a battle among ambitious wizards to claim the throne of Halruaa.

Kiva dreams of her past as a captive of Akhlaur, recalling when Zalathorm attacked the tower. Zalathorm freed many captives and banished Akhlaur to the Elemental Plane of Water, but Kiva was dragged along with him. She wakes from the dream in the company of Akhlaur.

Zalathorm learns from a massive gem, the Heart of Halruaa, that Akhlaur has returned. He and Matteo question Queen Beatrix, who reveals that she is under an enchantment, one cast not by a person but an object. Zalathorm realizes what she means, but is unable to explain due to a binding wizard-oath.

In a demiplane dominated by the Unseelie, Tzigone is hunted and tormented by Unseelie fey. She finds Dhamari Exchelsor and reclaims her mother's necklace. With it, she attempts to meditate and divine her past, and realizes that her meditation combined with the magic of the Unseelie allows her to experience memories of her mother from Keturah's point of view. She witnesses Keturah as master to Dhamari and Kiva. After a summoning gone wrong, Keturah dismisses Kiva and realizes she was attempting to summon Unseelie fey.

Matteo discovers Andris has escaped his cell. He finds and confronts Andris, who says he only wanted to speak with Matteo. Andris tells Matteo that three powerful wizards once created an artifact, a gem they called the Heart of Halruaa that drew power from trapped elven spirits. He says that the Cabal suspected of ruling Halruaa from the shadows is not a group wizards at all, but the gem, and agrees not to escape again when Matteo promises to destroy the Heart.

Tzigone witnesses more of Keturah's past. She sees Zephyr arrange a marriage between Keturah and Dhamari, and witnesses Dhamari drugging Keturah with various substances to prepare her for a magical pregnancy. When Keturah meets with the greenmage Whendura about her fading magic, Dhamari has Whendura killed in a manner that implicates Keturah. Keturah flees with a necklace given to her by Hessy, a servant, that will shield her from Dhamari. Tzigone takes comfort in the fact that the vision confirmed Dhamari is not her father, as he never slept with Keturah.

Procopio Sceptus uses divination to seek an enemy of Basel Indoulur. He finds Uriah Belajoon, wife of Sinestra, who learned that Basel was the last person to touch Sinestra before she died and assumed he was her killer. Kiva learns from Akhlaur that the Heart of Halruaa can only be destroyed by its three creators, or their descendants. She identifies Matteo, Andris, and Tzigone as these descendants, and plots to capture them. She travels to Halarahh and learns of their whereabouts from Farrah Noor, one of Basel's apprentice's, then murders her and frames Mason, another apprentice. She tries to summon Tzigone, but the spell goes awry and summons Dhamari instead.

Basel discovers a spell to bring someone out of the Unseelie realm by sending another in their place. If the replacement is someone resistant to Unseelie magic, they might be able to leave as well. Basel decides to send Matteo, but the spell requires a lock of hair from an ancestor to be cast. He travels to the site of Tzigone's banishment, where Matteo has traveled with Andris, Themo, and Iago. The laraken appears and kills Iago before vanishing, causing Basel and the surviving jordaini to realize Kiva is still alive.

Zalathorm calls together the Elders and speaks of his desire to investigate the Mulhorandi invasion and who in Halruaa might be responsible. Procopio objects, and Zalathorm realizes that a wizardwar is already in progress. One of Zalathorm's supporters, Rhodea Firehair, the wizard who oversees Halruaa's mint, is assassinated by Dhamari, who then meets with Procopio and blackmails him into an alliance. They plan to have Uriah Belajoon kill Basel, then bring Uriah to justice, as both wizards are supporters of Zalathorm.

Basel tells Matteo of the spell that could save Tzigone. Matteo begins investigating his parentage to find the lock of hair needed for the spell. He first questions Basel, who reveals that he is neither Matteo nor Tzigone's father. He then meets Benn, the peasant who Kiva had undergo the Rite of Purification in his place, and learns which Jordaini master arranged for the swap.

Tzigone witnesses her parents' meeting, and realizes she is a sorcerer. Matteo meets Vishna, his father, who explains that he is the third creator of the Heart of Halruaa along with Zalathorm and Akhlaur. After he freed Kiva from Akhlaur, he swore to help her undo the residual evil of Akhlaur's reign, an oath she used to bind him to her control. He also reveals that Andris is the descendant of Kiva and Akhlaur. He begins to tell Matteo of the Cabal, but the statement triggers a spell that begins to transform him into a lich. He gives Matteo a lock of hair and a clue that lets him divine Tzigone's parentage: daughter of Zalathorm and princess of Halruaa. Akhlaur summons Vishna and prepares to reanimate him as a lich under his control.

Basel sends Matteo to the Unseelie realm. He finds Tzigone, kisses her, and rescues her. They return to Halruaa, but Basel is arrested for Sinestra Belajoon's murder. He tells Tzigone that Sinestra was a former servant of Keturah who helped her escape from Dhamari. Procopio has Basel cleared of the murder charge to enrage Uriah. Tzigone follows him and witnesses him meeting with Dhamari. She confronts him and learns that Beatrix is Keturah. She threatens to expose his murder of Whendura if he acts against her, then sees Matteo, who brings her to Beatrix. Uriah tries to kill Basel but fails, and dies of a heart attack. Tzigone realizes Dhamari was responsible for Sinestra's death. She meets with Zalathorm and discusses her mother. Basel is not accused in the death of Uriah, but the Noor family attacks his tower to avenge Farrah's death by killing Mason. Basel is slain defending the tower, as are many of the Noor. Dhamari arrives after the battle to rob the tower and encounters Tzigone, who reclaims her mother's necklace from him and kills him.

Zalathorm challenges the wizard who cast necromancy spells during the battle with Mulhorand, causing all the different factions to assemble their forces. As Akhlaur arrives with an army, Kiva, and the lich Vishna, Tzigone, Matteo, and Andris destroy the Heart of Halruaa, lifting the enchantments on Beatrix/Keturah’s mind. Kiva sees that the elven spirits have been freed, but realizes that her true goal was vengeance all along. Disgusted with herself and Halruaa, she turns on Procopio and kills him. Vishna takes advantage of Akhlaur’s focus on the battle to reclaim his phylactery and his freedom. To grant Kiva some version of peace, he kills her. When Zalathorm sees the elven spirits, he shatters a smaller version of the Heart of Halruaa that had extended his and Akhlaur’s lifespan, causing both of them to age centuries in an instant. Akhlaur is destroyed, but Tzigone, Keturah, and the elven spirits use spellsong to restore Zalathorm, who explains that his wife Beatrix is really Keturah, and Tzigone is their daughter. The wizards all bow to Zalathorm, their faith and loyalty restored.

After the battle, Matteo tracks down Tzigone disguised as a boy in a tavern. They discuss the ways a princess should act, especially given the talk of establishing a hereditary monarchy in Halruaa.