A Wizard in Chaos

Magnus D'Armand and his companion, Dirk DuLaine, arrive on Durvie to find a world without a central government, making their usual revolutionary tactics of overthrowing an unjust regime impossible. They seek to bring peace and order to the planet, but face a unique challenge in a society where constant warfare is the norm.

Magnus discovers the "Fair Folk," who live in the countryside's "Hollow Hills" and appear to use magic, are actually a high-tech group of the original colonists who have been manipulating the other inhabitants. Gar exposes their duplicity and works to unify the various factions, eventually succeeding in establishing a sensible government. In a personal twist, his companion Dirk falls in love with a local freedom show more fighter and decides to settle down on Durvie, leaving Gar to continue his interstellar mission alone. show less

Magnus and Dirk find themselves on another planet - this one in a constant state of war between various fiefdoms. The peasantry has been ground into the turf between the wars that ravage their lands, the soldiers and lordlings that ravish their women and the armies that conscript their young men. In fact, the only real hope that anyone has is to become a successful mercenary (for the men) or to become a successful prostitute (for the women). Of course, Dirk and Magnus can't let this one pass - but they can't figure out where to start the seeds of revolution, when the planet is constantly at war. Until they learn about the faerie folk...

This is where Dirk drops off, having met his ideal woman. It's odd that even knowing his skills and show more abilities, he still doubted his own worth - apparently the curse of being a churl is to ever doubt your own worth no matter what your accomplishments. And so Magnus continues on alone... show less