Oleg Yakovlev’s "Masks of the Black Harlequin," a summary Automatic translate

This dark fantasy novel was written in 2011 by Oleg Yakovlev and co-authored by Vladimir Torin . The book describes the fates of kings, necromancers, elves, and noble knights, thrown into a brutal maelstrom of intrigue, betrayal, and battle. The state of Ronstrad is torn apart by civil war and a merciless undead invasion.

This is the fourth novel in the literary series "The Chronicles of a Broken Mirror." Other novels in the cycle include "Time of Troubles," "The Raven’s Heart," "Where the False Faces Are," and "The Martlet and the Serpent."

Events unfold against the backdrop of a major crisis in the state of Ronstrad. The Dark Lord Dekker Gordem is gathering armies of the undead to exact brutal revenge for the destruction of the Order of the Hand and Sword. An armed rebellion is brewing within the country. Prominent barons, led by Duke William Valor, are plotting to overthrow the ruling Laurent dynasty by force.

The Fate of the Elven Lord

The elven lord Mertinger arrives in the gloomy port city of Sar-Ithiad under the assumed name of Mithlond. This town openly despises casual travelers with its thieving nature. The elf stubbornly searches for the former centurion of the royal army, Lognir Arvest. Finding himself in the Dagger and Coin tavern, the wanderer engages in a bloody conflict with local bandits. The stranger brutally deals with the corsairs of the pirate Raifen. Soon, the elf purchases the cursed vampire horse Talon from a street vendor. The lord already possesses the ancient demonic blade Adomnan, eternally thirsty for blood.

The hunter learns from the innkeeper, Yldiz Tagur, that Lognir has sailed south. The elf immediately hurries after him. Along the way, he is joined by the gypsy Martin, the son of the old man Karem. The elf is reluctant to take a companion, but the ar-ka firmly insists on the right to follow him. During a night attack by three ancient vampires, Mertinger miraculously survives. The sword Adomnan awakens its true form, Hunger, and helps defeat the monsters. The elf confidently continues his pursuit of the mysterious enemy destroying human lives.

Prisoners of the Dead Lands

Lognir Arvest himself, along with a squad of orcs and humans, is captured by Briar the Blindfly. Blindfly leads a group of ruthless witch hunters from the secret brotherhood of hierophants. Among the captives are also the wounded sea chieftain Gsharg and the warrior Garra. The squad finds itself in ruined Tiriahad, a dead city of the former Dark Empire, thickly covered in ash. Due to a magical error, the hunters are attacked by hordes of undead and hungry vampires.

Defending themselves against the undead and a swarm of carnivorous bats, Lognir and his companions hide in an old cellar. There, they are overtaken by the ancient bloodsucker Llar Valens. An ancient spell cast by the dead sorcerer Justinian is activated in the midst of the battle, plunging all survivors into eternal sleep. Meanwhile, the goblin Gark has escaped capture and missed Lognir. He wanders the ruins for a long time and discovers an ancient statue of an elven goddess in the forest. A kind spirit in the form of the Black Fox directs the small goblin north for help.

Conspiracies and the fall of the capital

Instreld the Fifth Laurent’s power weakens with each passing day. The king arrives incognito in Sar-Itiad in the pouring rain. He hopes to discover the fate of the missing head of the secret guard, Briar Casemate. The local mayor, Reine Anecto, nicknamed the Night King, receives the sovereign in his home. The traitor poisons the monarch with a sleeping potion and throws him in an underground prison. Rebel barons, led by Duke William Valor, rise in rebellion. They seize the capital, Gorten, mercilessly burning the barracks of the royal soldiers.

Queen Beatrice of Istar attempts to escape with her young son, Richard. The fugitives find themselves caught in the thick of a bloody battle. The queen’s protector, the young knight Luther Mitternail, bravely fights the rebels on the palace steps. In the midst of the battle, the jester Chicot comes to Beatrice’s aid. In reality, he is Reyna Anecto’s brother, and his real name is Richard. The former jester helps the queen escape. Richard then kills the Night King with a crossbow shot, takes his place as head of the thieves’ guilds, and frees the exhausted Instreld V and his longtime lover, Marie.

Black Harlequin

The king’s cousin, Prince Clarence Laurent, has been leading a double life for many years. He has long posed as the necromancer Magnus Greyeyes, known in Umbrelstadt as the Black Harlequin. The prince spies on Decker Gordem, secretly passing valuable information to the crown. The Dark Lord entrusts Greyeyes with a dangerous mission in the Land of Death. The mage is to retrieve an ancient book from the dead sorcerer Cain, also known as the White Spider. He is then ordered to eliminate his mentor, the Black Patriarch Semailin Lysem.

Magnus retrieves the cursed silver spindle from another necromancer, Arsen Bloodspindle. He then infiltrates the tower and engages in a brutal battle with the monstrous Grehegar Revelian. After defeating the werewolf, Gray-Eyes falls into Semailin’s illusory trap. Clarence sees horrific images of tortured widows and dead children. The prince realizes the futility of his years-long struggle and the depths of his own degradation. For the love of Lady Agrain de Not, the prince commits suicide by plunging the cursed spindle into himself. According to the terms of the black magic, this blow also instantly kills Arsen.

Knights and Duty

The humble knight James Dawson rescues Lady Isabella de Vancourt from a ferocious ogre. The young paladin falls head over heels in love with her sister, Ineln. Soon, knightly duty calls him to the stronghold of the Order of the Sacred Flame. At the conclave, the senior commanders depose his liege lord, Ildiar de Not, accusing him of excessive political involvement. Sir James refuses to accept the post of Grand Master at the hands of hypocrites. He leaves the White Castle and journeys into the An-Har desert in search of Ildiar.

Meanwhile, the former Grand Master himself is forced to travel with the eastern merchant Sahid Aliri. Sir Ildiar is unaware that the merchant is a devoted servant of the Hierophant Masks. The merchant poisons the knight with a potion to fulfill a cruel bargain. Sahid must shed the blood of an efreet to regain his soul. Sir James rushes to his mentor’s aid on the orders of Archmage Tian.

The end of illusions

Dekker Gordem infiltrates Istar and kidnaps the young Prince Richard. The necromancer kills Luther Mitternail with a vile dagger thrust into the chest. The curse of the ancient family is successfully fulfilled. However, the vampire Ileas brings the brave knight back to life, transforming him into a Nosferatu. Beatrice of Istar, in tears, agrees to this horrific ritual to save her protector. The Dark Lord, riding on his bat, Cryo, brings the child to the ruins of Elagon.

Little Richard accidentally takes control of a gigantic army of the undead. He views the terrifying legionnaires as mere clockwork toys and forces them to fight each other. Having lost control of the vast armada, an enraged Dekker disbands his troops. The Black Lord leaves the annoying child with Countess Catherine de Soulesse in a forest tower. In the final scene, the necromancer brings the dead body of Clarence Laurent to Lady Agraina on the ramparts of Darenloth Castle. Realizing the magnitude of her loss, the grief-stricken woman remains to mourn her beloved. Dekker disappears into the stormy sky.