First Fall

First Fall is a historical fiction set in the near future and 60,000 years in the past. It hints at later books when a man named Randall Devens wakes up in a place that he's certain isn't his home; it's alien, yet incredible. Although he can't remember any details concerning his present life, he vividly recalls living during a time in Earth’s early history. The land belonged to an incredible civilization, filled with technology and magic, having disappeared long ago, but it is still real to him, as vivid in his memory as if he were living there. Would he ever remember anything about his present life? The handful of people around him assured him that those memories will soon return, so he decides to record everything he remembers about that ancient time, the time leading up to that civilization’s first fall.

What land was that? you may ask. If I told you Atlantis, most people would instantly recall a once great civilization that perished into the ocean’s depths when her people became corrupt. Little of that memory is true, though. The Atlanteans founded their civilization on the continent of At-lan; she and her capital Atlantis, the first city of humankind, became synonymous during the tens of thousands of years the Atlantean civilization thrived. Yes, the continent did sink beneath the waves, but not the first time — or because her people were corrupt. How many people does it take to bring about the fall of an entire civilization — a million, a thousand, or just one? First Fall recounts the lives and deaths of three people during the 1st Age of Atlantis; one man who unwittingly brought about the first destruction of the Atlantean civilization, and two friends who tried to turn him from his dark journey.

During the 1st Age, when the gods of legend called At-lan home, the Atlanteans developed technology with the best of intentions, but grew it rapidly beyond their understanding. As marvelous as the technology of the time was, magic also existed. Such magic was the mental power of the gods, entrusted only to men known as priests, direct descendents of the first son of Poseidon, wielded by them for the benefit of all Atlanteans. For the average Atlantean, the technology of Atlantis made life carefree, yet the magical Fire of the gods that burned for all eternity in the Temple of Poseidon was foretelling the end of that Age.

Selected to become priests during the early years of the 1st Age, Domocelis and Magnis shared incredible powers, but vastly different views of how to use those powers. After seventy years together on the road, they parted company; Magnis found the lure of the Atlantean Army attractive; Domocelis turned to the simple life of a farmer. Love refused denial, making one life out of two when Domocelis met the widow Tomalin. Sixteen years after joining, Domocelis and Tomalin shared vows of eternal love before the Fire of the gods. The sincerity of their vows made them binding, ensuring that the entities would receive the chance to find each other in each life that followed. At the same time, fate brought Magnis into their lives, only long enough to ensure the intertwining of all their lives throughout future incarnations.

Friendships are forged and allies made, even among the gods; adventures are abundant, lives are ruined, and death is always nearby. Even the eventual end of the 1st Age of Atlantis holds a dramatic surprise that has evaded history, until now.