R. D. Castleberry weaves a mystical world where pure and dark magic collide, entwining the dualities of good and evil within hidden ancestral secrets in his fantasy debut, The Distinguished: The Tale of Making A Gentleman. 

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The Genesis:  

Centuries before Sevyn’s birth, a violent clash erupted between his ancestors, the Yoroso and the Chini, collectively known as the East River People. This brutal conflict ignited a mystical war that shattered their bloodlines, banishing the Chini to a realm of darkness and decay.

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Driven by greed and a hunger for dominion, Umbara, Chief of the Chini, sought control of the East River, the source of life for the land of Mumbeka and its people. He lured King Azande, ruler of the Yoroso, with promises of wealth and eternal strength, claiming the sacred waters could elevate their bloodlines if placed under Chini rule. Outsiders would be forced to pay a levy to access the river’s healing magic. King Azande refused, declaring, “The East River is for all people.”

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Blinded by ambition, Umbara turned to the dark magic of the Celestial Witch, pleading for the destruction of King Azande and the Yoroso bloodline. The Witch answered, summoning an ancient darkness so powerful it birthed an army of soul-siphoning spirits known as the Nefarites, creatures no man had ever faced. In response, King Azande called upon the Elders and their ancestors to empower the Yoroso with magic strong enough to fight back.

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From that divine call emerged the Kendali, an elite faction known as THE DISTINGUISHED. King Azande appointed Yoroso warriors, both men and women, to wield sacred magic and defend Mumbeka. They battled the Witch’s curse, which had transformed the Chini into Nefarites, the deathly shadows that fed on souls.

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Umbara’s lust for power would cost him everything. He and the Chini were exiled to the Stygian, forbidden by a magical covenant from ever coexisting or bearing children with the Yoroso. Umbara himself was forever barred from crossing into Earth’s realm.

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Centuries later, the birth of a half-blood, Sevyn, would shatter the exile decree. His birth tore open a

keyhole in the covenant, releasing Umbara, whose cursed heart beats with vengeance. Sevyn’s father, Eli,

one of the Kendali, is forced to make the ultimate sacrifice, leaving behind his newborn son and wife,

paying the price for a love that defied the covenant protecting Earth from eternal darkness.

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Unbeknownst to Sevyn, he was born into a destiny far greater than he could imagine. Through cryptic dreams, he begins to uncover the truth of his father’s death and the hidden legacy of his bloodline. Each vision becomes a portal through time, past, present, and future, revealing the cosmic origins of his power.

 

Sevyn is the next generation of Kendali, THE DISTINGUISHED, and he must rise to protect the Yoroso legacy, break the Witch’s curse, and stop the return of Umbara.