Demordin, a dark elven noble, returns to the family mansion after 20 years at the warrior academy. His mother who is the head of the House, hated mages already before he left but upon his return he finds out that it has escalated. He comes to realize that his birthright and position as well as that of his House is at stake and his siblings are too pre-occupied by petty squabbles to save the House. His sense of urgency slowly grows as he gradually discovers more about the present conditions during his struggles to navigate the web of intrigue and betrayals around him. He embarks upon a course to become a true power within the House and rectify the disastrous developments of the last decades. But will he be able to move fast enough or will another House destroy them before he can enact his plans? The story of the book takes place in a subterranean dark elven city, Tazardriulen, with values and ethos that are completely different from those of the human society. It is a society where a brew of deceit and multilayered plots complemented by assassinations and swift violence provide the principal way for elevation and prosperity. In many stories evil is often stupid and short sighted and ultimately it succumbs to the forces of good. The dark elves, or drow, in Perilous Paths represent a completely different type of evil; elegant and graceful they are very intelligent masters of intrigue, hatching multi-layered far-reaching plots. They are very driven with high ambitions to rise above their peers and they constantly maneuver for advancement, both personally and for their House. Tazardriulen is a flourishing city that has survived for millennia. But it is an extremely dangerous place, especially for those who are not dark elves. It is breathtakingly beautiful, situated in a gigantic cavern far beneath the surface of the world, in the underdark. Dark elves are highly skilled in magic and most of their city has been constructed through the use of this magic. Many of the buildings are made of obsidian or dark stone with soaring slender towers, decorated by menacing gargoyles and faint magical illuminations.
