Origins Rising

An asteroid almost destroys life on earth, erasing technology overnight. The few survivors must adapt to survive a harsh new world, and they do. As the planet heals over millions of years, humanity's descendants evolve into three distinct species.

The erdwons are plains people, sprinters with cheetah-like legs and long tails for counterbalance. The skywons are flyers, split into the feudal dayflyers and the reclusive nightflyers. As for the feshwons, they returned to the water.

Three separate human species, each with its own culture, religious beliefs, and internal politics, nonetheless maintain an uneasy, long-standing peace.

A mysterious force, however, threatens erdwon, feshwon, and skywon alike. Erdwon clans are disappearing, leaving no trace of their passing. Something is taking them...but why?

For Tor, a young erdwon, the disappearances are troubling, but they pale against the challenges of adolescence. The fourteen-year-old must cope with constant bullying from his cousin, and has just been surprised with a dangerous traditional rite of passage.

Tor doesn't need more problems, but a chance encounter by the edge of a steep cliff pits him against the force behind the disappearances. Tor has a chance to save erdwon, skywon, and feshwon alike, but first he needs to survive.