Pillars of Crossing - The Ongoing Saga of Raven Blackstaff and the Companions, #1

This is the first book of a fifteen book series.  It is subtitled as 'The Ongoing Saga of Raven Blackstaff and the Companions'.   This is how it all begins.  For years Jonathan has enjoyed the Renaissance fairs and had participated in them since he first became a teenager.  He had finished college and was now in his last full summer of working with the fair.  He was to be married soon and start a life with a woman he fallen in love with.  He was to see her in just a few weeks and was looking forward to being with her again.
When he finished working at the festival in Florida he would be heading home to Dallas so that they could begin their life  together.   As he looked up, he realized that it was time to put on a demonstration showing how a man with a staff would fight a man with a sword.  It was one of the shows that he often played a part in almost every day.   As the performance began his life and his plans were changed foreven.  A a large warrior called him out during an exhibition at the fair.
What was intended to be a simple exhibition of swordsman against a man with a long staff changed into a life and death struggle. A friend was killed and he was told that there was someone who wanted him to die.  From that moment in time he would be chased by those who will do anything necessary to kill him.  In a moment of safety his friend told him that he could trust no one.   He also shared that his only way of being safe was to obtain a black book that had a map in it that could direct him to a place where he could be safe.  His friend quickly told him that his close friend in El Paso would have the mysterioius black book.   Jonathan, who was from an adoptive home, found out that he was something other than what he thought he was.
 He indeed had a biological family, but it was in a distant land..another place and now he had to find them or die.  Little did he know that he was all that stood in the way of a great evil in his true family faced.  In his home land a great prophet had predicted that:  "When the evil comes the Chosen One will die.  From the Chosen will come one much greater. He too will have the mark of the Raven, and will be accompanied by one who never sleeps." With that prophecy setting the scene, so begins the story of Raven Blackstaff and the companions.
 According to Pernius, Raven must identify companions that will help him, find large groups of people who will provide warriors to help overcome the evil in the land and he must put the rightful rulers back on their respective thrones.  All of this and more had to be accomplished so he can stop the tide of evil that will soon sweep across the land of his biological family plunging it into a pervasive darkness and destroying all that is good.
 Initially, Raven meets a warrior Elf, a beautiful temple cleric, a powerful druid, a ranger of great skill and a powerful sorcerous who are all caught up in helping him accomplish his tasks.   He ultimately  meets a mysterious woman who has amazing powers that he has to ally himself with.  In doing so, he may find one of his greatest resources to help take back the kingdoms.  One of his greatest problems is that he is no great warrior and cannot protect himself well.
  His enemies are many, they seem to know where he is and are committed to killing him.  As this series begins, Raven's first task is to find those who will help him as he attempts to take back the kingdoms while making sure that he isn't killed in the process.  He has to find help or he is doomed.   So begins the saga of Raven Blackstaff and the Companions.