Valerian is the solemn Keeper of the Ninth Bell, an ancient instrument sounded only when Ravenmere faces a danger unseen by ordinary eyes. Scholar, guardian and master of forbidden histories, he came to Ravenmere from the distant southern realm of Africana, beneath the Southern Cross, carrying little more than a collection of sealed manuscripts and a ring of nameless keys.

Before his arrival, Ravenmere was a volatile place where crime flourished, corruption reached from the market stalls to the council chamber, and honest folk learned to bar their doors before nightfall. Valerian appointed himself Gatekeeper of Ravenmere and set about restoring order with quiet resolve. Criminal dealings were exposed, corrupt officials driven from office and the old laws made to serve the people once more.

Under his watchful eye, Ravenmere has flourished. Its roads are safer, its markets prosper and travellers again pass through its gates without fear. Valerian neither seeks applause nor asks permission to fulfil the duty he has claimed; he judges his success by the peace kept beneath his tower.

Yet questions remain. Valerian reveals little about the life he left in Africana, the authority by which he declared himself Gatekeeper, or the true purpose of the Ninth Bell. Each night he climbs the secluded tower and waits beside the silent instrument, carrying a key whose lock has long been lost – or carefully concealed.