Katabasis (from the Greek kata, "down" and bainein, "to go") is a journey of ashes, a descent into the underworld, a confrontation with mortality. On a trip to Egypt, Tom O'Ryan encounters a mysterious young girl who guides him through the treacherous terrain of the dark night of the soul. Together they sail the moonlit waters of the Nile to revive the archaic Mystery rites at an ancient island temple. But first Tom must face not only his own inner demons, but also the outer demons that rule our world, the intra-species predators that feed on our ignorance.