Captain Marcius Saylong, a Seeker and strategist of the Order of Aurenvia Tollitch, believes the fractured North must unite with the Order if the West is to survive the rising power of the Eastern Union. After a pirate raid devastates the northern village of Scharr, Saylong leads a retaliatory strike, only to discover a deadly trap. Most of his force is slaughtered. Only Saylong, the fierce northerner Deyra Fjornskara, and the warhog Gurrlan escape.
As Saylong tries to rally the North and hold the Order together, political decay spreads through Haithe. Chalm’s granddaughter Rhodeia is kidnapped, Keis Castle falls to the pirates, and suspicion turns North against South. With the gifted young recruit Kaedryn at his side, Saylong uncovers a conspiracy within the Order itself.
To save the West from civil collapse and looming war with the East, Saylong must expose the traitor, rescue the innocent, and help the North claim its place through blood, sacrifice, and fire.