Nothing is quite right in the mighty Empire of Zanuth-Karun, and Serdaro Ashosu knows it. The elders of his tribe are uneasy; the Llorani whisper behind closed doors. Something is brewing in Sayis, and Serdaro is determined to find out what it is.

But rumors cannot be trusted, and even the greatest of men may fall to temptation when power is at stake. What starts with an innocent question ends with the collapse of a great age, and sends the world plummeting into battle with a terrible evil, forcing Serdaro to make an agonizing decision when the fate of the future is suddenly thrust into the hands of the young Moreivi.

This is the prequel to The Last Death of Tev Chrisini, set in the twilight days of the Empire.