In the conclusion of the story that began in "Shards", Mercy, Bernard, and their allies must face a horror that once ravaged the continent, then make a perilous journey across the mountainous Fists to confront the enemy who unleashed it. Along the way they discover that the quest they are on may not be the quest they started, that the opponent they must ultimately defeat may not be the one they expected, and that the cost of failure may be much higher than they imagined.