Hawkril the mighty warrior, Embra the beautiful sorceress, and Craer the crafty thief mourn their lost companion but now must forge new alliances in their roles as overdukes of Aglirta, a land that has been torn asunder by double-crossing royals, savage warlords, and sinister high priests.

Now the kingdom is threatened by a mystical berserker plague that is promoting anarchy among the citizenry, while serpentine acolytes move in the shadows to try and resurrect a new Serpent.

Will a new Dragon rise to vanquish it? And if so, who will it be, and can it avoid the fate of its predecessor?

The fate of Aglirta lies in balance in the triumphant conclusion of this cycle of Band of Four novels.