Freelance sell-swords no longer, the Grey Riders are elevated to rank and title for their role in the defeat of the Lich Princess in Helm of Shadows, but they have some unfinished business. Eric Indidarc is driven to atone for the evils of his parents, leaders of the Crossed Swords Assassins Guild. He leads the Riders on a perilous mission to bring them to justice. Meanwhile, the Alenar sisters infiltrate dangerous lands, seeking remnants of ancient royal families who could bring freedom to the oppressed people of the south. In their quest, they discover an ominous plot by the evil Ja'al cult that could mean disaster for the civilized world. Yet, it is the missing Grey Rider, Hlerv the gnome, keeper of the evil Helm of Shadows, whose solitary quest for vengeance could hold the key to it all. Bonded by faith and friendship, the Riders will be sorely tested as they seek to solve the mystery of the Ja'al end-game before it's too late.