The Tyrant's time has come.Winter has come to the Five Duchies, a time of bitter cold when noblemen scheme and commoners wonder how to feed themselves through the long, dark months.In the far north, the Warlord Tarjak Rusk stirs his forces, guided by the wizard Xavien, Herald to the dark spirit Andoral Elhonas. Xavien knows that the time has come when the Five Duchies are vulnerable... and with the might of his master behind him, Xavien could conquer the civilized lands as an undisputed tyrant.In the Duchy of Masov, Duke Hector the Usurper faces a civil war, brought on by the survival of Lady Katarina. If he doesn't squash this rebellion with the coming spring, he'll face a war on two fronts. Yet even if he wins victory, it will be a hard fought one against his own people, leaving scars that might never heal or even shattering the Duchy into splinters.The fate of the Five Duchies might well be decided in Masov, but if Hector and Katarina cannot resolve their differences, then they'll only be the first to fall to the raiders from the north. Only if they can unite against him can they seal the fate of the tyrant.