Ebascus, a nation of gentle folk who walk in the light, has been occupied by the Pilion Empire. Far from deterring their sworn rivals, the Maja, this brutal saber-rattling has done little more than subject innocents to the whims of a cruel, teenaged tyrant. Throughout these war-torn lands, three independent factions pursue the truth among the myth: Sages, Arcans, and Magisters. While some seek only the facts, others will stop at nothing to reveal the falsehoods wherever they are found. With a long-dormant power resurfacing in Ebascus, more is at stake than the direction of humanity's faith. A rebel named Laurel, victimized amid the chaos of the occupation, has sworn revenge against the invaders. Manipulating this to facilitate her own rebirth, a dark goddess called the Shade seizes control of Laurel and forces her into the embrace of Tysane, a Pilion General. With the consequences of their coupling threatening everyone and everything they know, opposing forces must unite to save their future. But can they do what must be done?