Something dark is moving in distant nations, and great and ancient powers ready themselves for a final confrontation. A Dark Queen has raised a standard in remote lands and is gathering armies of unmatched might.

Into this battleground of good and evil comes a band of 'desperate men', among them, Erik, bastard son of the Baron of Darkmoor and his boyhood friend, Roo. They join with Calis, neither man nor elf, a being of incredible strength and skills who is apparently ageless; Calis's right hand man, Robert de Loungville who is willing to die for his master - and kill for him as well; Luis the Rodezian, Billy Goodwin and Sho-pi - each with his own reasons for embarking on a quest that is at best dangerous and at worst suicidal.

These six join a company of condemned criminals, disguised as mercenaries, whose only hope for survival is to travel to face this ancient power and discover its true nature. With them travel Nakor the Isalani, the gambler who knows more magic than most magicians, yet who claims magic doesn't exist. He alone knows the true nature of the Dark Queen whose shadow threatens to engulf their world.

And there is the mysterious Miranda upon whom all must wager their lives. She appears to be an ally but knows much more than she is willing to tell.Does she have a hidden agenda of her own? And will she prove ally or even more deadly foe when the final confrontation is at hand?