Recovering An'nay from the hands of the Palorians wasn't enough. Ghennit's offer of protection for the Halflings, by the way of Khanahar, wasn't enough either. Most galling was Brezlin's lackluster response to this new enemy's attack. A real leader would never have stepped back, trusting someone else would protect and save them. All the hell he'd just been through was for what? Whashota's mind screamed with fury. His heart ached with pain. His body burned with the need to take action. Retribution would be swift and exact.

On the other side of the border, Tormen discovers that he, too, must face the overwhelming reach of Palorian influence, which threatens to consume them in a civil war. After finally being privy to new information, he learns of the many schemes the Palorians have enacted to take over everything his father, Tut'Rik, had worked so hard to acquire. Knowing this enemy must be stopped, Tormen questions what it will cost him to do so.

It will take more than one individual to put an end to the Palorian threat. But who will make the first move?