Vallen, once a member of the king's shrikes, now stands accused of treason against the Kingdom of Erishum. Alongside four others, he has been condemned to serve as a sacrifice to the monstrous hyva that roam the Dying Wilds. His only hope for survival is a shadowy map and religious amulet his childhood friend Nyssa slipped him. Despite terrible odds, Vallen manages to escape from the sacrificial mound, but not before uncovering a terrible secret...