Six hundred years ago, an unknown force destroyed one of the greatest fortresses in Ithelas, slaughtering its defenders so swiftly that none survived to say what befell them. Unaware of the danger among those ancient ruins, two inexperienced Illuminers set out for the village of Carden Vale, at foot of Duradh Mal, to minister to the people. The warrior Asharre, her face scarred by loss, is assigned to protect the young clerics. But in Carden Vale they find unspeakable horrors--the first hint of a terrifying ghost story come true.

The Sun Knight Kelland has been set free by the woman he loves, the archer Bitharn, but at the cost of undertaking a mission only he can fulfill. Joined by a Thornlord steeped in the magic of pain, they too make their way to Duradh Mal. There lies the truth behind the rumors of the dead come back to life, flesh ripped from bones, and creatures destroying themselves in a violent frenzy.

And if Kelland cannot contain the black magic that has been unleashed after six hundred years, an entire world will fall victim to a Mad God\'s malevolent plague...