War is coming.

Lady Katarina Emberhill is the eldest child of Duke Peter, the rightful ruler of the Duchy of Masov. The Usurper killed her father and family when he seized power, leaving her with few friends and fewer allies and to grow to adulthood in exile. She returns to her homeland and make things right emboldened by an offer of reconciliation.

Yet things are not as they seem and the Usurper's men attempt to kill her again, leaving her on the run, a fugitive in her own lands. She's faced with one of two choices: retreat back into exile and allow her people and lands to suffer under the Usurper's mercenaries... or to stand and fight. To fight, she'll need to build an army.

But Katarina has far more enemies than she realizes. Forces are at work behind the scenes. The same forces that destroyed the protective High Kings almost a thousand cycles earlier have now turned their attention to her. They'll stir forth demons and monsters, marshal hordes of barbarians, and try to assassinate Katarina and others who stand against them. Katarina is one more pawn in the game they play, a game which will leave civilization in ruins forever.

She'll need to muster allies to stand against those who would destroy her and the lands she loves. She and those like her will need to stand against the darkness... in an echo of the High Kings.