Malthus Kierin always dreamed of adventuring, of making his mark upon the world of Kalan. After he earns his robe and staff, rewards for passing the tests required to become a wizard, the door to his dreams stands open. However, a nightmare lurks on the other side, a black-hearted wizard who, along with his vile undead minions, systematically assassinates all of Kalan's heroes, and then hunts Malthus. After a narrow and expensive victory that nearly split Malthus's band of companions apart, they control the Stone of Zoral, a powerful artifact that can reverse the tide of darkness sweeping across the land. A decisive battle approaches as the enemy's forces converge on the few remaining outposts of free peoples remaining in Kalan. Can the Merranai of prophecy, wielding the Stone, reclaim lands lost and avert an age of darkness?