An untold evil once again roams the land and it's up to Khiri and her friends to rally an army. But gathering troops isn't easy when the gods themselves can't agree on the best course of action. Divine forces toss Khiri and her friends into a trial by storm. Estan returns to Jarelton to restore order to a city in turmoil. Reconnecting with old friends, he learns the nobles squabble to find the next heir, while a turf war broils in the city's underbelly. Ullen returns home to reclaim the title and family legacy he rejected fifty years ago. Except his single-minded mother and jealous brother remind him why he never wanted it in the first place. Still, he needs their cooperation to fight what's coming. Swarms of armored Flayers are being outfitted and tossed across borders. Khiri must discover who is behind these enhanced demons and stop them before they shift the crumbling balance of power. Meanwhile, the others divide to support whom they will, straining the limits of their friendship, and testing their bonds. Scattered across the world, the companions race against a deadline. If their separate tasks don't come together before the winter solstice, the path to victory against their awakened foe may be forever lost.