In 1868, lumber was in great demand for rebuilding after the Civil War. Rossburg, Pennsylvania was a frontier town abundant in timber. Overnight, small sawmill owners became millionaires, and the boundaries of the inner circle were drawn. By 1877, the golden age of the lumber barons is in full swing. Scottish immigrant and sawmill worker Ian Douglas falls in love with a powerful lumber baron's daughter and dares to challenge those societal boundaries. When he is rebuffed, humiliated, and threatened with the loss of his job, he embarks on a ruthless quest for wealth, power, and social acceptance and engages in a dangerous game with the elites that will have rippling effects throughout the community. How much will he pay to play? How much is he willing to sacrifice to win?