When his home is destroyed by a jarock Alwyn, a potboy from Green Delving, is stuck on the wrong side of the mountains with a band of mercenaries, a twelve year old ogre and with the ghost of an insane ancient dwarven slayer, Thorgrim Ironarm, haunting his head.In the capital city of Rhull a princess goes missing and Marius Rectus, a lowly deputy sheriff and his loyal dog, Boot, are sent to find her, unaware that someone has been sent to find them too.Alwyn and Marius must adventure from different ends of the Empire to take home an ogre, rescue a princess who doesn't want rescuing and prevent a blood thirsty necromancer and a highly placed traitor from plunging the Empire of Albian into civil war and, with luck, rid Alwyn of the insane Thorgrim Ironarm.