The Orc War is over and Albestin is safe, but Carzen Zelos and his friends find that settling back into their normal lives isn't as easy as they thought. Carzen's past will not leave him alone, while the warrior Mara must learn that having only half a hand doesn't make her half a person. Meanwhile, the hauflin Feldergrass cousins are finding out the hard way that a human city plays by different rules than their quiet village. When Beetle runs afoul of the local thieves' guild, Jaron must join with an unexpected ally to win his cousin's freedom. But both the human heroes and the two hauflin are being drawn into even more danger as they learn of a conspiracy that threatens to throw the staggered city back into chaos. The companions will need to defeat their own demons in order to save their adopted city from disaster.