Dirigibles and danger... It's been four months since the city-state of Perch turned away the invading army of its southern rival, Trestleway, and sent the dark forces of the Cythraul packing. Thanks in no small part, everyone reckons, to Winchell Sark and his brother, Copernicus. Word reaches Winch that an old friend is in dire need. Seems he's come across a long-lost artifact deep in the Golden Desert that folk say can tear apart the veil separating this world from the one beyond the shadows. But it's not only Winch and company seeking this relic. There's a new threat gathering, one that will stop at nothing to conquer the desert sands—and unleash the Cythraul on an unsuspecting world.