The Seven Gods of Order had ruled unchallenged for an aeon, served by the Adepts of the Circle in their bleak Northern stronghold. But for Tarod - the most enigmatic and formidable sorcerer in the Circle's ranks - a darker affinity had begun to call. Threatening his beliefs, even his sanity, it rose unbidden from beyond Time; an ancient and deadly adversary that could plunge the world into madness and chaos - and whose power rivalled that even of the Gods themselves. And though Tarod's mind and heart were pledged to Order, his soul was another matter.