Pelmen the Powershaper was over his head in trouble. Trouble was nothing new to him, but this time it was too much. His beloved Serphimera had left him without a word of farewell. His old rival, the sorceress Mar-Yilot, had vowed to kill him and his friend Dorlyth mod Karis. Ngandib-Mar, seat of the Power Pelmen obeyed, was on the brink of bitter internal war, and Chaomonous was again threatening to invade. Even the formerly peaceful tugoliths were marching into Ngandib-Mar to wreak slaughter and destruction. Now young Rosha mod Dorlyth was trying to get into the High Fortress to confront the evil sorcerer Flayh, who controlled it. It seemed that some dark Nemesis was dogging Pelmen's footsteps, and there was nothing he could do about it. He did the only thing he could. He headed into the trouble.