It is the Age of Steel. Nearly eight centuries after the great Cataclysm that brought down an empire, peace and prosperity once again reign supreme in the Great Valley. To the north, the elves of the Calendor League maintain their everlasting peace with the human Kingdom of Brethia. In the south, the brave navy of the duchy of Avalon has reined in piracy and opened up trade with the Independent Southern Kingdoms. Orc raids from the western wastes have slowed to an all-time low. Despite all this, or perhaps because of it, old tensions have begun to work their way to the surface, leaving cracks in the foundation of society. Rumors tell of the dead rising from their tombs, a rash of high-profile artifact heists, and a missing princess. At the center of everything is the enigmatic Lord Darthon, ruler of the tiny nation known as the Middle Mountains. What secrets does he hold, and is he truly who he claims to be? Is this just a passing storm, or does a new Cataclysm lurk on the horizon? Only time will tell.