There is no magic in the kingdom of Vladvir... Tucked away in a quiet valley, the community of Tolarenz offers a refuge and safe haven for its people, keeping persecution at bay. One young citizen-Askon son of Teral-is destined to lead them, but first he must leave them behind: one final mission, in service of the king. In the north, leering nightmare creatures known as the Norill gather. Their armor is bone and skin; their weapons are black and crude and cold. They strike in the night, allies to the darkness. It is to them Askon marches, his men a bulwark against the threat. For there is no magic in Vladvir. What Askon finds when he arrives seems impossible: smoke and fire, death and defeat, and all around a suffocating sense of dread. The Norill seek something they call "Stone of Mountain," but in the half-remembered stories from Askon's childhood, it was always "Alora's Tear," a gem with powers great and terrible. A gem that cannot exist. Unless there is magic in Vladvir...