Pip is a foundling, raised by Auric the tanner and his wife Ludmilla. In the Pandaran capital, Lands End, Pip is the odd one out, picked on by bullies, and friendless, except for Galen, the queen's councilor. When the emperor of Barbaria sets his sights on Pandara, and Pip is taken as a hostage to force Queen Daphne to accede to his wishes, Pip learns a secret-one that could change the course of history for everyone.