Before the War of the Lance, magic itself faced extinction. A Journeyman is tasked with using the ancient Anvil of Time to uncover lost stories. He finds Tythonnia, a young red robe, alongside Ladonna of the black robes and Par-Salian of the white, on what seems like a simple quest to find the leader of renegade wizards, Berthal. However, this easy mission quickly devolves into betrayal, pitting magic against sorcery, wizards against each other, and Tythonnia against her own convictions, leading to a confrontation that will not end simply.