It\'s cold.
Intrigues swirl around the throne of the Grail Empire, as the imperial family\'s enemy Anne of Menand raises money to help the.
Now he\'s Captain-General of the armies fighting a crusade for Patriarch Sublime V.
Piper Hecht, born Else Tage, survived a battle with the Instrumentalities.
The Instrumentalities of the Night are the worst of these.
The gods are real, and still have some power, mostly to do harm.
The wells of power are weakening and the forces of Night grow strong.
It\'s cold