When merchant-prince Babax Merrifur joins his family's westward caravan, he seeks only answers about his missing brother Stumper's disappearance five years ago. Instead, he discovers a realm unraveling—caravans vanishing, ancient evils stirring, and secrets buried deep in his bloodline. Haunted by visions of legendary hero Merris Brightpaw, Babax gathers a fellowship of unlikely allies marked by shadow and flame. Together they face a darkness that devoured civilizations before kingdoms existed.