A divided path. An ancient darkness. A fragile hope for a broken world.
When a catastrophic blizzard leaves the elf healer Roderick injured and his essential remedies completely depleted, a brief relief mission turns into a desperate bid for survival. To restock the herbs needed to keep his people alive, Roderick must endure a brutal winter journey across unyielding terrain to Mallowsweet, aided only by Samuel-an eager young dwarven forge-apprentice stepping into the wild for the very first time.
Meanwhile, Viola, troll hernalist, sets off on a parallel quest with Shabala, the loyal dragon who dug them out of the collapse. Travelling south toward Kemoral to secure vital supplies and aid, Viola and Shabala navigate their own treacherous roads, knowing they must eventually cross paths with Roderick near their ultimate destination: the ancient, mysterious ruins of Shaling Henge.
Yet far south, amidst the stagnant waters and broken stones of the henge, a cold and nameless entity has stirred. Patient, unnatural, and filled with a growing envy for the warmth of the living, it reaches outward through the dying wetlands-watching every step the travelers take. As both groups brave separate dangers to converge on Shaling Henge, they draw ever closer to a confrontation with a power that threatens to swallow the land whole.