As his hometown is attacked by river rogues and goblins, Ryson Acumen faces his most personal struggle. While fighting off the dark creatures, his deeply held beliefs create a conflict with Burbon's Captain of the Guard and Ryson's close friend, Sy Fenden. An argument leads to a fracture in their friendship, and the delver must choose a new direction in offering his services to Uton. Ryson's troubles are quickly compounded by a mystifying encounter with his wife, Linda. Her immunity to magic leads to a surprising discovery that creates uncertainty between them. Unable to mend his closest relationships, Ryson begins to question the very foundation of his life. With personal difficulties mounting, the delver places his focus on a mystery unfolding across Dark Spruce Forest. An entire elf camp has disappeared, and their absence has allowed for dark creatures to spread their influence across Uton's large forest. Ryson immerses himself into finding the elves, but the search further separates him from his wife. Facing her own trials, Linda's immunity to magic attracts the attention of creatures with malicious intentions. With Ryson away, she is vulnerable to attack and is subdued by forces hoping to use her special condition for their own gain. Her mind is clouded by strange sensations and her emotional state leaps from hostile anger to cold indifference. Allies of the delver become aware of the growing turmoil. Holli, Jure and Enin assist Ryson in his investigations and help bring order and direction back to his life. The perilous events merge into one decisive encounter with a powerful sorcerer and pure magical energy. Ryson and his friends come together in a realm of darkness to fight for each other and to fulfill their purpose in a larger clash influenced by the choices of each individual.

Beyond the land of Uton where Ryson Acumen makes his home, the barrier which once surrounded Demonsheol has fallen. Demons can move freely from one realm to another and return to their homeland without consequence. The destruction of the barrier allows one demon taskmaster to make a startling choice which drastically impacts both realms. Turmoil does not end with the actions of a single beast. In Dark Spruce Forest, a seemingly innocent experiment turns into tragedy. The elf camp is thrown into chaos and the wizard Jure falls into a state of absolute despair. Unable to cope with the calamity, the wizard begins a journey toward self-destruction. Ryson is forced to act on several fronts. He must find Jure, stabilize the elf camp, and deal with a renegade primeval. When the delver finally faces the demon, he discovers that far more is at stake than any territorial claim. He struggles in a vicious battle only to realize that certain decisions are beyond his influence. In hoping to save the land as well as his own conscience, Ryson discovers the one possible solution is also a chance for redemption.

After the tragic demise of a magic caster, Ryson Acumen questions the apparent injustices involved within the struggles of life and death. As he considers the apparent contradictions presented within past conflicts, he receives three prophetic visions from the Sword of Decree. The images contain scenes of death and destruction. There is no apparent connection within the horrors he witnesses, but he knows that all three tragedies could occur within days. Unwilling to allow such devastation to go unchallenged, he begins a search for answers. He believes the visions are connected to certain magical enchantments placed within the blade. He enlists the aid of two powerful spell casters as he hopes to unravel the mysteries of ancient energy and to defeat the misguided magic which thrives in shadows. As the visions move closer to reality, Ryson realizes he must do more than prevent a tragedy. By accepting his role among forces he can never possibly comprehend, he becomes part of a larger design to save the entire land from devastation.

After witnessing his own soul during an encounter with Reiculf—the lord of all demons—Ryson Acumen's unquenchable curiosity blossoms as he hopes to comprehend the larger meaning of his inner essence. While he begins a quest of spiritual understanding, he meets an old adversary on a quest of his own. The wizard of crimson spells, Neltus, has lost his magical core. Without it, he is unable to embrace the red energy which served him in so many ways. Determined to regain what was removed from him, the coreless wizard takes uncharacteristic risks, and without the delver's knowledge, joins forces with creatures of far more wicked intent. From the desert to the western shores, Neltus leads Ryson through twisted passages of betrayal. Foes from the past combine forces to threaten every level of existence, and the delver faces a warped menace in a new realm of deceit. In one devastating wave of upheaval, demons are freed from the restrictions which held them within their breeding grounds. Colossal fiends capable of destroying entire cities are unleashed on the land, and even the spirit warrior who guards Ryson's hometown is unable to stop them. The delver and his allies face a whirlwind of treachery as they stumble from one disaster to another. While the threats to Uton continue to grow, the delver takes control of the battle and brings the fight back to the demons' breeding grounds. Returning his focus to his initial quest, Ryson breaks through new barriers and allows a growing enlightenment of his inner essence to guide him against his enemies. A new perspective of the spirit offers the one path which may allow him to defeat the devious menace and save his friends.

Ryson Acumen wakes one morning to find his hometown surrounded by elves. A thrust of magic places the town of Burbon under the cover of a powerful spell, and only when the human village is completely sealed off does the elf leader, Standish Loftber, reveal his demands. Loftber knows that the human wizard, Jure, has taken possession of elf essence, and the elves will not leave until they retrieve what is rightfully theirs. Jure refuses to simply abandon what he views as a precious gift. He vows to retain the essence and swears to strive against any attempt to remove the magical energy. In hopes of escaping the town, the wizard enlists the help of his friends and companions. Ryson and Linda Acumen, Holli Brances, and Enin work with the wizard to break through the elf spell of distortion. The delver leads the group, utilizing his skills to deceive the elves and conceal any hint of a trail. They flee to the dark lands and struggle to find the one path which will steer them clear of a grave and costly confrontation with the elves.

Informed by a perceptive spell caster that gaps within the currents of magic reveal an ominous threat, Ryson Acumen begins his search for an individual capable of seizing magical influence. As the delver explores the forest of Dark Spruce, he discovers a curious trail of elves and dark creatures. He faces a perplexing wave of magical disturbances which encourage him to continue his pursuit even as they present challenging obstacles to overcome. While he remains on the trail, Ryson faces the convergence of another threat. In Demonsheol, Rul Saattan allows a human wizard to shape events within the demon breeding grounds. In an attempt to topple the forces of destiny, the demon lord unleashes the chaos of free will across his domain, and the structures of fate begin to tremble at the prospect. Though barriers around the realm restrict Rul's influence, they cannot contain the desires of a frustrated wizard intent on destroying the delver. When Ryson ultimately confronts both the demon lord and the wizard, he faces more than a test of faith. He is forced to consider the potentially conflicting roles of choice and destiny. The delver cannot dismiss the mysteries placed into his consciousness, but uncovering the answers threatens to leave him broken and vulnerable to the influence of the demon lord

The western cites of Uton are overwhelmed by a massive exodus from the Great Valleys. Pressed from their homes by a growing distress, humans flee across the central plains in hopes of finding refuge from the suffocating fear that swells with each passing day. As the wizard, Enin, tries to maintain control in Connel, he works with dwarves and humans to quell the growing crisis. He sends Ryson Acumen along with Holli Brances to investigate the strange occurrences as reported by the displaced farmers and merchants. While exploring the eastern valleys, the delver and the elf uncover bizarre circumstances that contradict their understanding of rational behavior. Each mysterious revelation adds to an ever expanding puzzle. Goblins have infested the cities and the farmlands, but not by force. With the consent of local authorities, dark creatures inundate the eastern lands, taking ownership of farms and claiming residence within human towns without outward conflict or apparent treachery. As humans and goblins are forced to coexist throughout the region, order is enforced by half-demons, but a tense apprehension grips the citizens of nearly every village and city. Many decide to escape the valleys. Farmers abandon their fields and merchants leave their shops. The flow of refugees grows, putting a greater strain on the western towns of Connel and Burbon. Ryson and Holli continue their search for answers only to meet with opposition from local councils, town guards, and a powerful regional steward. They struggle against goblins and half-demons and even attempt to enlist the aid of dwarves from the underground city of Sterling. Throughout their efforts, goblins continue to pour into the valleys just as more humans abandon their homes. A twisted plan of deceit gradually takes shape as Ryson and Holli follow a chain of bargains meant not only to remove all the people from the valleys, but to destroy the entire human race.