On his way to Tilbor on a military scouting mission, scholar-imager Quaeryt must face pirates, storms, poisonings, attempted murder, and stunning revelations about himself. Hundreds of years before the time of Imager, the continent of Lydar is fragmented. Quaeryt is a scholar and a friend of Bhayar, the young ruler of Telaryn; he has concealed the fact that he is an imager. Just before Quaeryt departs for Tilbor, Bhayar's youngest sister passes a letter that could well embroil Quaeryt in the welter of court politics he had hoped to leave behind.