Our adventure opens with the death of a captain and a band of privateers on the run and under fire. At the moment when all appears lost, the Ship's Navigator takes the helm.

The First Queen of Morevi, Askana Moldarin, holds a private audience with Captain Rafe Rafton. A known enemy to the people of her realm, the privateer is now being offered a commission that is just too tantalizing to refuse...

Askana Moldarin, during her morning training session with Blademaster Kubi-Sogi, is given a sampling of Captain Rafe Rafton's resourcefulness. The privateer's first display is a slight against Askana's religion while the next sets the Queen's counter

Setting the scene of a royal assassination, Rafe, Askana, and a band of privateers and Royal Guard plan a daring escape out of the Palace of a Thousand Suns and Morevi's capital city of Songkusai.

Rafe, Askana, and their party make their way through the Sleeping Dragons to the neighboring nation of Eyrie, the conspirators growing more aggressive with each of their hastened steps.

As Rafe & Askana make their way to Eyrie, Lady Dirare of House Jarahd considers the mystery of the dead assassin in the Queen's Chambers. She begins to devise a counter-strategy against this coup, focusing her attentions on Askana's consort.

Askana's consort, Jermal, expects to find himself sheltered in the Queen's Country Estate. Instead, Jermal winds up in the last place he would ever wish to be.

Rafe, Askana, Nassir, and Elunear reach Taighar, Eyrie's port city. They are to meet O'Donnell and Jailene at Sanctuary from the Sea and, with four crates of Morevian tea, arrange a meeting with The Merchants' Circle.