In the aftermath of a devastating conflict between an empire and a coastal nation to the south, a king is killed in front of his subjects, a people are broken, and the only heir left to rally them is lost at sea. Years pass, and the countryside burns while people known as Crystal Borne are hunted down like dogs and sent away. Meanwhile, a prince grows among whores, thieves, and renegades as pirate gangs wage war for dominance on salted islands to the east. Plots and intrigue abound as ambitions rise--and the fate of kingdoms and empires hangs upon the whims of all who play.