George Smythe spills his blood for The Cause before he has a conscious thought as to either its true nature or his role as its leader. His mortal and immortal enemy nearly slays him whilst he’s on holiday in Mexico touring pre-Columbian archaeological sites. The Nagual shaman who rescues him from death realizes his potential to wield Puramore for the thirteenth and last time as he brings him back to life. General Sir George Smythe battles Wingtip, an avatar of China's first emperor, to turn the tide of mankind's survival dilemma decidedly in their favour. In order to prevail against their mortal and immortal foe, they marshal all the intellectual resources at their disposal to overcome Wingtip's spiritual advantage. Time is of the essence since their foe is on the brink of delivering the final coup d'état to mankind. In the end, only the wielder of Puramore possesses an advantage over humanity's ancient nemesis.