A mage from the far south, a desert nomad, two elves, and a pair of the less-reputable citizens of Culloden find themselves working together to unravel the mystery of a plague that threatens them all.
Signs point to a farm with mysteriously ill cattle as the source of the plague. A botched investigation results in the bloodshed, and the investigators find themselves imprisoned.
Not reacting well to being told they are to be "tried and executed in the morning," the would-be heros attempt an escape. It doesn't quite go as planned.
Even more desparate, a second escape attempt is launched. It succeeds, and the party escapes the town having thoroughly burned their bridges.
We revisit the scene of the crime, looking for clues at the farmhouse but finding little. The true source of the plague must lie upstream.
Retracing the steps followed by an army a thousand years ago, they find signs of more recent enemies.
Suspicions are at last confirmed, and a surprising showdown ensues.