The Enmershan Empire rules over the lands of the Efra Valley, having destroyed the ancient kingdoms that once stood there, among them Farnah—a land of warriors and merciless laws. A century later, only ruins remain, along with legends of the tyrant Kashbela, who after death was worshiped as a god. The sea hunter Hedo Shimun, known as the ‘Demon of the Bloody Water,’ receives a commission from the governor of Larsha.

In the northern lands, people have begun to disappear, and villagers speak of a terrifying sight: along the banks of the Efra, skinless people appear, burning alive in flames. The trail of these horrors leads into the ruined lands of Farnah. Shimun sets out north with his crew. He is accompanied by the enigmatic priest Enmela and a young warrior named Simug, introduced as the kybernetes of the sea hunters. Their investigation leads them to the ruins of Nevia—the former capital of Farnah.