Emerane and her companions narrowly escape the Cult of Uhlume and the relentless Furie, exhausted but no richer for their efforts. Going their separate ways into in the pitiless streets of Umber, they each find a dead end waiting. Now penniless, Emerane's quest to free her younger brother from debtor's prison seems more hopeless than ever. Until a possible solution comes from the most unlikely ally imaginable—the Furie himself. But his help comes with a dangerous price.

His home burned, the Blacksheare crime family hot on his heels, the luckless Magus turns to the only friend he has—the Acolyte, who at least still has a temple roof over his head. But the ruthless Blacksheares have debts owed there too, and soon come to collect. What they don't expect is for the meek Acolyte and the cowardly Magus to boldly turn and fight. Soon, the Old Temple catches fire, and the rest of the city could easily burn with it. But is it worth the effort to save a city without hope?

The battle for the city of Umber has begun. Emerane finds herself standing between the city she hates and total annihilation, and must decide if Umber, cruel and corrupt though it may be, deserves its fate. But the faces of terrified citizens make her decision easy. She finds herself fighting alongside the Furie himself, as well as her the Asp, the Magus, and the Acolyte, each of whom reveal hidden power. But will they be enough? Against the overwhelming might of Death's army, is there any hope of victory?

As the demigod Grael emerges from legend to fight Uhlume's army, Emerane enters their stronghold to find the source of their power. Aided by the Umber Knight and the Magus, she fights through to the tower's icy heart in search of the necromancer whose magic commands the undead soldiers. But even as the city is overwhelmed, as the Asp falls to arrows, and the Acolyte prays to gods that may have never been there to listen, it's Emerane herself who faces the most devastating horror. For the bloodthirsty necromancer behind it all may be the one person in the world she can't bring herself to fight.

The Cult of Uhlume is no more, and the city of Umber nurses its wounds, as do the reluctant heroes who saved it. Trauma and tragedy have left their mark on Emerane, the lowly barmaid. But when Asps target the city's Alderman, as well as its champion, the Furie, she finds herself donning the mantle of the Night once again, and coming to their defense—whether she's ready or not.

After rescuing the city Alderman from assassination, Emerane takes him to her tenement for refuge, only to find the Furie near death from a poisoned arrow. It seems the House of Asps intend to eliminate Umber's only defenders of justice. But to what end, and at whose command, Emerane must find out. What she doesn't yet realize is that, as the Night, she is their final target. Will her former companion, Azmeer, be her end?

As Umber's guardians fall to assassins, the unwary citizens partake in the annual Festival of Utu, celebrating life, luck, and the bygone age of myths. But not for long. A new peacekeeping force chooses Utu's Night to take charge, a force that will stop at nothing to establish control over the unruly city. And with Emerane gone, who's to stop them?

A new force, the Amaraddan Guard, rules the streets of Umber, forcing citizens into indentured servitude to pay fines imposed upon them. With Emerane dead and the Furie still in hiding, the city's only hope lies with demi-god Grael. But when the Guard finds and exploits Grael's weakness, who will be left to stop them?

As poison slowly claims the Furie, Emerane attempts the unthinkable. With the help of the Magus' necromancy, she infiltrates the dominion of death itself. If all goes well, Emerane may be able to rescue the Furie's soul from the shores of oblivion. But if she fails, she will be claimed by Uhlume, the god of death.

With its new lawkeepers showing their true colors as cruel oppressors, the people of Umber rise up to resist. But they need a hero to inspire them. If Grael loses all hope, and the Furie's wound proves fatal, who is left to lead the people against the Amaraddan Guard? \[Part 2 of 4\]

Now that Umber has recovered its stolen wealth, thanks to six intrepid thieves, the wounded city begins the arduous task of setting things back to some kind of order. But the architect of Umber's misfortunes still operates in the shadows, and he will subvert death itself to feed his greed and malice. \[Part 3 of 4\]

Resurrected through necromancy, gifted with terrible strength and power, the Amaraddan Captain intends to assert his authority over Umber, no matter what. With all other heroes defeated, it's up to Emerane alone to stand against him. But can the Night overcome a foe who has overcome death itself?

A thief, an assassin, a mage and a cleric walk into a tavern in the ancient city of Umber. Awaiting them is a mysterious bard with a dangerous scheme: to break into the dungeon of a powerful death cult in search of treasure. For these five desperate criminals, it's the last chance for hope in a city of corruption and despair. But what they find instead is an undead army preparing to conquer the world. Now, they must fight to protect the city that pushed their backs to the wall, or watch it burn. The acclaimed fantasy epic from New York Times Best-Selling author Ted Naifeh (Courtney Crumrin, Princess Ugg) begins here!