A dying planet, dried up and hostile—a planet of countless years and countless mysteries. When the Terrans came, they found a world of dead sea-bottoms, lost civilizations, and secretive tribes bitterly resenting the intrusion of the Terrans on the fading glory of an ancient planet. The Earthmen looked down upon the crumbling ruins of a brilliant culture, and laughed at the stories of invincible gods and forgotten magic lingering in the forbidden cities of Jekkara, Barrakesh, Valkis ... But the dangers were real—and only a few renegade Earth-born adventurers who had adopted the Martian way of life could understand the planet-wide disaster that was building up.