Originally published as "Dowry of the Angyar" and later as the prologue of Rocannon’s World, Semley's necklace follows the events of import in the everyday life of Semley, an amazingly beautiful but primitive noble on a small world with three separate sentient races. Semley's world is one surrounded by myths, legends, knights, and castles, battles, and honor, and chivalry—until the Starlords come. The Starlords, actually humans, make contact by exacting a heavy tax upon all races they encounter in order to fight a grim war at the end of all time. Semley knows none of this however, and she is bitter that her once noble house has fallen into poverty due to the constant offerings of tribute to the Starlords. Then she learns that an ancient heirloom of unsurpassed beauty is in the realm of the enigmatic Gdemiar, the only race to have the slightest meaningful contact with the Starlords. She resolves to reclaim her lost birthright, and her journey will affect her in ways that no one of her race will understand, and exact a price perhaps better left unpaid.