Roun was born clanless, depriving him of a future in an empire where bloodlines and reputation mean everything. His only hope for escaping the life of an outcast lies in being awakened by the Eldest Throne and becoming a guardian of humanity. But when his dream finally comes true, Roun finds himself stranded on the path to immortality with only a fragment of the spiritual powers he should have received. Roun, however, is used to making do with less—and will let neither rigorous training nor grotesque chimeras stand in the way of his ascension. To find his own path, he will need to search for the answers hidden within. What he uncovers will forge him into a hero unlike any other—if it doesn’t leave him an abomination first.

A screaming sword. A dangerous renegade. Both stand in the way of the coterie's first mission. After being sanctioned by Avyleir Library, Roun and his friends find themselves looking forward to their futures as sacred guardians of humanity. Roun knows, however, that their evaluation was only one obstacle along an endless path, and it does not take long before they receive their next challenge: the coterie’s first Copper rank mission. The job seems simple on the surface, and tasks them with protecting a village from the threat of a roaming brigand clan. Yet upon their arrival, they discover the inhabitants are anything but what they expected—and are soon drawn into a conflict against something far more sinister than mere outcasts. To make matters worse, an apostate feared across the empire may lie at the heart of the brewing storm, a man whose legend is as great as that of the profane artifact he seeks. Caught between timeworn vows and their equally ancient bearers, Roun’s coterie will need to battle against impossible odds to complete their mission—and prove they can overcome even the darkest strokes of Fate.