It was a world of sword and sorcery... But that was a thousand years ago. In the Empire of Tiraas, an age of fantastic adventures is grinding to a halt. The gods have all but ceased calling paladins, new Rail networks connect far-flung cities, and heroic exploits are being replaced by bureaucracy and mass production. Dungeons, once sources of peril, loot, and thrilling tales, are now emptied or sealed off. The dwarven kingdoms are in decline, the mysterious elves have been pushed back into isolated forests, and dragons are rarely seen. Adventurers, once the backbone of human power, are considered relics of the past. Even the Demon Queen and her vile minions have gone strangely quiet...or so the world believes. A few holdouts of a more heroic age continue to gather at the University in Last Rock, a lone school still teaching its students to fulfill grand destinies. This year, two new paladins are among them, rekindling hope that the gods have not abandoned the world after all. Unfortunately, the newest crop of would-be adventurers quickly prove to be more of a threat to each other than to any demonic invaders. In a peaceful modern world, after all, most don't expect to be called on for any heroics. In the Imperial capital, however, a plot against the throne shows that the Demon Queen hasn't given up on her ambitions, but learned to adapt to the new age of machines and laws. The Empire, the Universal Church, and the followers of the quiet gods scramble to face a threat they've forgotten how to meet, while next generation of heroes squabble among themselves with no idea what's coming. Evil is returning to the world, and no one is ready.