The night now belongs to voracious demons that prey upon a dwindling population forced to cower behind half-forgotten symbols of power. Legends tell of a Deliverer: a general who once bound all mankind into a single force that defeated the demons. Out of the desert rides Ahmann Jardir, who has forged the desert tribes into a demon-killing army, proclaiming himself the Deliverer. But the Northerners claim their own Deliverer: the Warded Man, a dark, forbidding figure. Once, Ahmann Jardir and the Warded Man were friends. Now they are fierce adversaries. Yet as old allegiances are tested and fresh alliances forged, all are unaware of the appearance of a new breed of demon, more intelligent and deadly than any that have come before.