Six generations ago, the four-armed god emperor Mag disappeared, producing tumult among the populace of its eponymous domain. The fey have returned. The minotaurs roam the grass dunes freely. Trolls and wyverns are rumored. The kings Magog and Yogog, and queen Gogog, vie for dominance over the land. In Valley-of-Shields, soldiers from all three royal cities struggle against invaders from the East. Meanwhile, merchants from Mag and the East grow wealthy resupplying the contending armies and trading with each other in the frequent intermissions of the bloody conflict. Recruiters and press gangs roam Mag, trolling the impoverished villages and city districts to enlist fresh meat for the grinder. Those who decline recruitment seek fortune elsewhere: possibly doing odd, odd, and dangerous jobs for the wealthy; possibly striking forth into the abandoned lands to seek old magic and treasure.