Once a bitter wanderer, and now a powerful king, Jorg Ankhrat, by the age of twenty, has managed to achieve much—though he never succeeded in avenging his father, and the ghosts of the past still torment his soul. However thorny his path may be, Jorg is ready to take the next step in his ascent. His goal is to become an emperor, but that title cannot be won with a sword; the ruler must be chosen. In the memory of those who live now, no one has ever been granted such an honor—but Jorg is determined to change that. He discovers the lost mechanisms of his ancestors and intends to use them, but an enemy stands in his way—one he has never faced before…