Lifelong friends, they went their separate ways. Now they are together again, though each holds secrets from the others in his heart. They speak of a world shadowed with rumors of war. They speak of tales of strange monsters, creatures of myth, creatures of legend. They do not speak of their secrets. Not then. Not until a chance encounter with a beautiful, sorrowful woman, who bears a magical crystal staff, draws the companions deeper into the shadows, forever changing their lives and shaping the fate of the world.

No one expected them to be heroes.

Least of all, them.

The world of Krynn stands on the edge of change. The gods have been silent for centuries since the Cataclysm shattered the land, and now dark rumors whisper through the forests and mountains—of dragons, of war, and of clerics bearing staffs with strange, glowing power. Into this unrest, a band of old friends reunite in the tree-bound village of Solace, drawn together by a promise made five years earlier. Tanis Half-Elven, Caramon and Raistlin Majere, Sturm Brightblade, Flint Fireforge, and Tasslehoff Burrfoot find themselves caught in a rising storm they barely understand.

Their return is met not with peace, but danger. A mysterious blue crystal staff held by a plainswoman named Goldmoon, and her companion Riverwind, draws the attention of agents of darkness. Forced to flee Solace, the companions begin a desperate journey that leads them to the ruined city of Xak Tsaroth, where Goldmoon becomes the first true cleric of the gods in generations. With her faith awakened and her divine power real, the truth becomes undeniable: the gods have returned—but so have the dragons.

The companions soon realize that the forces behind the growing evil are more powerful and more organized than any had feared. The Dragonarmies, led by cruel Dragon Highlords and backed by terrifying chromatic dragons, are sweeping across Krynn, crushing resistance and enslaving the innocent. As the companions travel across the continent, they find themselves protecting refugees, seeking ancient knowledge, and gathering the first sparks of hope in a world long shrouded in despair.

Their journey takes them deep underground into the realm of the dwarves, where ancient grudges must be set aside to forge unity. There they recover the Hammer of Kharas, a symbol of dwarven strength and pride, and help broker an alliance for survival. Eventually, they are drawn to the fortress of Pax Tharkas, where hundreds of captives are held under the tyranny of the red dragon Ember and the Dragon Highlord Verminaard. In a climactic battle, the companions succeed in freeing the prisoners, striking a major blow against the forces of darkness.

But victory comes at a cost. The companions are changed, their purpose clearer but their path more perilous than ever. The return of the gods, the rise of the dragons, and the first faltering steps toward resistance mark only the beginning of what will become a war for the soul of Krynn.