The elder gods demand an end to the 500-year reign of the God of Chaos. To counter their plans, the champion of Chaos calls for the
Cleansing
--the sacrifice of all children under two.
Ellis escapes the Cleansing with the help of Dirge, a swordsman who thinks Ellis was born to end the reign of Chaos, and Daylin, a young woman who talks with wolves. Visions drag Ellis north toward an ethereal tower, deep in The Lands of the Dead, staying steps ahead of the fire-wielding priest who killed Ellis' parents.
To the north, villagers discover an infant boy at the forest's edge. Sensing the boy's immense power, a local paladin declares the child will allow Chaos to reign forever. The paladin names him Betal, The Hand of God. But to the locals, he's
The Beast
. As Betal grows, he must elude assassins, and a brutal, mutated creature that stalks the countryside.
Gods spar, using mortals as pawns. Will the reign of Chaos finally end, or will the birth of The Beast ensure it lasts forever?