A thousand years ago, demonic kashmari and magical dvergen battled across the Nine Realms of Yggdrasil. Their struggle destroyed civilizations, razed worlds, and tore ecosystems asunder. One courageous dverger captain sacrificed himself and his crew to lock away the demons in the hellish realm of Muspelheim forever.

Now, a man named Cadmus Brand lives in Muspelheim, a desert realm that has been purged of almost all magic. Only the powerful kashmari lords who dominate the city-states can wield their own twisted blood magic. Brand is a famous and wealthy man in his own right as a champion gladiator who has never lost a fight. He dines with kashmari lords and dances with kashmari ladies. The more he triumphs, the more prestige he gains. So long as he keeps winning, life is fantastic for Brand.

But Brand has a deadly secret: He is a pharmakon, the last of an ancient group of human magic-wielders who use powerful elixirs to enhance their bodies. In the past, pharmakons were the only ones who could challenge the kashmari. As a result, the pharmakons have been slowly eradicated over the centuries and are now almost extinct. Famous or not, discovery of his secret would mean torture and death.

Can Brand successfully navigate the glamorous world of manipulative kashmari? Can he continue to stand idly by while evil thrives around him?

Brand's journey to find his place in the world will take him across a desert littered with magical artifacts, populated by dangerous creatures, and haunted by innumerable secrets buried in the shifting sands.