Gavin Pēne wakes up to find himself in a world of magic and monsters, he quickly finds himself embroiled in the politics of his new world. Samania Starbourne takes him under her wing and trains him to be a warden, a guild of mercenaries dedicated to stamping out monsters and demons as they manifest into the world. Gavin's abrasive personality and unwavering confidence that his first instincts are the right ones constantly lead him into conflict with people best avoided. He poaches Judy Hawkthorne from her team and Valerie Westhart from her administrative role in the guild itself for his own team in a move that has serious ramifications for him and his team.