Alayne Ducard, the Master Bard in exile, travels the small nation of Rha'vander to hunt down potential heroes and tell their stories for the unwashed masses of the common folk. Whilst following the wayward reluctant folk hero Raven Stoneoath he becomes trapped in a story with himself as the lead. The spotlight is on him, but not in the way he usually enjoys.  Forced to try and take down an emperor who threatens to do the impossible he gathers together allies both new and old and goes across the world to complete his likely fatal task, getting waylaid more than once on the way.