"A realm of fantasy undergoes an industrial revolution; conflict arises." In an era of rapid technological progress, the need for magi in the Alondisian Empire has come into question. Those without the Gift are no longer reliant on the arcane, as man-made inventions have advanced to become just as efficient, if not more so, than employing the services of the casters. To make matters worse, the cutting-edge machinery that threatens to take their place in the workforce has been observed to grow unstable in the presence of spells—a phenomenon that has only deepened the rift between the common folk and the magi, not to speak of the aloof, magickally-attuned elves. Amid escalating tensions, Thomas, a cursed but strong, kind-hearted monk, is called to the capital city of Wenton, where an old acquaintance assigns him a monumental task: becoming a teacher to a trio of unruly but talented students at the nation's Academy for the Magickally-Gifted. All the while, the Bureau of Magickal Affairs is caught up in an intricate plot, one that Garreth and his newly-appointed half-elf partner Lynn set out to uncover. As two sides of the same coin stumble through an ever-evolving world, shadowy factions work behind the scenes, seeking to shift the balance of power in Alondis. And the dominion the magi once held over the populace steadily wanes.