Like many settlers, Carleton Kazimer traveled to the western frontier to escape something. In Carleton's case, it was a notorious criminal gang who put a price on his head. But the young earth wizard quickly discovers that new and unfamiliar dangers await him in the wild west. A promising contract at a gold and silver mine in the Arizona Territory turns sour when the delvan miners who work the ore reject the assistance of a human geomancer. While trying to prove his worth to the impatient mine manager and the delvans, Carleton's efforts lead to conflict with the indigenous avens who populate the local mountains and revere the area's dragons. With few allies to back him up, Carleton must find a way to salvage his contract and build a new life in the lawless desert far from the civilization of home.