Tagen awakens in a grimy, rain-slicked cityscape after committing suicide. The otherworldly city of Meridian, surrounded by the endless waters of the Styx, is filled with people with no memory of their pasts and ruled by the bloodthirsty cult of Clowns and their High Priestess, who denies the truth that everyone in the city is dead. Tagen remembers nothing of his past, except that he came to Meridian on purpose, in search of his wife Alexis. When a fortune teller named Sveta gives Tagen a Tarot card reading, she draws the Magician, a sign that he has an important role to play in the fate of Meridian-but drawing the forbidden card condemns them both to death for heresy before the High Priestess. They are saved by Andromeda, who once led a failed rebellion and means to use Tagen's powers to overthrow the High Priestess. Even as they are pursued by the Clowns through clockwork spires and abandoned ruins, Tagen causes the memories of those around him to awaken, inspiring hope in the lost souls of Meridian. But he must recall his own memories to understand why he is there and how to escape, and facing his past may be the most daunting part of his journey.