A Tale of the Fallen Hero. A disgraced swordsman who has been living off his reputation as a former member of a notorious mercenary band leaves town one step ahead of the law. In search of employment, he decides to head for the seaport town of Cray, a former haunt where he hasn't yet disgraced himself, unlike so many others. His past, however, soon catches up with him, and he finds himself thrust into an impossible situation, caught in the midst of a bitter feud between the city's two ruling families and forced to embark on what will surely prove to be a suicide mission.