After her discovery of the Lost Sceptre of Almanaic, and the terrible secret it holds, Faye sets out to find the mysterious Miners of Talmorie. Without the Miners, Faye can't hope to repair the Sceptre and save Pendalin's future. With only an escaped psych patient, Vyloran Grissin, and her best friend Zen for company, can the this Seeker-to-be successfully complete the most daunting quest of her life? Meanwhile, Duncan and Rythin are left behind in Pendalin to hold the fort while they await the return of a repaired Sceptre. Can they keep the conniving parliament of Dukes from overruling the Laws of State and electing a new Monarch? Or will Styrran evil machinations bring their feudal system crumbling down?