Long ago, the youngest of the gods fell into the clutches of an ambitious mortal, a vain usurper who almost destroyed the world. The Elderkin, the old gods, imprisoned the mortal in the heart of a mountain and took away the young god's beauty, name, and tears. Then they fled the earth, leaving man godless. But they left a prophecy behind: that if the Nameless God's birthright is returned to him before the mortal breaks free, the Elderkin will return.

Now, the burden of this prophecy rests on the shoulders of a reluctant boy. As a Scribe for the Guardians, the group of men and women dedicated to restoring the gods, Sam has been mistreated, ordered about, and mind-scrambled. Now he has to fulfill the prophecy? The boy would much rather damn it than do it. But the choice may not be his to make.