A fledgling wizard mastering his power. A fallen monk. A secret trial hidden in a desert temple. Alrion has drunk from the Pool of Knowledge but barely survived. He is driven to improve his skill and prove his worth as a wizard. In his dreams he sees a vision of his next goal, the Vault of Silence. It is a secret trial guarded by an order of monks and designed to test a person's will. To get there, he must find a guide and negotiate his way through sprawling cities and a vast desert. But the creatures of the Blight are organising. They have a leader and have infiltrated the general population. To reach the Vault of Silence Alrion will need to make new allies, learn new spells and face an old foe. Can he rise again to the challenge? Or will he be crushed by overwhelming odds?