The novel takes place in the fictional setting of the Sovan Empire, which had become a republic 200 years prior before reverting back to imperial rule. Magic has been outlawed in Sova, leaving their society at a disadvantage when dealing with their enemies. The empire is at war with the neighboring states of Casimir and Sanque. A young diplomat named Renata Rainer must investigate reports from a cult of necromancers, who believe that a prophesied apocalypse called "The Great Silence" is approaching. Renata seeks out the mer-men in the hopes that they can provide magical assistance. At the same time, Peter Kleist, a Sovan army lieutenant from a noble family, is stationed at a frontier fort on the borders of Casimir and Sanque, where supernatural enemies are massacring Sovan soldiers. Von Oldenburg, a nobleman obsessed with occult knowledge, studies a madness-inducing plague that he plans to use as a weapon.
