From the introduction: Numeria’s Black Sovereign, a mighty warrior named Kevoth-Kul, conquered the city of Starfall in his youth. Later, he succumbed to the influence of the Technic League, a cabal of secretive arcanists and researchers obsessed with unlocking the secrets of Numerian technology. The Technic League plied Kevoth-Kul with mind-altering Numerian fluids, and soon the Black Sovereign became addicted, withdrawing from society. Recently, the captain of the Technic League died under closely concealed circumstances, and the League fell into squabbling, murderous disarray within weeks. The survivors largely fled Starfall, and the Black Sovereign, freed from their control, has begun to break free from his addiction. Many fear that as he regains his senses, Kevoth-Kul will resume his campaign of conquest across Numeria.