From the back cover: Before there was a World of Darkness, there was an age of savage adventure. Astride the world stands the Realm, the last bastion of civilization and culture in a time of barbarism. For centuries, the Scarlet Empress ruled her invincible kingdom with an iron hand, preserving Creation against innumerable dangers. Now, the Empress has vanished, and the Realm spirals ever closer to civil war as the Great Houses struggle for power in her absence. From the four corners of the world, terrible threats arise: Deathlords, Fair Folk and the twisted insanity of the Anathema. As a Dragon-Blooded, you are heir to Creation's last and greatest empire. Will you rise to the challenge of your times or descend into fratricide and politics while the empire burns around you? What legends will they tell of your deeds?