In the previous two volumes, Haplo the Patryn risked the Death Gate at his masters command to create chaos among the various peoples of the four worlds. After visiting the fire and sky worlds, Haplo journeys to the most dismal of lands, Abarrach, the Realm of Stone, and discovers that the three lesser races have all died out, leaving a world of warring Sartan. Abarrach, the Realm of stone. Here, on a barrenworld of underground caverns built around a core ofmolten lava, the lesser races -- humans, elves, and dwarves -- seem to have all died off. Here, too, what may well be the last remnants of the oncepowerful Sartan still struggle to survive. For Haploand Alfred -- enemies by heritage, travelingcompanions by necessity -- Abarrach may reveal more thaneither dares to discover about the history ofSartan... and the future of all their descendants.