Vander is a war hero in the Collective States of Dorado. He was the most successful warrior in the war, the Great Schism. All he wants now that the war is over is to rest on his ranch with his wife Este and his son Navy. But first, he must attend the Sacrifice, the ordination of the New Law. Xerxes - the Constable of Dorado - rules Dorado with an iron claw an initiates this new phase in history with a baptism - a baptism of blood. When Vander arrives home to find that his wife is missing and his son is dead, the presence of an Immortal - one of Xerxes' personal guards - lets him know that there is only one man responsible. With a legion of ghosts and a Deficient named Cherrin, Vander searches for his wife and is ready to do whatever is necessary to rescue her.