The villainous Ceyah, now scattered and hunted by the forces of the Kohan Nationalists, are in a desperate bid to regain their lost power. They manage to narrowly escape, led by the ranger Melchior and following the instructions of the mad wizard Sebak, who claims that the Shadow speaks to him and is claiming that the Ceyah must travel through the Waste and go to the Well of Shadow to regain their lost power. In the process of marching through the Waste, they create an Undead army by slaughtering half of the Drauga people and their dragon god. Upon reaching the Well of Shadow, Sebak is transformed at the site into the mighty Abbadon, the seemingly indestructible master of The Shadow. All of the Ceyah, except Melchior, submit to Abaddon's will, and become the Fallen.