Winter enveloped the tribes, leaving in the wake of the Holy War the burnt Katakla, the betrayed Toriati and the ruined state of Nakar. Ethan Nakara flees to Mithrina, where, in order to save the tribe, he makes a deal that no priest has ever agreed to. Alexandra Toriati, whose gift of weaving has become self-destructive, travels to Gemma's core in search of the answer to revenge on the tribes. And to top it all off, Tsembenga comes into play, where the death of one of the priestesses destroys the shaky balance of power. With the god of metal regaining consciousness, each hero realizes that in order to build a future, the mystery of the Machine's past and the Age of Steel must finally be unraveled.