The lucky ones were taken by the deeps. The rest will only escape by banding together. When a trio of young mages set off on an unsanctioned expedition into the isle's interior, they are expecting to find their powerful masters instead of the shipwrecked survivors of the Crown's harvest vessel. A constable, a smuggler, and a naturalist join the magicians on a desperate journey to leave the island before they fall victim to an army of monstrous, sea-dwelling scavengers, a cult of the undead, and something unseen that leaves destruction in its wake. They say the gods watch over travelers on the road, and so listen to the tales they tell. As much as the struggle for survival, and the battles fought side by side, the stories they share in the small hours bind them together in love and laughter.