Lady Noan, but fifteen years old, is kidnapped by Lord Blavin, her evil half-dwarf uncle and contender to the contested throne of Glawynia. She's held prisoner as leverage against her father's claim to rule the land where humans live in harmony with dwarfs, gnomes, elves, and druids. Enter the Coterie, a ragtag band of adventurers, hired by Lady Noan's father to rescue her and avoid all-out war with his brother. Each member of the Coterie possesses special abilities, including outdoorsmanship, thievery, and magic. On their journey north to Castle Tiufrann, bonds are formed as they face the perils of Blavin's barony, confronting thieves and monsters and then fighting soldiers Blavin had sent to stop the would-be rescuers. The Coterie loses loved ones in battle, which further threatens their mission to save Lady Noan and secure a future of freedom in Glawynia.