Introduction: A world where a plague turns men into monsters and mankind hides behind walls to stave off destruction. That is the world Aguerus Marus has known all his life.The life of a mercenary is short and hard and often ends in a violent death. Aguerus has stayed alive long enough but a new job comes along with far higher stakes and far greater danger. A lord has lost his family fortress, a tower of red stone as old as the mountains around it, and now he wants it back. The only issue is a mage with the power to control the plague ridden has taken residence and he's not leaving without a fight.Even with a company of fellow mercenaries the journey is long and swarms of monsters roam the land. If Aguerus even reaches the tower, there are things far older and far stronger than a mage lurking in the shadows....