Three murders, each two days apart, all in the lower districts of the city of Rensein. The victims show no sign of injury or trauma, only a pair of inky black finger marks on each of their necks. The clerics at the Temple of Rhydion refuse to get involved. The mages employed by the city guard are too afraid to get close to the bodies. Captain Denning Pole is completely stumped and desperate for help.

Wizard detective Ehren Rivikin's search for information on the mysterious Cult of the Three-faced God leads him to Rensein, where he learns about the case and its promised reward. With the help and resources of Captain Pole, his investigation takes him from the city's underbelly to its glittering merchant district. But can they catch the killer before he strikes again, or are they only chasing shadows?