Spurred on by the unexpected loss of his wife, the military officer Baltus Blackpool plans to enact his revenge by dismantling the decadent ruling council of Vorclaw by building his own cult-The Black Masks! Meanwhile, his son Dru bonds with others and delves into a less respectable career path that his father is forced to embrace.

Magnus Foehammer, the infallible right hand of Baltus, rears an orphaned elf he names Leif. The elf, raised as a human alongside his adopted brother Bjorn, has no memory of his past but has an uncanny propensity towards good.

Leif and Bjorn bond with Dru Blackpool and all three follow their own fathers' footsteps into the army. However, they get caught up in Baltus Blackpool's plans to overtake the Vorclaw while falling into their own misfortunes involving deceit, magic and a quest to save Leif from the vampiress and her arch-goblin hoards!