After rescuing a neighbor's daughter from a violent attack by two aristocrats and finding a rape victim, a young expatriate mage, Kharl, the finest cooper in Brysta, discovers that he has run afoul of Egen, the corrupt and evil son of the local ruler, who embarks on a vicious campaign against him, leading Kharl on a perilous quest that brings him face to face with the mysteries of magical power. Reprint.