In a world where peace has bred complacency, Zenalyan, leader of the Melknites, finds herself ensnared in a cycle of stagnation. For forty years, since the last Malt was defeated, she has struggled to maintain order among her once-formidable warriors, now grown lax and disorganized. The annual assembly of the Melknites, a vital tradition, has not convened in a decade, reflecting the decline in their once-unyielding discipline.