"Blood, Red, Darkness,

Hide your coins, bow your heads.

Hark, for the Mercenary Queen of the North is coming!

Blood for eyes, Darkness for hair, knife in hand;

All to avenge her father."

Shade Mitternacht woke up in a bar with nearly no of her memories—only intuitive knowledge of general things that everybody knew. One thing led to another, and she woke up in another strange place.

Watching the vaguely familiar back of someone rushing toward the horde of monsters, Shade had one thought.

"Am I...the daughter of the Mercenary King of the North?"