Life on the lower branches is hard. And it's made harder by the mist storms that rise up from the lost world below bringing madness, twisted monstrosities, and tragedy. The mist is the reason the world below is abandoned, but how safe a refuge is the Tree? And is it truly as eternal as the Thornbound claim?

Reg Olverspiel is a herder who will leap at a chance to try out for the guard force that protects the Tree from the twisted monsters below. Doing so sets him on a path to discover the mysteries of the Tree and of the lost world below.

This story has:

- Exploration of a high fantasy world- A school setting with unique classes- An adorable spider- Tree-based aphorisms appropriate for life on a lower bough- A hard-working main character who will struggle through adversity- Jokes about moss-farmers