The Empire is once again preparing to repel the hordes of Chaos, and this time the war promises to be brutal. The young ambassador Caspar von Velten is sent by the emperor to Kislev, where the Empire is garrisoned. It is Kaspar who must restore order locally: disperse the thieving bureaucrats, prepare food supplies, and increase the morale of the army. He still does not know what sophisticated traps the demons are preparing for him, how difficult it is to distinguish friends from foes, and what price he will have to pay for victory over Chaos.