Still mourning Belit and flush with gold after a heist, Conan attempts to drink away his sorrows. In his tavern-hopping journey he meets and befriends married couple Hunwulf and Gudrun and their son, Bjorn. A decade ago, Hunwulf eloped with Gudrun after killing her betrothed, they live on the run from her tribe, who are desperate for revenge. Bjorn has the makings of a shaman, while Hunwulf is prone to having strange fits which bring him visions of past and future lives. When a descendant warns Hunwulf of imminent danger, he and his wife ride out to ambush the tribe, leaving Bjorn with Conan, who vows to protect the boy with his life. Unfortunately, Conan is betrayed by a former accomplice, and Bjorn is kidnapped by the tribe. Conan and Bjorn’s vengeful parents search for the lad. They catch up to the tribe, only to find Bjorn has been taken by murderous bat-winged figures, who fought with talon and sword. The boy, and other ‘gifted’ children have been taken to the Rotlands, a place plagued by a contaminating supernatural force that warps all who go there. To save Bjorn, the trio must go to the heart of the Rotlands, where strange, horrifying fates await at every turn.
