In the little town of Dabril in Galt, best known for its fine perfumes and gloves—as well as a tendency to send folks to the guillotine at the slightest provocation—a young alchemist named Norret Gantier returns home after years with the militia, body broken by the ravages of war and in search of any thread of familiarity that might help him start a new life. Yet here he finds more than he bargained for, for in the ruins of Dabril's noble manor house lie alchemical secrets beyond anything a simple grenadier can imagine.