Trouble is converging on the imperial city of Peridol, and whatever dance the gods are planning, Maximillian the Vaguely Disreputable wants to stay out of it. No such luck, though--it’s up to Max and his friends the Great Karlini and the Creeping Sword to unseat the despotic gods, who treat the mortal realm like a giant chess board. But with the gods fighting amongst themselves, no one is going to win this battle anytime soon ... Until a long-forgotten player re-enters the dance.