An AI named Mara, from the late 21st century, abducts a disparate collection of 5th century people and maroons them on a world many parsecs from Earth. It's a desperate gamble to give humanity a minuscule chance for survival in a merciless galaxy, Lucius Bernius, a Roman general, awakens with no recollection of his past. He, along with scholars and soldiers plucked from the Roman, Byzantine, Persian, Gupta and Sung Empires, find themselves on a bizarre, incomprehensible world. Only Alexa, a mysterious, blind woman, who seems to know more about Lucius than Lucius himself, has information regarding what happened. However, her counsel is met with suspicion and her pleas that humanity's existence depends on their success sounds insane. Besides the land itself, these fifth century humans must battle relentless foes who possess, what to them have god-like powers. Fraught with danger, the forsaken humans struggle against their new world with only their wits and iron age weapons. Lucius discovers he understands things that should be impossible for him to know. To overcome the perils encountered, he must uncover the truth about his hidden past. The resulting maelstrom, even Mara could not foresee.