Naiyar is a young Djanki warrior. The Djanki are a tribe living in the tropical rainforest south of the Girdle Sea. They believe that their Gods created them for their own amusement and that, to fulfil their purpose and avoid being abandoned by those Gods, they must make war on those around them. Consequently, they are a warrior race, obsessed with their martial arts.

Raised in the jungle by his mother and father, Naiyar dreams of the world outside of his culture. Deep down, he feels there is more to life than the Djanki traditions and doesn't take them as seriously as the elders and shamans of his tribe.  Naiyar hears strange, ghostly voices which hint that there may be more to his destiny than the Djanki way of life.