A colony of folks from the massive trading city of Kaitaine have been implanted deep in the continent of Emer near Green Lake, on a pretense of being there to extract a certain flower from the swamps that grow on the east banks of said lake. The whole expedition is being banked by a noble house of the world's other trading powerhouse city-state, Sel-kai, who provide the services of flying ships to transport supplies in to keep the colony going. Isadora, a young and talented noblewoman of Kaitaine, has been appointed by Lord Marvars, the colony owner, to head up the expedition.

The entire operation is beset by several problems. First, it is in Rhiani territory, they being a tribe of horse nomads. Currently a tribe of Rhiani are staying at Green Lake because this is the time of year when they water here, and hunting is good (most of the rest of Rhiani terrain ranges from slightly arid to desert). The Rhiani are an obsessively honest people, who do not understand or accept deciet. Lying can be a capital offense. As such, the politically complex Ikaiti (meaning people from Kaitaine), have had a rough time getting on with the Rhiani who they hire to extract the flowers from the swamp.

Another problem is that the lake is near some really dangerous territory - just to the north is a mountain range that is plauged with goblins who are, for some reason, raiding south this year. Maybe worse, the west bank of the lake is the terminus of an odd forest called the White Wood, which has highly unnatural trees and some obvious weird magic emanating from it.

Perhaps worst, and only Isadora and the assigned Sel-kai advisor Sebastian are aware of this as of yet, the whole colony is a sham, essentially a cover for Marvar's wizard, one Adept Salast, to investigate what he thinks is a source of great magical power deep in the lake. This fact has been discovered, and Salast has fled to the swamp to work from there (two soldier flunkies he took with him have been pilfering from the colony and the Rhiani camp to provide for their needs).

As a crossroads of sorts, Green Lake has attracted all sorts of wanderers. The characters, Gennadi, Serama, Aysha, Archelaus and FahjaZkir are all at Green Lake specifically to find things in or about the White Wood. Many of these characters, like Elkaru Mah, being refugees from the destruction of the City Of Sherezak. Okhfels is a mercenary who wandered down from the mountain hold he called home who has started to take charge somewhat for Isadora in the colony. Egani arrived because of a magic ritual gone very wrong and the White Wood's magic nature causing him to materialize nearby. Haikain aiJulali, somewhat like Archelaus, is looking to map this deep region of Emer, and has become involved with whatever is in the lake.

Add to this motley crew a cult of cat worshippers, refugees coming up the river to the lake from a city destroyed (in phase one) by demons, troll shamans, other beligerent Rhiani tribes, giant mutant snakes that the forces of the White Wood have sent out to deal with the forces of the lake, the White Wood being a portal to a dimension of insanity, two player created hero bands, everyone catching swamp fever because of a curse that Salast has put on them to prevent them looking for him, goblins making daylight raids and worshipping strange rocks, and...well, just a lot of abnormal goings on. All making life way too interesting for the people of Green Lake.