An evil queen holds the land of Palindor increasingly in her sway. The only creatures who might have stood up to her power, the Holy Gnomes, are long dead, killed by a suspicious fire that swept through the Holy Barrows of Perendeth. But, unknown to everyone, two young gnomes escaped the fire. Now, after years of waiting, the High Lord Olvensar visits the gnomes and tells them it is time to topple the queen. Aided by a young woman from another world, they set out to find the source of the queen's growing power and thwart her evil designs while there is still time. Dark knights, spies, goblins, and other dangerous creatures mix with bickering crones, a particularly stupid three-headed troll and the golden-furred, amiable dablik to combine danger and romp as rival powers struggle for the future of Palindor.