Amanorian Lord King Azario knows that he must find the Claws of Chaos before they fall into the wrong hands and jeopardises the security of his Empire and possibly the galaxy. Unfortunately for him, the key to success depends on a human criminal, his own prisoner, Gaston Schwenk, who cannot be trusted, has a smart tongue and certainly knows his own value. Meanwhile, in a parallel Universe, King Pertinax also desires the secrets that are associated with the Claws of Chaos to escape his dead realm, and so he also needs to capture Schwenk. The secretive, elusive Jinx, an assassin, is hired by Pertinax to apprehend Schwenk and deliver him, and the secrets of the Claws. Lord King Azario drags, at times literally, an unwilling Schwenk on a quest around other worlds to seek clues that will lead to his capturing the Claws of Chaos before the enemy does. Who will get to the Claws of Chaos first? What do the Claws do, and, who is the mysterious Guardian of the Claws?