James Kincaid is the type of guy who might be described as down on his luck, if only he’d had some luck to begin with. Like so many people in the shadows of Seattle, he’s trying to get by with what he has. In his case, that includes a lively spirit, a sadly diminished magical talent, quick wits, and good knowledge of the twists and turns of Seattle’s dingy streets and back alleys.

The year is 2050. The power of magic and the creatures it brings have returned to the earth, and many of the ancient races have re-emerged. Elves, Orks, Mages, and lethal Dragons find a home in a world where mana, technology, and human flesh have melded into deadly urban predators. And the multinational mega-corporations that run the world hoard the only thing of real value - information. For Sam Verner, living in the womb of the Renraku conglomerate was easy, until his sister disappeared and the façade of the corporate reality began to disintegrate.

When Trevor Harrison founded New Argana, he envisioned it as a place magical and nonmagical people could call home without fear of the powerful and sadistic Talented. An arcane shield protected them from the deadly magic of the Calanarian Wastes and allowed them to live in peace.

It's hard enough for Alastair Stone to keep his two lives - powerful mage and mundane Occult Studies professor - separate without an old friend asking him to take on a new apprentice. Especially after a university colleague wants him to investigate a massive old house for things that go bump in the night. Still, Stone figures it's an easy job: just turn up, put on a little show, and announce that the house is clean. Only it isn't. A malevolent spirit is reawakening in the basement.

The life of a lifesaver. DocWagon - saviors of the needy, rescuers of the desperate. Willing to go anywhere, rescue anyone, as long as that “anyone” has forked out enough advance cash to justify the effort. Reporter Amelia Hart has embedded herself with a DocWagon team to see what their life is really like, and she’s in for a wild ride. But will they survive long enough to remember that in the Sixth World, nothing is truly random?