During the era of Augustus, there is a wild, untamed land far in the north, where no Roman sandal has yet trodden, and there Maroboodus, the son and adeling of a Goth lord Hulderic, simmers with rage over the many injustices their family has to endure.

Hraban the Marcomanni has never met his father Maroboodus, exiled in far-away Rome, but this is about to change. In the age of early Roman Empire, Augustus is creating his legacy with gladius as the legions begin the arduous work of subjecting the troublesome and divided Germani tribes. Such great, distant issues do not concern Hraban, a young man bent on becoming a spear lord, giver of rings, a warrior praised in the dark halls of his kin. He is the Raven, and son of great lords.

Rome has fallen into darkness. Its legacy remains alive in Constantinople, whose leaders struggle to retain control. Yet famine, war, and an encroaching night leave the Eastern Empire towards ruin. Faint hope arises as a new dynasty ascends the throne of Caesar. Bearing witness to such events is Varus, a young Herulian slave to the aging yet powerful Justin, who unveils a bold plan held by two generations of Romans - to retake the West and reclaim their homeland.

989 AD. Alfred the Great’s dream of a united England has been forged by his daughter Aethelfaed and grandson, King Aethelstan. The Vikings have been expelled from York following the death of Erik Bloodaxe, and for two generations there has been peace between Saxon and Dane. A new Viking warlord Olaf Tryggvason seeks revenge for Bloodaxe's death and the slaughter that followed, and has set his sights on a fresh assault on England’s shores. With Skarde Wartooth they set sail for Saxon lands, hungry for glory, conquest and vengeance.

A young Chatti by the name of Adalwulf rides his stolen horse to the lands of the Marcomanni, hoping to find a ring-giver and a new life. What he finds instead is a mysterious priestess looking for him, his innate ability to fight like a demi-god, and plenty of trouble. In the era of Augustus, the borders of River Rhenus are waiting for a change. While the Marcomanni have an uneasy peace with Rome, Rome is turning its eye to the north. The feuds of two Goth lords, Bero and Hulderic, thrust Adalwulf in a desperate quest that will determine his future.