At the Conservatory of Magic in Eckmül, the sage Alunÿs believes he is close to creating a fourteenth Major Enchantment that could bring him recognition and prestige. But an experiment performed on his feline companion Shepäh goes wrong and seriously damages his intellectual abilities. Hoping to return to normal, Alunÿs sets out in search of the legendary Krobatridère, accompanied by two apprentices completing their studies, Kyslapeth and the young herbalist Marikiri. Their expedition takes them beyond the Furious Sea, through pirates, strange creatures, and hostile lands, all the way to the distant islands of the Haggatoe archipelago.