Nature withers and dies beneath the growing bane of machines and industry. Desperate to prevent their world from dying, citizens turn to science and sprawling cities of steam ruled by the Imperium. Kaimo de Morté has never known another life. He is an optometrist by trade but too poor to open an optical emporium. Forced to work in the mines, Kaimo has no idea how his life is about to change. A chance encounter with insurgents thrusts him into a battle for the very future of mankind—one he is ill prepared to fight. Embarking on a perilous voyage filled with clockwork cities, steam-powered airships, alchemy and magic, the optometrist explores a bleak world on the edge of extinction. Kaimo uncovers hidden truths, forms alliances stretching to the highest halls of power, and becomes the catalyst for either saving the world or watching it collapse.