It is the Winter of 1109 in the official calendar of the Pajan Empire. Okko and his faithful companions — the mysterious masked Noburo, Noshin the monk and young Tikku — arrive at the City of the Blasting Powder. While seeking a guide to help them cross the perilous chain of the seven monasteries, they meet a skillful warrior: Mow of the Wind. Okko and his companions seek the Forbidden Libraries of the Eighth Monastery on the Roof of the World, but the way is dangerous, and the ancient powers of the Earth demand a blood sacrifice when awoken.