After years of being ignored by his peers, Professor Atlas Monell is presented with an opportunity to raise his standing. Not only in the eyes of his fellow professors, but in the world at large. As a student of mythology and culture, he is inspired by strange fables, myths and legends from across the world and is familiar with most of them. The prestigious Sinclair family and its current head, Patrician Alistair Sinclair, embark on an expedition to the mysterious Godlands, a place untouched by man. Their invitation to the world of academia, brings the best scholars of the generation with them, and Atlas among them. But with opportunity to explore new lands comes great risk. Their party is escorted by men belonging to a different world from the civil world Atlas and his colleagues are from, and the friction between the groups condemns the voyage from the beginning. And as the Cecilia, the Iron Sword and the Golden Rose, make their way through the treacherous seas that separates them from the Godlands, their lives are placed in danger. Because from beneath the waves, they are being hunted by creatures of the deep.