Before time began, Sai Tain, and two thirds of all spirits, rebelled against God. This began a war which ended only with the creation of the creation of the great weapons of God, time and death. Those who died in that war were trapped in immortal bodies of flesh. Those who died became Highmen, fanatical servants of God who kill all those who do not measure up. The rebels became the Lowmen, devoted to the idea of physical perfection through the destruction of the weak. This led to the second war, an endless war between two unquestioned and irreconcilable belief structures.

Into this war God created the middlemen. Twelve mortal men and women who are the founders of a race destined by God to choose which side wins this war, but first they must convince both sides not to destroy them and survive the many dangers of this world including magic, strange creatures and Sai Tain himself.