Three decades ago, the Augur of the Sect prophesied the birth of a peerless seer, but a lot can happen in thirty years. With the death of the railway, the invention of the motorcar, and a shifting political landscape, the time when ancient sects govern the course of history has long since passed.

Senator Kirrykirk seeks to one up her rival, the Augur struggles to save the fading reputation of his order, and a young girl stands on the platform of a dilapidated railway station while her brother sleeps, oblivious of his impending change of fortune.

In the capital, three historians look to quietly complete their studies. Little do they know the significance of the things they are about to find - for though the three looked to the past, the future, too, looked back.