"There's a lot that Jarlaxle doesn't know: is he the lone survivor of the raid on the slaad fortress, can he even find a way to get out, and beyond his immediate predicament, could he possibly escape the ice caverns and get help for his friends? However, what Jarlaxle does know is that if he plans to come back--if Catti-brie, Entreri, and Zaknafein are to have any hope of surviving--he's going to have to bring back far more firepower. An army of aevendrow...

After the settling dust of the demon uprising and two years of peace, rumblings from the Menzoberranzan drow have Jarlaxle nervous. Worried his allies may be pulled into a Civil War between the great Houses, he is eager to ensure Zaknafein is armed with weapons befitting his skill, including one in particular: Khazid'hea. A powerful artifact, the sword known as "Cutter" has started wars, corrupted its users, and spilled the blood of many, many people....

Drizzt joins Bruenor on his quest for the fabled dwarven kingdom of Gauntlgrym, but before they even get close, another drow and dwarf pair -- Jarlaxle and Athrogate -- stumbles across it first -- and set into motion a catastrophe that could spell disaster for the unsuspecting people of the city of Neverwinter.