Richard, Kahlan, Zeddicus are joined by the Mord’sith Cara on a trip to a death camp to find an abbot with the key to finding the stone needed to close the rift between the underworld and land of the living, and thus prevent the Keeper and Darken Rahl with the dead. While there they discover that the Keeper is recruiting banelings: the dead who he sends back if they agree to kill on his behalf.