Anse Hatfield and Randall McCoy, close friends and comrades until near the end of the Civil War, return to their neighboring homes to increasing tensions, misunderstandings and resentments.

As Rincewind involuntarily becomes a guide to the naive tourist Twoflower, they find themselves forced to flee the city of Ankh-Morpork to escape a terrible fire, and begin on a journey across the Disc. Unknown to them, their journey & fate is being decided by the Gods playing a board game the whole time.