The Shapers are the most powerful of the magical guilds, and you have recently been accepted as an apprentice. With training you will be able to create creatures that will serve you unquestioningly. This is the power of the Shapers, and with study of discipline it will be yours. You're on your way to the colony where you will serve your apprenticeship when things start to go wrong. Your craft is destroyed by an unfamiliar vessel and you're forced to land on an island that has been abandoned and Barred by your people.