In a day unlike any other, a multitude of refugees manages to ford the Great Western River to convince their kin to join them in the war against the First House, a dangerous new dogma that originated from a mysterious coup. After the discussion splinters into fierce arguing, all expectations are dashed. Suddenly, another cadre of refugees arrives carrying an elderly man on a stretcher. In his withered hands is a book depicting a horrific tale that just may alter the course of the war. The text, known as The Eyes that Weep, recounts the grave misfortunes of Delving Eye, a high-ranking detective of the First House.

Prior to the dismal events described in the narrative, Delving Eye and his companions were well-known throughout the First House as loyal, intelligent examples of their order. At the start of the new year, however, he and his cohort are forced into an emergency assignment that takes them beyond the borders of their great capitol, Kinsman Height. Dispatched to a village close to an enemy border, Delving Eye and his crew must discover why two of their military units have mysteriously vanished. The mission slowly spirals out of control, and Delving Eye's life is forever changed.