Lankhmar - the iniquitous home of all that is earthly and evil; peopled by bullies, pimps, whores, conmen, mountebanks, burglars, cutthroats, swindlers and assassins; where rats hide underground by day and emerge to kill by night. Lankhmar - where the two greatest heroes in the annals of fantasy first formed their formidable alliance.

Now, after their legendary adventures in the northern wastes and trips through space to distant worlds, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser are home again, looking forward to the easiest mission they have had in a decade. But Lankhmar is attacked by a weird horde of invaders - Mingols, a two-headed dragon and an army of miniature warriors - and the two swordsmen have to fight as never before to save the city and complete their mission.