In a valley choked by industrial greed and a thickening "silver-rot," a young rower named Kaelen pulls a mysterious, warm silver glove from the thawing Aven River. As the mountain's natural balance fails, Kaelen discovers the glove is a relic of the Wardens, ancient protectors who manage the river’s volatile energy.
To save his village from a catastrophic landslide of toxic silt, Kaelen undergoes a slow, physical transformation as the silver armor grafts to his skin. Alongside a northern engineer and a mountain scout, he outmaneuvers the power-hungry Iron-Scribes and the Copper King. Ultimately, Kaelen realizes that to permanently restore the spring and stabilize the mountain, he must sacrifice his humanity to become the new First Warden, dwelling forever within the stone to guide the river's heart.
