Luca and his Branched squad have entered the Duchy of Normandy to hunt down and eliminate the Garland before she can call down another meteor strike. The Duchy, under the control of the Doppelganger, is also known as the Land of Thralls for its disturbing use of identical slave-soldiers. The Pontiff has narrowed the Garland's potential location to four forts, and Luca's squad must infiltrate each in turn. As they rove through the countryside, Luca learns more about Demi's tragic past than he wanted to know...