Gaul, 53 BCE. The massacre of Roman forces by Ambiorix leaves Caesar determined to punish the Eburones, even as Vercingetorix and a network of druids and kings prepare a broader revolt. The legions ravage the north in search of an elusive enemy, deepening the hatred that Roman retaliation is meant to suppress.
Fronto returns to command while the alliance of Caesar, Pompey and Crassus fractures in Rome. He must serve a general whose vow of vengeance is beginning to override restraint and strategic judgement. The campaign places friendship and conscience against military duty, as every reprisal brings Gaul closer to the united resistance Caesar most fears.