It is 1399. Henry Bolingbroke, unjustly banished and deprived of his inheritance by Richard II, returns to claim his rights and deposes the king to become Henry IV of England. He is aided by the powerful lords of Northumberland, especially by his friend, Harry Percy. But the triumph of his accession quickly turns sour in the face of ever-growing crises in his new kingdom, and Wales is the most pressing and troublesome of these. The specter of Richard holds sway beyond the grave, and the shadow of regicide, the memory of past crimes, and growing doubts and divisions cause a dangerous rift. The king also has powerful enemies who are all too willing to take advantage of this.