In "Kar Kaballa", Dylan MacBride, the son of a famous Avalonian explorer, attempts to warn the Empire in which he lives (fairly similar to the late-19th century British Empire) of an impending invasion by the Gogs. The Gogs are a nomadic race equivalent to the Mongols, living on a continent separated from Avalon by a narrow sea. Their ruler is Kar Kaballa, and they worship a deity named Cythraul who demands human sacrifice and wishes to emerge and consume the world.