Yet Par Ohmsford still has some power of the Wishsong. While his brother Coll recites the old legends, Par uses his Wishsong to bring them life. Then a mythic horror known as a Shadowen confronts them. A man calling himself Cogline drives it off but also brings a message from the ancient Druid Allanon -- to go to the dread Hadeshorn, along with the other Scions of Shannara: Wren, who lives in the Westland, and Walker Boh, somewhere in the Eastland.

At the Hadeshorn, Allanon's spirit reveals a terrible future where Shadowen have destroyed all life in the Four Lands. To prevent that, he orders Par to recover the long-lost Sword of Shannara, Wren to discover the vanished Elves, and Walker Boh to bring back the Druids and their ancient vanished stronghold of Paranor.

All those tasks are manifestly impossible...