Lazlo Strange is an orphan living in a monks’ abbey in the Kingdom of Zosma. He does not know his true name; he is given the name of a monk’s uncle (Lazlo), and his surname is the one given to all foundlings in Zosma. Lazlo is miserable at the abbey; his only escape is his imagination, and he thrives on stories of a lost city that a senile monk named Brother Cyrus describes. This lost city is a fantasy kingdom up in the sky, where the streets are paved with lapis lazuli, and fierce warriors called the Tizerkane imbibe scorpion venom to gain power during battle. Lazlo pretends to be a Tizerkane warrior, feeling like an invincible god. Suddenly, a strange phenomenon occurs: The lost city’s name is abruptly erased by magic, and everyone who once knew its name can now only call it “Weep.” Lazlo is determined to discover the source of this magic one day.

Now 20 years old, Lazlo works as a librarian in the Great Library, where he earns the moniker “Strange the dreamer” for his habit of always having his nose stuck in a book and getting lost in daydreams. Lazlo has spent his time since the abbey researching all manner of