During the Civil War, the North—desperate to defeat the South—utilized forbidden magic that turned their soldiers into monstrous beings known as Incarnates. In exchange for their humanity they were granted immense power to defeat their foes. But though their lands were saved, some grew to fear the Incarnates in the aftermath of the war, causing them to be shunned, and some even killed.

Years later in a town in the middle of nowhere, Nancy Schaal Bancroft has found her target—the man responsible for killing her Incarnate father. Armed with an elephant gun, she takes aim and fires, but he remains unharmed. Despite revealing her vengeful intentions to him, the man has other pressing matters to attend to: the murder of another Incarnate. During the clash, Schaal discovers that her father's killer is actually an Incarnate himself, and his murderous streak is due to a promise he made long ago: that any Incarnate who loses their humanity will be taken down by one of their own.

After the beast is dead, the Incarnate known as Hank invites Schaal to accompany him on his journey, so that she can understand the truth behind her father's death and why these monstrous beings are better off dying at the hands of their former comrades.