Norman Shale is a rather hapless and unworldly dwarf. When he is mistaken for a celebrity geochemist he becomes the victim of not one but two kidnap attempts. As a result of these unfortunate events, Norman is drawn into an adventure that he really isn't cut out for. Fortunately he meets an ageing academic dwarf, a courier pixie and a senior military fairy - all of whom also get dragged into the quest to save the planet Eris.

The Legend of the Torrimaya Axe mixes magic with espionage, where the villain's idea of a business plan involves starting a war to sell more weapons, and a magical axe resurfaces, as per its instructions (which no one seems to have read), to join the unlikely foursome in their mission.

Anything can happen where magic is concerned but few, least of all Norman, believe that anyone would deliberately start a war, never mind build a magical weapon of mass destruction - would they?