The story of Shadows of Cairn revolves around Quinn, the apprentice thief, and his trials and tribulations. As stated, Quinn is an apprentice thief. Quinn has a problem, however, in that he is too honest to actually steal anything worth value and prove himself to his guild. As such, his guild master sets him up to take the fall for the murder of the Duke of Cairn.[3] After escaping from his holding cell, Quinn must fight and sneak his way through several areas of the tiered outpost city in the mountains of Cairn and prove his innocence and save the outpost from the greedy menace of his former master and associates.