Obsessed with the acquiring the Holy Grail for the Lasombra clan, the vampire Montrovant sets out on a quest that leads him through the establishment of the Knights Templar, the lair of an ancient Egyptian evil, and the deserts of the Holy Land. Dark forces are pitted against him, and each ally must be watched in turn, as treachery leads to deceit and back again in a race against time, the Church, and the mysterious Kli Kodesh, who is more ancient, even than Montrovant's sire.

Only persistence, luck, and the power of his own will can see him through to his goal, and any mistake could mean his destruction.