In a lost fortress deep in the desert, where ancient betrayals and forgotten sorcery lie buried beneath the sands, the Norman warrior Cormac Fitzgeoffrey is caught in a deadly conspiracy among thieves, mercenaries, and fanatics. All seek a crimson gem of dark origin - said to be cursed - stolen from the tomb of none other than King Belshazzar of Babylon. As blood flows through crumbling alliances and old gods stir beneath the earth, Cormac must fight not only for his life but against the sinister lure of a stone that drives men mad.
