A young Russian named Kirill is the sole survivor of a once numerous clan of German origin. His ancestor, Balthasar Schwerdt, migrated to the Russian Empire in the 1830s, bringing with him the practice of alternative medicine and becoming captive to an erratic nobleman. Kirill investigates why none of the German's nine children or their descendants could escape their adoptive country's cruel fate. Intent on uncovering buried mysteries, he searches archives and cemeteries across Europe, while pressing witnesses for keys to understanding.
