The navy of Marc Antony and Cleopatra have been crushed at Actium. Desperate survivors wash ashore in Macedonia and the Governor's court is in turmoil. Harboring them invites the wrath of Rome, but many oppose Octavian's seizure of Imperial power. The survivors have with them a relic they claim will make Marc Antony victorious if they can only be given safe passage. But a relic of such power attracts the attention of many who hunger for secrets.
Over the centuries, men have coveted it. It has passed through the hands of the Emperors of China, the Warlords of Japan, and even the nobility of Europe. The power it contains is something that could change the world forever, or destroy it in an instant. Now it soon will be in the hands of a new owner, one that has his own reasons for coveting it. What is this object of desire? What price are men willing to pay to obtain it?