Four foreign exchange students in Bucharest are chosen to head up an investigation of the infamous 15th Century Romanian soldier, Vlad the Impaler. Popular folklore has suggested that Vlad may be the real-life legend that inspired the Dracula tale. Along with a guide (Billy Zane), the students travel the Carpathian Mountains in search of his tomb. One secretly carries a necklace stolen from Vlad's grave. Imbued with a vast evil power, the necklace is the object of desire for other Vlad fanatics who trace the group's every move. They encounter a mysterious woman from the Middle Ages who reveals the necklace's ability to cause time travel.