Alternative 19th century. Gunpowder has not been invented, but gladiator fights still exist, and Count Osterman-Tolstoy, expelled from secular society, makes a living by participating in them. One day, he and his comrades had to face an unusual enemy - creatures in whose veins not only human blood flows. A new enemy has appeared, common to all people, and how will this affect Russia, which recently experienced the Crimean War in this reality?