The year is 1172: Henry II sits on the throne of England, Louis VII is King of France and, far away in the Holy Land, the Poor Knights of the Temple of Solomon continue their unprecedented rise to wealth and power. Here, on the western fringes of the known world, in the harbour village of Aber Ceric Gwynan - the Estuary of the Lamenting Stones - in the land we now call Wales, the people gather to welcome home their prince, Madoc ap Owain Gwynedd. He brings with him news of a vast and beautiful land which he has discovered, far to the west across a deep and uncharted ocean. Young Tomos ap Idwal stands on the harbour wall, listening intently to what the prince has to say, little realizing that from this day forward his own young life will change for ever. Far away, in Jerusalem, ever alert, Templars prick up their ears at the news which has the power to change the world...