Prologue. In complete darkness, the first words of the ancient rite were heard. He has never sounded in this universe, but the world recognized him and shuddered. From a hole in the floor in the center of the hall, a dull crimson glow soaked up and showed from the darkness walls with mosaics in the form of faces of demons and several figures standing around the well in bizarre horned helmets. Each of the five priests in the corners of the imaginary pentagram sang their own motive, but their low womb voices merged into one complex sound pattern...