India in the second half of the 18th century: a time of powerful princes and great warlords, a stage for dramatic battles, and a land for adventurers from all over the world. When the Irish peasant boy George Thomas arrives in Madras in 1781 aboard an English warship, he immediately succumbs to the mysterious allure of this colorful and enchanting place. Seduced by the beauty of the land and its promise of wealth and fame, George decides to desert. For once, a mysterious woman in his homeland foretold him immeasurable riches. But then he comes to know the dangerous side of power.