Black Death

The film begins with a voiceover from Wolfstan, a soldier for the Church in 13th Century England. He explains the devastating impact of the bubonic plague, which many believe to be divine punishment aimed at punishing the unfaithful.

Osmund, a young monk, visits a town where he speaks with Averill, a woman who loves him. He urges her to escape the town due to the plague, promising to meet her in a forest at dawn if he decides to follow her.

After praying for guidance, Osmund perceives a sign when a troop of Church soldiers arrives at the monastery seeking a guide. Seeing this as his chance to find Averill, he eagerly volunteers to lead them to the remote village.

On their journey, the soldiers come across villagers preparing to execute a woman accused of witchcraft. Ulrich, their leader, intervenes, only to kill the woman himself, illustrating the harsh realities of their mission.

As the soldiers set up camp in the forest, Osmund rushes to the landmark to meet Averill, but finds only her scarf and a band of brigands. He narrowly escapes and returns to the camp, but they are soon attacked by the brigands.

The group arrives in a seemingly peaceful village and is welcomed by Hob. Osmund, who is injured, receives treatment from the village herbalist, Langiva, who harbors a secret resentment against the Church.

Langiva reveals unsettling truths to Osmund, showing him effigies of the last Church party that sought to rid the village of heresies. Shockingly, she also reveals that she has found Averill alive but drugged.

During dinner, the villagers drug the soldiers, binding them for a trial led by Langiva. The community, strong in their own belief system, chooses to test the soldiers' faith through brutal trials, starting with Frith, who ultimately meets a gruesome end.

Osmund is led to Averill, who is in a drugged stupor. Convinced she is beyond hope due to dark witchcraft, he makes the sorrowful decision to end her life, believing he is sparing her from suffering.

Ulrich, having been captured, is bound and tortured. The villagers, upon discovering that he carries the plague, lose control, and chaos ensues as he is brutally killed by horses pulling him apart.

The remaining soldiers manage to break free and overpower the villagers. Although many villagers die, Wolfstan is the lone survivor among the soldiers, left to grapple with the horrors of what has transpired.

Osmund chases after Langiva and accuses her of murdering Averill. She refutes the claim, asserting that she is no witch but a skilled herbalist, having merely kept Averill drugged for her intentions.

Wolfstan takes Hob, captured alive, to face trial as a necromancer. As they make their way back to the Church, Wolfstan reflects on the inevitable devastation caused by Ulrich bringing the plague to the village.

In the closing voiceover, Wolfstan shares how Osmund succumbed to madness following Averill's death. Driven by a desire for vengeance on Langiva, he becomes a merciless inquisitor, torturing innocent women accused of witchcraft.

Wolfstan expresses a prayer for Osmund's peace, despite the violent path he has taken. The film fades to black as Osmund is seen presiding over a grim execution, a stark reminder of the consequences of his choices.