Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter

Dr. Marcus summons Captain Kronos, a veteran hunter, to a village plagued by deaths marked by accelerated aging. Kronos and his companion, the hunchback Grost, reveal themselves as professional vampire hunters. Grost explains that the victims are drained of youth by a vampire, and that there are as many species of vampire as there are beasts of prey.

The hunters find another victim, confirming the pattern of youth-draining vampirism. Grost expands on the idea that there are multiple vampire species. The danger is not simply blood but the theft of vitality.

Kronos and Grost take in Carla, a Romani girl imprisoned in the village stocks for dancing on the Sabbath. She proves useful by guiding them to hidden clues and later becomes Kronos's lover. The trio begins to rely on her as part of their hunt.

The duo conducts a mystical test that signals vampires' presence, but an eyewitness insists they saw someone old, contradicting the youth-draining vampire theory. The contradiction deepens the mystery and pushes the hunters to question their methods. It foreshadows the vampire's deceptive disguises.

Marcus travels to the Durward estate and speaks with Paul and Sara, learning of Hagen Durward's death and the family's tensions. He is unable to speak with the bedridden Lady Durward. The visit foreshadows a tangled web connecting the family to the vampire threat.

While riding through the woods, Marcus encounters a cloaked figure that leaves him shaken and with blood on his lips. The moment hints at Marcus's own impending vampire fate. It heightens the sense that danger stalks him even before the hunt reaches the manor.

In a tavern, Kronos defeats thugs led by Kerro who were hired to murder him by Lady Durward's coachman. After the fight, the hunters begin installing an alarm-bell network in the woods to detect the vampire's movements. The conflict reveals Lady Durward's hidden influence over local danger.

A bat attacks and kills a young woman during their surveillance, underscoring the spread of vampire danger. Marcus suddenly realizes he has become a vampire and begs Kronos to end his life. The revelation shifts the hunt's focus to his own salvation.

After various attempts (including impalement and hanging) fail, Kronos accidentally pierces Marcus's chest with the steel cross Marcus wore. This moment reveals the vampire's weakness and crystallizes their strategy to end the plague. The cross becomes the hunters' crucial weapon.

Kronos and Grost obtain an iron cross from a cemetery, where Grost forges it into a sword while Kronos keeps a knightly vigil. They are then confronted by angry villagers who accuse them of murdering Marcus. The weapon and vigilance symbolize the lengths they'll go to stop the undead.

Seeing the Durward carriage fleeing after a vampire attack, Kronos suspects Sara of vampirism. The suspicion deepens the family feud and raises the stakes for the hunt. The hunters' personal entanglements threaten to complicate their mission.

Carla seeks refuge at Durward Manor to distract the household while Kronos sneaks inside. The bedridden Lady Durward reveals herself as a newly youthful vampire and hypnotizes Carla and the Durward siblings. Kronos uses the mirrored blade of the cross-sword to turn her gaze against her, kills Lord Durward, and destroys Lady Durward.

The next day, Kronos bids Carla goodbye and, with Grost, rides off to new adventures. The village is safer for now, but the hunters resolve to continue pursuing dark threats. The ending leaves open further exploits for Kronos and Grost.