In the bleak, snow-covered expanse of Transylvania, a century and a half ago, we follow Professor Abronsius, a faded scholar from the distinguished University of Königsberg, and his rather hesitant apprentice Alfred, as they embark on a perilous journey to eradicate the undead. Weary and worn, Abronsius relies heavily on Alfred, whose awkward demeanor and introverted nature render him an unlikely companion in this gruesome endeavor. Upon reaching a small village shrouded in anguish, it quickly becomes clear that their quest has yielded significant results. However, the villagers' frantic rituals and hushed warnings hint at a far deeper malevolence lurking in the shadows.
Inside the rustic local inn, Alfred becomes inexplicably captivated by Sarah, the elusive daughter of tavern keeper Yoine Shagal. Disaster strikes when the Count von Krolock, an enigmatic and merciless vampire lord, abducts Sarah right from her father's arms. In a fit of despair, Shagal futilely attempts to save his daughter, armed with nothing but a handful of garlic, only to meet a tragic fate at the hands of Krolock's minions, transforming him into a creature of the night. As the duo tracks Shagal's descent into darkness through the snow-blanketed hills, they are drawn ominously toward the forbidding stronghold of Count von Krolock. Once inside the castle, they fall into a trap set by Koukol, the hunchbacked servant, and are brought face to face with the cunning Count, who exudes a chilling refinement as he scrutinizes Abronsius's intentions.
Meanwhile, Shagal, now overtaken by his own darkness, devises a sinister plot to ensnare Magda, the maidservant with captivating beauty, as his vampire bride. As the tension escalates, Abronsius and Alfred reluctantly accept the Count's dubious invitation to stay within his Gothic fortress, where Alfred spends a night fraught with restless nightmares. By morning, Abronsius hatches a plan aimed at locating the castle crypt in order to defeat the Count with a stake through his heart—albeit forgetting the urgency of Sarah's peril. However, their quest faces obstacles due to Koukol's watchful presence, leading to a botched attempt to infiltrate through a rooftop window. With Abronsius stuck in the opening, it falls on Alfred to eliminate the Count while he remains blissfully unaware.
As Alfred rushes to rescue his companion from the freezing crypt, he unexpectedly encounters Sarah, who is blissfully unaware of her looming danger as she bathes in her chamber. She informs him of a grand ball scheduled for that very night, plunging Alfred into turmoil between his desire to save her and the pressing mission at hand. But as he diverts his gaze, Sarah mysteriously vanishes into thin air.
After rescuing Abronsius, who is now suffering from the cold, they re-enter the castle. However, Alfred's search for Sarah leads him instead to Herbert, who initially seduces him before revealing his true vampiric nature and attempts to bite him. In a frantic escape down a shadowy staircase, they find themselves trapped behind a locked door within a turret just as night descends.
Peering down at the graves below, they are horrified to observe a multitude of vampires from centuries past, once dormant, now ready to feast on any captives provided by their master, Count von Krolock. The Count himself subsequently appears, mockingly taunting them with their impending fate before leaving to attend the ball where Sarah is to be highlighted as his next offering.
Fighting against the odds, the hunters ingeniously escape by utilizing a cannon, employing steam pressure instead of gunpowder to burst through the door. They find their way to the ball disguised, yet their reflections in an ornate mirror betray them. In a daring bid, they manage to rescue Sarah and flee on horseback. In their haste, however, Abronsius and Alfred remain oblivious to the tragic truth: it is already too late for Sarah. She awakens mid-escape as a vampire and sinks her fangs into Alfred's neck, heralding the release of vampires into the world.
