Long before the events of the failed Annual General Meeting of the BSVEF in Leeds or the launch of the ill-fated Modern Vampire Life fashion label in Paris, Olak managed to survive and even thrive for over 550 years. Somehow.From humble peasant beginnings in a peasant mud hut in the year 1361, Olak's early days teach him how to survive and how to climb the ladder, helped by his military service and eventual rise to the rank of Brigadier in the winter of 1423.When he accepts a most unusual offer from a superior officer, his life changes forever - literally - and a whole new world opens up for Olak. Across centuries and countless experiences, Olak learns the powers of the darkness.Following a series of punishing trials overseen by the mysterious inhabitants of Frog Hollow, Olak seeks advancement and finally finds a sense of belonging with the newly-formed British Society of Vampire Enthusiasts.As the centuries tick by, Olak manages to sneak and betray his way to supreme power whilst modernising the organisation from the inside out, recruiting staff and planting diabolical seeds for the future whilst building his personal fortune. Then, he makes the mistake of selecting Leeds for his next Annual General Meeting and flying up from London to meet the President of the Horsforth chapter of the BSVEF...