Three people's fates are interwoven in the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest in 9 A.D., during which Germanic warriors halt the spread of the Roman Empire.
Seven-year-old Adrian is growing up in the underground drug scene of Salzburg, usually famous for culture and classical music. His mother Helga is torn between her drug addiction and her love for her son. Despite this, Adrian has a happy childhood, the best of all worlds. But it is tested to the limit when the authorities and child welfare services find out about Helga's addiction.
In the dark middle ages, young unruly Goldmund is sent to a monastery by his father to atone for the sins of his mother, who abandoned them. There, he meets Narcissus, a brilliant, scholarly novice who is introverted and aloof. A unique and deep life-long friendship is born. Narcissus chooses to remain detached from the world in prayer and meditation. Goldmund, passionate, sensual and impulsive, runs away from the monastery to live a picaresque wanderer’s life, his amorous and artistic adventures leading him to discover the extremes of both ecstasy and pain. Several thrilling years pass until one day these friends cross paths again...
