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1191. During excavation work at Glastonbury Abbey, an ancient leaden cross is discovered buried several feet below the ground. Inscribed on the cross are the words: Hic iacet sepultus inclitus rex arturius in insula avalonia. Here lies buried the renowned King Arthur in the Isle of Avalon. Beneath the cross, the labourers uncover a male and a female skeleton. Could these really be the remains of the legendary King Arthur and his queen, Guinevere? As the monks debate the implications of this extraordinary discovery, the bones disappear – spirited away by the mysterious Guardians, determined to keep King Arthur's remains safe until, it is believed, he will return in the hour of his country's greatest need. Over the following centuries, many famous historical figures including King Edward I, Shakespeare and even Napolean become entangled in the remarkable story of the fabled bones.

From its first arrival in Britain, with the Norman forces of William the Conqueror, violence and revenge are the cursed sword's constant companions. From an election-rigging scandal in 13th century Venice to the battlefield of Poitiers in 1356, as the Sword of Shame passes from owner to owner in this compelling collection of interlinked mysteries, it brings nothing but bad luck and disgrace to all who possess it.

In the spring of 1348, tales begin arriving in England of poisonous clouds fast approaching, which have overwhelmed whole cities and even countries, with scarcely a human being left. While some pray more earnestly and live yet more devoutly, others vow to enjoy themselves and blot out their remaining days on earth by drinking and gambling.

And then there are those who hope that God's wrath might be averted by going on a pilgrimage. But if God was permitting his people to be punished by this plague, then it surely could only be because they had committed terrible sins?

So when a group of pilgrims are forced to seek shelter at an inn, their host suggests that the guests should tell their tales. He dares them to tell their stories of sin, so that it might emerge which one is the best.That is, the worst…

The anthology centres around a piece of the True Cross, allegedly stained with the blood of Christ, which falls into the hands of Geoffrey Mappestone in 1100, at the end of the First Crusade. The relic is said to be cursed and, after three inexplicable deaths, it finds its way to England in the hands of a thief. After several decades, the relic appears in Devon, where it becomes part of a story by Bernard Knight, set in the 12th century and involving his protagonist, Crowner John. Next, it appears in a story by Ian Morson, solved by his character, the Oxford academic Falconer, and then it migrates back to Devon to encounter Sir Baldwin (Michael Jecks). Eventually, it arrives in Cambridge, in the middle of a contentious debate about Holy Blood relics that really did rage in the 1350s, where it meets Matthew Bartholomew and Brother Michael (Susanna Gregory). Finally, it's despatched to London, where it falls into the hands of Elizabethan players and where Philip Gooden's Nick Revill will determine its ultimate fate.

575 AD. A baby is washed up on the Irish coast and is taken to the nearest abbey. He grows up to become a scholar and a monk but, in early adulthood, he appears to have become possessed, scribbling endless strange verses in Latin. When the Abbott tries to have him drowned, he disappears. Later, his scribblings turn up as the Book of Bran, his writings translated as portents of the future. Violence and untimely death befall all who come into the orbit of this mysterious book.

Carmarthen, 1199 – A sudden snowstorm in late December means that two parties of travellers are forced to abandon their journeys and take refuge in the bustling market town of Carmarthen. Unfortunately, the two groups – one representing the Archbishop of Canterbury and one comprising canons from St David's Cathedral – are bitter opponents in a dispute that has been raging for several months. When an enigmatic stranger appears, and requests permission to stage a play, which he claims will alleviate tensions and engender an atmosphere of seasonal harmony, the castle's constable, Sir Symon Cole, refuses on the grounds that encouraging large gatherings of angry people is likely to end in trouble, but his wife Gwenllian urges him to reconsider. At first, it appears she is right, and differences of opinions and resentments do seem to have been forgotten in the sudden anticipation of what promises to be some unique entertainment. Unfortunately, one of the Archbishop's envoys – the one chosen to play the role of Cain – dies inexplicably on the eve of the performance, and there is another 'accident' at the castle, which claims the life of a mason. Throughout the ages, the play is performed in many guises, but each time bad luck seems to follow after all those involved in its production.

Cerdic, a young boy who has the ability to see into the future, has a mysterious treasure in his possession. A blind old woman once gave him a miniature knife with an ivory bear hilt – the symbol of King Arthur – and told him that when the time comes he will know what he has to do with it. But when he and his brother, Baradoc, are enlisted into King Arthur's army, he finds that trouble seems to follow him wherever he goes. When Baradoc dies fighting with King Arthur in an ambush of the Saxons on Solsbury Hill, Cerdic buries the dagger in the side of the hill as a personal tribute to his brother. Throughout history, Solsbury Hill continues to be the scene of murder, theft and the search for buried treasure. Religion, politics and the spirit of King Arthur reign over the region, wreaking havoc and leaving a trail of corpses and treasure buried in the hill as an indication of its turbulent past.

AD 848.Bernwyn of Lythe, the young daughter of an ealdorman, spurns marriage and chooses to remain a virgin dedicated to Christ. When she is found murdered in the chapel where she kept her nightly vigils, it is thought that she has fallen victim to the Viking raiders who are ravaging the country and the butterflies found resting on her body are taken to be a sign from God.

But what if Bernwyn was not all she seemed? Could the saintly deeds attributed to her have been carried out by someone else and the people have set up a shrine to a false virgin?

Throughout the ages, St Bernwyn comes to be regarded as the patron saint of those suffering from skin diseases, and many are drawn on pilgrimage to her shrines. But from a priory in Wales to the Greek island of Sifnos, it seems that anywhere that St Bernwyn is venerated, bitter rivalry breaks out. So when a famous poet is inspired to tell the story of the saint, perhaps it is little wonder that he finds himself writing a satirical piece on the credulity of man.