The novel is a multifaceted excursion into various temporal layers, tracing the history of the creation, loss, and rediscovery of the oldest Slavic texts-chronicles, which could very well have been the "Book of Veles" or its analogue.
The first part - "The Wooden Book" - narrates the finding of tablets with unknown writings at the estate of the princes Donets-Zakharnzhivsky near Kharkiv during the Civil War. The ancient Slavic unicas are being handled by the artist Izenbek and the writer Mirolyubov.
The second part - "The Great Triglav" - introduces the reader to the events and personalities of Ancient Rus of the 10th century - the sorcerer Velimir, the old warrior Mechislav, and his pupil Svetozar. It tells the story of the creation of wooden tablets.
The main character of the third part - "The Thread of Times" - is a former intelligence officer, Major Chumakov, who, after a serious injury, begins to experience strange visions. By "filtering" the ancient through himself, he becomes a "priest" of modernity.
At the turning point of an era, it is always important to touch upon the experience of those who have already gone through similar trials.