A prequel centered on the origins of the centuries-old feud between the race of aristocratic vampires and their former slaves, the Lycans.
The prequel story traces the origins of the centuries-old blood feud between the aristocratic vampires and their onetime slaves, the Lycans. In the Dark Ages, a young Lycan named Lucian emerges as a powerful leader who rallies the werewolves to rise up against Viktor, the cruel vampire king who has enslaved them. Lucian is joined by his secret lover, Sonja, in his battle against the Vampire army and his struggle for Lycan freedom.—Anonymous
Centuries before the fierce enmity between the refined race of Vampires and the bestial clan of Lycans in Underworld (2003), the first intelligent shape-shifting lycanthrope, Lucian, and his lupine companions were slaves to the tribe of bloodsuckers and the scheming Vampire Elder, Viktor. However, as Lucian and Viktor's beloved daughter and formidable warrior, Sonja, taste the ambrosial fruit of forbidden love, this dangerous clandestine affair will pave the way for the ardent lovers' downfall, and the vehement rebellion of the oppressed Lycan-minions. Now, against the backdrop of an imminent uprising, Sonja and Lucian find themselves caught in the middle of an eternal feud. Is this the beginning of a blood-soaked interspecies war?—Nick Riganas
When the human son of a werewolf is born in a cell, the evil leader of the clan of vampires, Viktor, spares his life and names him Lucian. He then forces him to transform other humans into the new breed - Lycan, and raises him as a slave wearing a leash to control his ability. Along the years, Lucian becomes a brave warrior with a great leadership over the other Lycans. He protects the aristocratic vampires during the daylight against the vicious and infectious breed of werewolves that are unable to take human form ever again. However, Viktor's daughter, Sonja, and Lucian are lovers and they secretly meet each other every now and then. Lucian unleashes and transforms in a werewolf to save the life of Sonja in a battle against the werewolves. However, Viktor sentences him to be brutally whipped thirty times and then imprisons him in the dungeon. Sonja saves Lucian and he escapes with other prisoners to the woods. When Viktor discovers that Sonja is pregnant and in love with Lucian, he locks her up in her room to force Lucian to return to the castle to rescue her, in the beginning of the feud between the two bloodlines.—Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
The war between the werewolves and the Vampires had been going on for a few decades. The Vampires had built an army and were working on exterminating the werewolves.Lucian (Michael Sheen) was the first werewolf born capable of taking human form and the first to be called a Lycan. Lucian was the human son of a werewolf was born in vampire captivity. The leader of the clan of vampires, Viktor (Bill Nighy), spares his life and names him Lucian. Lucian possessed a strength that others did not. Viktor also names the species as Lycans.Biktor then forces Lucian to transform other humans into the new breed - Lycan and raises him as a slave wearing a leash to control his ability. Viktor, a vampire elder, raises the child, envisioning a race of Lycan slaves guarding the coven's fortress during the day (when the Vampires could not venture out in the sun) and working as laborers for the vampires at night.
Lucian becomes a brave warrior with a great leadership over the other Lycans. He protects the aristocratic vampires during the daylight against the vicious and infectious breed of werewolves (pure bloods) that are unable to take human form ever again.
The forests and the countryside are filled with savage werewolves born from William's (who was the first werewolf) rampage, and human nobles have taken to begging Viktor for protection against the beasts. The nobles argue that the Lycans be assigned to protect the countryside during the day, to which Viktor is not agreeable. The nobles want a privileged class of Lycans to be created under the leadership of Lucian.Viktor grants it in exchange for tributes of silver, which enables him to keep his slaves under control.
As Lucian grows up, he and Viktor's daughter Sonja (Rhona Mitra) fall in love, and in their adult years they begin a secretive intimate relationship. Lucian and Sonja meet for the first time when Lucian saves her life by killing the werewolves that Sonja had lured behind her from the forest.
Sonja is reckless and insubordinate, and one night she travels outside the fortress to escort a party of human nobles travelling through the forest to enter the fort. The party comes under attack by werewolves and are closed to being overwhelmed. Lucian escapes the shackles (a spiked neck brace locked in place) preventing him from turning werewolf and rescues Sonja from his werewolf brethren. Raze was a slave in the travelling party and fought valiantly against the werewolves.Despite acknowledging that Lucian rescued his daughter, Viktor cannot forgive the escape and has Lucian whipped and imprisoned. In the prison, Raze is kind to Lucian and helps him recover. Raze understands the difference between a Lycan and a werewolf.
Sonja secretly visits Lucian in prison. Sonja and Lucian figure out that Tanis knew about their relationship. Lucian says that if Tanis has not told Viktor yet, then it is only because he needs something and asks Sonja to find out.By trading her seat on the vampire council, Sonja enlists the help of Andreas Tanis (Steven Mackintosh) in orchestrating Lucian's release. Lucian, unable to flee alone, liberates the other Lycans as he escapes. The vampires detect the escape and attack the Lycans with bow shot lances, but Lucian keeps them moving through the barrage. Eventually, the vampires create a massive wall of lances to stop all the Lycans except Lucian, Raze and a few others who manage to escape. Lucian promises to return to free the others. Viktor is not able to follow as it is already sunlight outside the fortress.Sonja remains, planning to meet Lucian in three days. As she prepares to leave, she is visited by her father. Viktor asks if she assisted in Lucian's escape: she denies it, but he discovers the truth by biting her neck and reading her memories through her blood.
Discovering her relationship with Lucian, he imprisons her. Meanwhile, in the forest, Lucian recruits both human slaves and werewolves to build a force against the vampires. In the fortress, the vampire council and nobles demand that Viktor recapture Lucian, as his Lycans have been attacking human estates, freeing their slaves and offering them immortality as Lycans themselves. Viktor replies that he is confident Lucian will return as he has something Lucian wants, which is Sonja.
Lucian learns about Sonja's imprisonment and eventually rescues her from her room, but they are stopped from escaping by Viktor. Sonja, hoping to spare Lucian's life, reveals to Viktor that she is pregnant with Lucian's child. Disgusted, Viktor overpowers her and imprisons both her and Lucian. Sonja is unanimously sentenced to death by the council at a trial presided over by her father and is executed by exposure to sunlight in Lucian's presence. Viktor later visits her body and retrieves her pendant.
Lucian turns werewolf, but his attempt to escape the fortress is thwarted by the Death Dealers. He is able to communicate with and control the wild werewolves, however, and summons them to storm the fortress. A melee ensues in which vampire council members, their aides and lesser vampire nobles are killed. Realizing that Viktor intends to flee, Lucian pursues him, and they fight. Lucian traps Viktor by exposing him to shafts of sunlight and then stabs him through the mouth with a sword and pushes his body down into a nearby body of water. With the battle over, Lucian's deputy Raze (Kevin Grevioux) declares that "it is finished", but Lucian knows this victory is only the beginning of what will become a war between the races.
Viktor, having survived his wound, goes on a vampire ship fleeing the fortress and being sealed in an elder hibernation chamber by Tanis. In the present day, vampire Kraven (Shane Brolly) reveals to Selene (Kate Beckinsale) that it was Viktor who had killed her family, not the Lycans, and that he had spared her life because she reminded him of his executed daughter Sonja. Selene, unaware of the truth, dismisses Kraven's statement as "lies".
