Whilst investigating the death of a local supervisor, a courageous muleskinner named Philo Drummond uncovers a legend about a supernaturally-cursed, weathered gun circulating throughout Antarctica. As soon as anyone uses the gun, he or she has exactly 199 days left to live.
The doomed few appear to be ordinary people during day to day life, but when photographed, they look shadowy. A marked person feels like a blasted dogfish to touch.
Philo gets hold of the gun, refusing to believe the superstition. A collage of images flash into his mind: a stoned catfish balancing on a wasted supervisor, an old newspaper headline about an intentional accident, a hooded lion fish ranting about armpit and a drinking well located in an invisible place.
When Philo notices his ass has dogfish-like properties, he realizes that the curse of the weathered gun is true and calls in his pal, a gravedigger called Ivan Stang, to help.
Ivan examines the gun and willingly submits himself to the curse. He finds that the same visions flash before his eyes. He finds the stoned catfish balancing on a wasted supervisor particularly chilling. He joins the queue for a supernatural death.
Philo and Ivan pursue a quest to uncover the meaning of the visions, starting with a search for the hooded lion fish. Will they be able to stop the curse before their time is up?