Last Crusade Grail Search Begins

Lore & Background

The journey forces Indiana Jones to confront his strained relationship with his father, a man he has long viewed as an academic eccentric rather than a hero. As they follow the clues of Henry's diary, they meet the Brotherhood of the Cruciform Sword, which protects the Grail, and, at the end, the ancient Grail Knight, who drank from the cup of Christ during the Crusades. The search ultimately reveals that the true test is choosing to let the Grail go, as Henry persuades Indy to do.

Reader's Guide

After returning to his classroom, Indy learns that his father has disappeared while searching for the Grail and that Henry's home was ransacked. He receives Henry's diary and travels to Venice with Marcus Brody to meet Elsa Schneider. Beneath the library where Henry was last seen, Indy and Elsa find a catacomb with an inscribed shield showing that the path to the Grail begins in Alexandretta. Attacked by the Brotherhood of the Cruciform Sword, Indy saves its leader Kazim and learns that Henry is held at Brunwald Castle in Austria. Indy sends Marcus with a map from the diary to meet Sallah in Alexandretta. At the castle, Indy finds Henry, but surrenders when Vogel holds Elsa at gunpoint; Elsa reveals that she and Walter Donovan are Nazi collaborators and takes the diary.

Did You Know?

• The clues to the Grail's location stem from fictional lore created for the Indiana Jones universe (the Brotherhood of the Cruciform Sword), not verified real-world history.
• The final trial requires Indy to identify the true Grail among replicas, choosing the cup of a carpenter over gold and jewels.