A small force of peasants from the forest regions surrounding Lake Lucerne, rise up against their Austrian overlords in the 14th century. Outnumbered seven-to-one by the battle-hardened Habsburg army, they have little hope. Young Noll Melchthal has managed to take the Altdorf fortress away from Leopold of Habsburg with a daring moonlight raid. But his army consists of boys and old men, with only enough swords to arm half of them. How long can he hope to hold off the combined might of the Habsburgs and the elite troops of the Holy Roman Empire? He needs help, and the only people he can turn to are an ex-Hospitaller captain and a Priestess of the Weave.