Staufen in the years 1649/1650. After the end of the plague and the Thirty Years' War, Count Hugo zu Königsegg wants to present a valuable flag to the unmarried young men, along with a parade and a feast. Envy and resentment spread, as everyone wants to become the flag bearer. Soon, the first brutally mutilated corpse is discovered. Then, a young woman also disappears without a trace. A day laborer, Jockel Mühlegg, is quickly identified as the culprit. But is he really the sought-after "limb killer"? Because there is still a mysterious stranger lurking around...