A young carpenter journeys to the German heartland to join his cousin and make his fortune in the guilds of a 1500s free imperial city. While advancing in his craft and forging friendships with his newfound neighbors, the carpenter discovers the wonders of the Renaissance and soon finds himself on the cusp of prosperity and romance that he had never dreamed. Yet as the city begins to celebrate the arrival of Christmas, a shadow falls across the festivities when a provincial sovereign plots...