Jacob Kuisl is a formidable executioner from the ancient Bavarian town of Schongau. It is through his hands that justice is administered. The townspeople fear and avoid Jacob, considering the executioner akin to the devil... In April 1659, the residents of Schongau were gripped by horror. On the eve of the spring festivals, orphans die one after another. Each one has a mysterious sign on their shoulder that looks like a witch's mark. God knows, the local healer is to blame for everything - the old witch Martha Stechlin! She communicated suspiciously often with poor children! Jacob Kuisl, by order of the city council, must wrest from the witch a confession of committing ungodly acts with a hot iron. But the executioner knows Martha too well... He does not believe in her guilt and begins his own investigation. An investigation doomed to a tragic ending if not for the help of his daughter, the beautiful Magdalena...