Mikolás and his brother Adam end up with a young German hostage of noble blood during a robbery. While their clan prepares for the wrath of the German king, Mikolás is sent to pressure his neighbor Lazar into a defense pact. Persuasion fails and he abducts Lazar's daughter Marketa on the eve of her initiation as a nun in an act of vengeance.
Mikoláš, Kozlík's son
Marketa Lazarová, Lazar's daughter
Adam, Kozlík's one-armed son
Kristián, son of Bishop of Hennau
Kozlík, Lazar's rival
Kateřina, Kozlík's wife
Jan, Kozlík's son
Sovička, Aide to the Royal Governor