King Rudolf of Habsburg dies in July 1291, leaving the valleys around Lake Lucerne in a power vacuum. The new despotic bailiff named Gissler proves to be a tyrant. Humiliated and robbed, Tell finds himself caught up in politics, which he had wanted to avoid. The planned uprising by the local nobility is off the table after they are bought off by Gissler. This prompts Tell to act on his own authority. In December 1291, the saga ends in bloodshed.