ZOT! is set in the Middle Ages, within the walls of Countess Isabella van Haspengouw's castle. The optimistic court jester Diederik and his half-sister Marie travel the country with a group of traveling artists, until a mysterious incident forces them to flee. The two seek refuge in the castle of the newly crowned Countess Isabella van Haspengouw, who is determined to "modernize" her county after her father's death. Diederik gets his first permanent job as a court jester. Marie becomes a chambermaid against her will. But secretly, she dreams of a position in the city guard.