In a faraway land, there is a region with gently rolling hills and fertile valleys. Travellers have settled there and are laying the foundations for the city of Arcadia. As well as the various city buildings, a glorious castle is to be built on a rise. Four wealthy families – the cloth merchants, the spice merchants, the carpenters and the silver smiths – seek to increase their prestige and influence and therefore they compete for the largest share of the building of the castle. The players take the roles of architects. They have been commissioned by the four families to plan and complete the building of the city and the castle.