Weinsberg Massacre
Peasants revolt against noble oppression, executing captured nobles in the castle courtyard as the castle burns behind them.
Setting
Weinsberg Castle courtyard, surrounded by high stone walls with narrow arrow slits. The cobblestone ground is uneven and stained with patches of mud and blood. Smoke from burning buildings swirls in the air, partially obscuring the view of the castle keep behind.
Characters
Peasant Leader
primary
A burly man in his late 30s, with a muscular build from years of hard labor. His sun-weathered face is framed by a tangled brown beard, and his wild eyes burn with righteous fury. His hands are calloused, gripping a bloodied scythe with practiced ease. A fresh cut on his brow drips into his beard, adding to his fearsome appearance.
Nobleman
primary
A middle-aged man of noble birth, approximately 40 years old, with a lean but well-fed build. His once-proud posture is now broken, with a receding hairline and a neatly trimmed beard now matted with sweat and dirt. His face bears the marks of recent blows, with a split lip and a bruise forming under one eye.
Young Peasant
secondary
A teenage boy, perhaps 16 or 17 years old, with a wiry frame and sunburnt skin from long hours in the fields. His straw-colored hair is matted with sweat and his hands, though young, are already calloused from labor. His eyes dart between the Peasant Leader and the cowering nobleman, filled with a mixture of anger and uncertainty.
Noblewoman
secondary
A noblewoman in her early 30s, with delicate features, pale skin, and long, disheveled auburn hair. Her slender frame trembles as she clutches her two young children tightly, their faces buried in her skirts. Her eyes are wide with terror, and her mouth is open in a silent scream.
Blacksmith
background
A muscular man in his late 30s, with broad shoulders and arms thickened by years at the forge. His face is smudged with soot and sweat, and his dark hair is tied back loosely. His hands are rough and calloused, gripping with practiced strength.
Dialog
Peasant Leader
See now, lords! The harvest of your cruelty stands before you!
Nobleman
You forget yourselves, rabble! God appoints kings, not pitchforks!
Peasant Leader
No more yoke! Never again yoke!
Nobleman
Mercy, I beg! My coffers—take what you will!
Peasant Leader
Not coins we want, but justice!
Nobleman
Christ Himself suffered servants—will you be worse than Romans?
Peasant Leader
Aye—we'll send you to meet Him!