Münster Rebellion
Jan van Leiden and Jan Matthys declare Münster a New Jerusalem, proclaiming radical Anabaptist reforms and communal ownership of property, while the Catholic forces encircle the city.
Setting
The town square of Münster, surrounded by medieval half-timbered houses and the imposing St. Lambert's Church, where the Anabaptist leaders gather the citizens for proclamations. The square is dusted with snow, and the gallows stand ominously at its center.
Characters
Jan van Leiden
primary
A man in his early 30s with an intense presence, standing tall with a lean but wiry build. His face is framed by a short, dark beard, and his piercing blue eyes burn with conviction. His hands are calloused from work as a tailor before his rise to leadership, and his posture exudes authority.
Jan Matthys
primary
A man in his early 30s, with a wiry but strong build, sunken cheeks, and a dark, untrimmed beard. His piercing blue eyes burn with fervor, and his wind-chapped lips are often set in a firm line. His hands, though calloused, move with deliberate intensity.
Bernhard Rothmann
secondary
A middle-aged man of slight build with a gaunt face and piercing eyes, his dark hair streaked with grey and thinning at the temples. His hands are calloused from years of manual labor before turning to theology.
Town Crier
secondary
A middle-aged man with a gaunt, weathered face and deep-set eyes that betray his exhaustion. His thinning gray hair is tucked under a simple cap, and his posture suggests years of labor despite his current role. His hands, though now holding a scroll, show the calluses of manual work from his past.
Blacksmith
background
A burly middle-aged man with sinewy arms and a soot-stained face, his broad shoulders and calloused hands marking years of labor. His dark hair is tied back loosely, strands escaping to frame a face lined with both toil and worry. His grip on the hammer is white-knuckled, betraying tension.
Dialog
Jan van Leiden
Hearken, children of the New Jerusalem! The LOOORD has chosen Münster—chosen YOU—to cast off the yoke of the ungodly! The old world burns, and from its ashes, we shall weave a kingdom of saints!
Jan Matthys
The fifth trumpet sounds! The beast gathers beyond our walls—but fear not! For the sword of the Lord is whetted, and the faithless shall be cleft like rotten timber!
Bernhard Rothmann
As the potter molds clay, so does God shape this city. Share your bread, your homes, your very selves—for in sacrifice, we become vessels of His will!
Jan van Leiden
Let no man whisper of hoarding gold or wife! The angel’s scale weighs your obedience—and the gallows await the sluggard of spirit!
Jan Matthys
Three days! Three days until the wicked are as chaff! The siege engines are but God’s flail to thrash the unrepentant!