Massacre of Magdeburg

[Demorney]

Sorry, the following clip is either in French or in German

But this is too good to be missed:

French
http://www.arte.tv/fr/connaissance-decouverte/aventure-humaine/1631--massacre-a-Magdebourg-/1210290,CmC=1210292.html

German
http://www.arte.tv/de/wissen-entdeckung/abenteuer-arte/Grossen-Schlachten/1210290,CmC=1210292.html

It's a short clip out of a documentation about the Magdebourg Wedding, which I ordered from amazon in German (my native language). It shows so many things about this epoche. I will share any valuable information I can draw out of it here.

[Teapot]

Wiki has an related entry, though it's pretty general: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sack_of_Magdeburg

If you can provide more detail here, that'd be awesome.

Regards,
Michael.

[Demorney]

Watched it. Good documentation, here's what got stuck in my tired brain:

1. Characterization of several characters, like the Swedish garrison commander who tried to convince the city council of Gustav Adolf rushing to their aid even as the imperial troops started to invade the city, or Tilly himself (a rather old man for that time (over 70) who saw no mercy for the civilians but only cared for his mercenary troops to get their loot after being unpaid for months), a protestant mercenary captain named Ackermann who went with the imperial army (which reflected the fact that the religious motivation was rather poor in the 30 years war and just used as argument) and some others ...

2. Some details about the siege - which took 6 months before Magdeburg fell. The defending civilians used all weaponry they could get to hinder the imperial soldiers - boiling water, foot chains, caskets full of caultrops and unslaked chalk (acidic, used to blind foes). The soldiers started to burn the city to get the defenders busy with firefighting instead of defending - which they didn't! Most of Magdeburg burned on the first day - smashing Tilly plan to sack a rich and working city.

3. The usual story of the cathedral and the priests beg for mercy. And another one of a "Blood Bible", used as defensive weapon against a sword. The marks of the sword can be still seen today in the book.

4. Some notes on the atrocities, like rapes, child killing and so on. And some light on abduction and ransom for "higher" citizens. Poor those sould who found no one to pay for them.

5. Gustav Adolf failed to help the city despite his promises. And a short treatise how everyone used the incident for his own causes afterwards.

6. Some information about how the imperial army was built - with mercenaries from all European countries.

7. Nice details about field medication of that time ...

All this and a few moody pictures and maps. I enjoyed that one really (even though you can't compare it to a Hollywood flic), but it helped to understand this catastrophe and why it was so defining very good ... after the "Magdeburg wedding" the war turned much dirtier and more unforgiving.

[Teapot]

Seeing as Hell Dorado canon sets the game in 1634, we have to look at the city four years after the siege (well, we don't have to, but let's experiment). The massacre reduced the population of Magdeburg from 30,000 to 5,000. I don't see a mention of whether the city was fully restored, so, veering into fiction, let's say it is still very much in ruins. The remaining population (those who didn't leave after 1631) is in a sorry state; folks struggle to rebuild their lives while having to deal with the death of their loved ones and their own survivor's guilt. Many question their faith in Christ and humanity, some turn to Satanism. In 1634, visiting merchants bring word of the appearance of Hell's gates. Suffering from the trauma of 1631, a few townsfolk form a cult, looking for a way to puncture a way into Hell in Magdeburg. A charismatic leader may even sway the entire population to the cause.

After several failed attempts, a few cult members depart to Middle East, and, eventually, return with the knowledge of proper rituals. Their plans come to fruition as an infernal portal now lies open beneath the Protestant cathedral. The cultists who took part in the blasphemous ceremony are warped to reflect the sin of wrath that fueled their purpose.

This goes to show I have too much free time on my hands. (:

[Demorney]

Good ideas, some notes:

The population after the sack of Magdeburg was some 500 hundred. In the Helldorado background it is noted that Gustav Adolf and his troops hold the portal, so there should be a garrison of trained and well equipped Swedes nearby. And remember the pic with the ship hanging at the crane? I guess that's the portal in the river.

I could also imagine a sect of apocalyptic fatalists gathering there, perhaps planning a "paupers crusade"?

Parts of the city could also be under demonic influence, who knows what gathers in the burnt out ruins and the blackened cellars of the mostly deserted city?

Oh, what a fun place to be

[Teapot]

I don't have the rulebook, just the free .pdf. I didn't know Magdeburg even featured in the official fluff! o:

[Sikil]

As a suede myself, this realy intrigues me...


Maybe a possability of Swedish merc troops? Or swedish flavoured westeners? (If they already arn't! )



Time to babelfish some fluff! (Or something! )