Merry Xmas ....

Shortly before Xmas there is a flurry of snow; the King, Queen and some of the court venture out for an improvised meal of roast pig..

Later on, festive events start in the salons and the ball room; courtiers make their way - while the King and Queen wait to greet those arriving by coach ....

A Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year to All

Down-town in Rumsdorf....

At Rumsdorf towards the end of the day ...

Dusk and the town patrol moves along the old wharf...

After the patrol has gone men move some barrels out of a small storehouse.....

The Grey Wolf is smuggling brandy and other goods across the river Oudear from Monrovia; the word is out he is doing a delivery this evening. Mlle Givenchy and her Irregulars have been sent to catch him in the act .....

Grey Wolf and his men, along with a couple of chaps in robes move the delivery through to the street beyond..

Two of the Irregulars head round the block along Kings Street ....

While Givenchy and two other go along by the wharf ...

Grey Wolf and his mean turn the corner into Salt Lane....

Givenchy follows two of her lady Irregulars round the corner, they can see some of Grey Wolf's gang...

But they see them first, one of the gang fires wounding one of the Irregulars who is taken round the corner to safety....

The gang hurry down Salt Lane,  the Irregulars spring their trap ........

Both sides open fire, the Irregulars come of worse....

They capture a couple of gang and the contraband; but Grey Wolf and the rest run off down the lane into the gathering gloom....

---oXo---

Another small scale solo game, enjoyed setting up a town scape and wharf

Quick note on the result:

• Grey Wolf's gang started with 7 and lost two down, wounded but captured.  The captured man in the robe carries a medallion inscribed with three interlaced 'D's (a sign of the Brotherhood of Duhn).
• Givenchy's lady Irregulars started with 9 and had 3 wounded and 1 dead.

A little smuggling ....

A revenue patrol head towards the river (they've had a tip off...)

The smugglers have rope hauled their contraband in barrels up the river ....

The barrels are pulled out as a cart approaches ....

The barrels are loaded up....

The light of the smugglers lantern attracts the revenue patrols attention ....

Two men roll the large barrel over the foot bridge to take it to the mill, while the rest set off with the cart .

"Halt or I'll shoot".. shouts the lead revenue man...

Before he gets the chance he is shot .....

hearing the shooting, the other two men drop the large barrel into the river and run ....

As the smugglers move the cart away, both sides open fire

The revenue men close in...

The cart has gone round the back of the farmhouse ...

and off down the road ..... they've got the contraband away ...

The revenue men see to their wounded and check the dead smugglers for any papers or indication of who they are working for ....

The robed man is of particular interest, he carries a medallion inscribed with three interlaced 'D's; a report will be made on this evenings patrol - the dead smugglers will be taken for further examination and burial at the nearest town.

Meeting over ...

A meeting of the Brotherhood of Duhn had just finished ..

As the last of the brethren made their way out (after removing their robes); the leaders were in conversation..

Are things ready ?  Yes all is ready for tonight, the men are on their way to the river ....

A message to the King: Beware the Brotherhood of Duhn ...

Bergdorf the postmaster with letters and reports from the provincial governors hurried out ...

and flagged down an empty sedan chair .... 

soon aboard and off to the palace ...

at the palace, after a brief check by the guards they were let through ...

off up the steps ....

through the entrance hall and into the Kings chambers, 

and handed the despatch case to the Kings secretary (picking up an empty case Bergdorf left to make his way back to the city).....the despatch case was then left on Count Munster's desk. Opening the case he checked through them, mostly routine stuff to read in due course - but there was a letter  that looked out of place addressed to the King - sealed with wax impressed with the design of a Phoenix...

He quickly took the letter to the King, once it was opened the contents were revealed. The letter was headed with an image of a Phoenix and said 'Beware the Brotherhood of Duhn'  followed by an indecipherable signature, underneath the signature was the latin phrase 'De Phoenice Secta' .

Previous warnings and information from the same source had proved accurate... the King and the Count discussed what action to take .....

Stop those guns !

Back to the Begovian wars - this time a raid by Wittenberg into Begovian territory. 

Spies have provided information that Begovia is moving up some big artillery pieces towards the frontier.  Wittenberg forces slipped into Begovian territory overnight and made their way to intercept the artillery train ...

---oXo---

Begovian artillery move down a wide drove road towards the border area ....

A small group of men are detached from the escort to act as a flank guard for a wooded area coming up on their left further down the road...

Hiding somewhere in the woods a detachment of Wittenberg's Kings jagers...

The Begovian column moves on down the road ....

But they are being watched ...

The rear gun gets stuck in a rut ......

the lead gun is moving along without any problems ...

Just as the Begovians get the rear gun moving again they come under attack....

more Wittenberg troops start to close in, moving towards the lead gun ...

The Begovians get the rear gun moving again, but come under fire from the hedges to their right....

The jagers get into a fire-fight with the Begovian flank guard in the woods...

The rear gun is making good ground, catching up with the lead gun, however there is not much left of their escort...

Wittenberg troops are closing in on the rear gun ....

The remaining lead gun escort holds off an attack by a small number of Wittenberg troops....

The rear gun is being surrounded ....

The drover halts the team at the point of a gun ....

The Wittenberg raiding troops, break up the horse team and set about rendering the gun unusable...

The Begovians manage to get away with the lead gun ....

Begovian escort badly mauled, and one gun saved. 

Wittenberg take some casualties and have destroyed one gun - a successful raid

---oXo---

Notes:

1) Forces:

Begovia: 26 infantry and 2 limbered guns.    [Casualties 18 dead]
Wittenberg: 6 jagers, 26 land militia (in 4 squads of 6, & two scouts). [Casualties 8 dead]

2) gun movement rules

• Each move, each limbered gun dices (1D6) for movement distance...
• 1 -  Lead horse halts and will not move - zero movement
• 2 - Stuck in a rut - 3 inches
• 3,4 - normal move 6 inches
• 5 - going well - 7 inches
• 6 - very good ground - 8 inches

3) positioning of Wittenberg raiding force - randomised arrival/position for each squad of 6.