En Garde -- Octobre 1637 Turn Resolution

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Thanks to Brian for writing the front!

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Character sheets will go out tonight.

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Elan En Garde! Game
Turn Resolution for Octobre 1637

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In the smoky but well-lit back room of the Frog and Peach, Major Pierre and Captain Wabbit finished counting 800 crowns into a large chest. Bowing slightly to Lt. Colonel de Florrete, the two ransomers gave the chest into his keeping.
Colonel de Florrete set off with his men, riding the military barges down the Rhine

Will it be acceptable? Was Major Salvadore even still alive? I regret to say, dear readers, that the outcome will have to wait, for first we will peek into the barracks, clubs and private homes of Paris.

Major Henri de Treville came in to the parlor, carrying pillows. "My dear, do you need more? Are you comfortable?" Hyacinthe rolled her eyes and almost spoke sharply when she said, "Henri, please! I have more than enough." She shifted a little, and her swollen belly almost knocked over her needlepoint which was lying on the sofa. "You are beginning to drive me to distraction. You need to get out of the house for some diversion. I know you are a man of action, and you thrive at the front, but here you are displaying nerves you would never dare show your men. Please, is there anything you can do to keep yourself occupied that will get you away from the house? Even for a little while?"
Henri's shoulders slumped and he set the pillows down. He sat down in a chair near his wife and held her hand. "All this week I will be working with the men under my command, helping them master the rapier. Next week there is a bachelor party. I suppose I could attend that. Then the following weeks I promise to attend the Academy. Now, if you will at least let me escort you to the theater this weekend, I will promise to let you relax the rest of the month. At least until you send word that you need me. Will that suffice, my love?"
Hyacinthe smiled and replied, "That should do nicely, mon cher. And please, at the party, do not hurt the members of the Cardinal's Guard too badly." A sly grin crept across his face and he said, "Only because you ask me to give the mercy." He kissed his wife and said, "Now, I'll leave you to prepare for the theater." He offered an arm to his wife and helped her to her feet. "I will have the carriage painted and polished."

It is suspected that some influence was used for two events: Major Hugues Taillepied of the GDMD decided to resign, and his vacancy just fit the aspirations of Captain Wabbit. It is unknown who would benefit, but brevet Captain Beaufort de Beaumont's life will likely be complicated by the letter received by Baron Francois Pied dans la Bouche. Many rumours had been circulating, and as it happens some voices are louder than others. The acting Commissioner of Public Safety has set a trial date of November 1 to determine if the brevet captain had anything to do with the unfortunate death of Louis-Yves Desacroix.

For those who pay attention to the workings of government, all seemed normal. His Grace, the Minister of State, while subdued, was very involved with the messages and information flowing through Foreign Affairs, appeared to be concerned with the mechanics and results of Gross Domestic Products reports, had regular meetings with his subordinates, and was always perfectly punctual when meeting with His Majesty.
Those who pay attention to the intricate dance of society will have noted by now that His Grace, the Minister of State has been in actual mourning, not the effete social play of those who marry for show. His days were marked by the intensity of a battlefield commander, and his evenings were spent on his sprawling estate, presumably alone. Perhaps His Grace was solely accounting for the cases of Spanish calvados and Russian vodka that were delivered bi-weekly to his palace. There were also the occasional late-night travelings of his carriage to cemeteries about the city, to military hospitals, and to a variety of churches that sparked a little gossip.

The New Arrivals desk of Le Sport was kept busy noting some recently-arrived gentlemen. Jerome Revenant, although Second son of a very wealthy comte, was above such frippery as arriving in Pater's Fancy Coach. He arrived with his batman & friend Guillot on hired horses. Being the son of a Noble has its advantages, and Francois knows his champagne and wine well, but only ever drank in moderation! Additionally, he knows a good horse from a bad one and would not countenance spending any money on a moth eaten nag, but if there's a good steed there, Francois is good to haggle for a decent price. It is said he has an easy manner and likes to relax in a Lady's company -- well, don't we all!. On the whole, however, Francois is rumoured to be a man of action and likes to be out & about.
His man secured a membership at Hunters, and also saw to the delivery of fine clothes in velvet and silk -- nothing gaudy, of course.
M. Revenant wrote a careful letter of introduction to Captain Lefuet and explained that he hoped he might attended the captain's stag party at Hunters and his wedding in Belleville. Revenant took it to the RFG Headquarters by hand, passing on his respectful best wishes.

A young man rode into town from the south,on a tired old riding horse; he is Serge de Nimes, the second son of a merchant. His father had earned a little money supplying material for uniforms to infantry regiments. Serge has been given a small allowance with which to make his way in Parisian Society. He may be slight of body, but Serge De Nimes is ready to embrace his destiny. He made his way to Red Phillips to join that club.

Gilles de Beuvron, the bastard son of a small merchant, made inquiries about the regiments in Paris.

Felix Odo Pangloss, another bastard son of a merchant, heard some news from the front, purchased a horse and rode to the rescue of the gallant Major Salvatore. He recalled an earlier conversation, "Grandfather, How can I do anything less? Have you forgotten the grinning faces of Duke Braesi's mercenaries? Only the presence of that well named gentleman, Major Salvatore and the volunteer battalion, prevented the Black Dragoons from butchering the whole refugee column. Sweet Marie, my own sister, would even now be in their brutal clutches without him. He saved us, and now I have to try to save him. Honour demands nothing less."
Felix raided his grandfather's medicine cabinet, and took several packets of sleeping draughts and the most powerful purges. He may be able to catch the guards napping, or with their pants down. Felix loaded his small pack on the horse and rode off.

Week 1
Chevalier Mondego invited Michelle to join him for a rousing time at Bothwell's. While there, he set to the gambling tables and tried his luck with the games. His luck was extraordinary, with a few cuts and no losses. The chevalier pocketed some extra crowns and the admiration of others at the club, including his right-hand man, Lt Col Piet van der Oops. Van der Oops and his lovely wife, Didi, took in the elegant atmosphere and the wine selection.
Alexandre-Valentin Le Fleurquin treated Veronique to a week at Red Phillips, and while the wine may have been a lesser quality it was no less of a fine time.

At the KM barracks, Lt Col Luc-Pierre Trebuchét had a chat with new applicant Jerome Revenant. The gentleman was accepted and shown around the barracks.
Gilles de Beuvron realized he had no hope of being noticed at the CPC, and went on to the 53rd barracks to make his application. He was welcomed and put to work on making an inventory of the regiment's weapons.

And the clash of weapons was a popular sound this week, as quite a few gentlemen honed their skills. Le Duc d'Abril and Major de Treville practiced with rapiers. BG D'Acier hired a rapier master as it was a departure from his regimental weapon, and Serge De Nimes was at the same school, so one would presume he aspires to a regiment that favours a rapier. Major la Vessie and Captain Lefuet also worked with the popular weapon in their respective barracks.

Major Robert Staunton Pierre learned more that he ever wanted to know about explosives at the Military Academy.

Baron Megane spent the week in quiet contemplation at church with Babette.

Three other gentlemen had their sights set on more earthly pursuits, and Gillian was the object of desire for all three! The lady's housekeeper accepted deliveries of gifts. Gillian's former love, Major Jacque Wabbit, sent a hamper of the lady's favourite foods, and he had even located some late season pears which he had prepared with a glaze sauce. Captain de Beaumont did not have the same familiarity or subtlety, and sent the lady a necklace of vermeil and pearls with earrings to match. Meanwhile a troubadour appeared under Gillian's window, and although the lyrics seemed to be leading, she could not guess who sent the singer.
Only the two known gentlemen showed up at her door on Monday in the late afternoon light; Major Wabbit and Captain de Beaumont. Gillian felt tired and retired to her room, and awaited the news of the winner of the duel which would surely follow.
Captain de Beaumont was a bit larger in stature, and held his rapier so comfortably as to be an extension of his arm, but bystanders wondered how these factors compared to Major Wabbit's sabre, and his apparent dedication to the lady who sent him away in Septembre. "En Garde" was the cry. Wabbit's slash was blocked, but he followed with a cut. de Beaumont's lunge caused some damage, which he followed with a slash and another lunge. Those on the street gasped as a weakened Wabbit slashed his opponent, and the two continued to exchange blows. de Beaumont finally called it quits and surrendered, which was graciously accepted by Wabbit. Surgeons were called to attend both gentlemen.
Gillian requested that Major Wabbit be brought into the house, and allowed the surgeon to treat him in her own room. Every afternoon, the troubadour would show up with another song, which greatly delighted the couple. On Friday a herald arrived with a small table, wine, cheese, and sweetcakes, and Gillian was invited to partake. Instead she sent word to the suitor, Ravan Leclair, that his approach was quite charming but her heart had been won already.

Weekend 1
Le Theatre de Sois presented "Dragon Caché par Tigre de Acroupissement". Honour! Truth! Revenge! Love! This classic Chinese story was lavishly costumed, the sets were elaborate, and through some special effects characters flew through the air. And Paris? . . . Just didn't get it. The play was spoken entirely in Chinese, and only one elderly couple in the cheap seats was moved by it -- word has it they were from China themselves. Perhaps some bawdyness would have made it more interesting to the patrons, but alas this month will be a complete loss.
Le Duc et la Duchesse d'Abril attended in their regular box, la Duchesse wearing a yellow dress of China silk. Chevalier Mondego and his mistress Michelle slipped out during the intermission. Before leaving, the colonel considered having one of his companies of Guardsmen storm the theater and drag the producer off in chains.
Also in box seats were Baron de Treville and Hyacinthe looking lovely in a high-waisted gown. BG D'Acier was with Ursula, and Baron Megane escorted Babette, who pretended to be fascinated by his description of "wire-fu". Major la Vessie accompanied Nadine, and Major Le Fleurquin was with Veronique, using the awkward silences to flatter his lady.
Major Wabbit was in a box without the hard-won Gillian, which surprised her two other suitors who most assuredly would have brought her. Ravan Leclair overheard a story that a visit to the theatre precipitated an argument between the two before, and with a smirk a maid serving wine to the box owners told him that would have been the least of his or de Beaumont's concerns. Captain de Beaumont was in the orchestra seats, where the chat among the patrons was far more interesting than the dialogue on stage. Comments were heard on the dapper appearance of Jerome Revenant in his velvet doublet. Serge de Nimes found himself jostled aside by the gentleman's valet, although Revenant himself seemed amiable enough.
No visit to the theatre would be complete without a few gentlemen settling some regimental disagreements. Having just fought over a lady a few days before, Captain de Beaumont respectfully declined a meeting with BG D'Acier. The King's Musketeers and Cardinal's Guards were equally represented with the presence of the new private, Revenant. Major la Vessie challenged him, which apparently took him quite by surprise! Although Revenant handled his rapier well enough, his actions were random and he surrendered rather quickly to the disappointment of the regiment.
Baron de Treville stepped forward to show him how it's done in his challenge to Chevalier Mondego. After a cry of En Garde!, the Baron's initial attack was parried and answered with a stinging riposte. He slashed back and then both gentlemen lunged, causing gasps from the crowd. A slash earned a cut, and Mondego decided he had endured enough.

Captain Lefuet attended mass with Cosette, where the Monsegnior heard their confessions in anticipation of their wedding. Chevalier van der Oops and Didi also were at mass.

Week 2
"Paris is so booooring this month! What happened to the lively parties that used to cheer the city?" These were the thoughts entertained by le Duc d'Abril in his mind, when some cheers and loud voices distracted him as he was passing in front of Hunter's door. "Well, maybe not everything is lost", he said to himself. Le Duc d'Abril entered the club hoping to find some hospitality for a hopeless soul lost in boredom... and he was in luck, because it was the place to be that week as Captain Lefuet celebrated his last week as a bachelor with Paris' finest gentlemen.
The groom and guests wore amusing antler hats, courtesy of newcomer Private Revenant, who also made quite a splash with his gift of quality champagne. Chevalier Mondego's gift was also quite the topic of conversation; a white Arabian stallion from the Mondego family stables.
Major Wabbit chatted with Captain Singe-Elan, Major Le Fleurquin and Msr. Leclair regarding women and amour, speculating on who would be next to the altar. Other guests had a different form of exercise in mind,.as several members of rival regiments eyed each other up and headed to the back garden.
The first to pair off were BG Jean D'Acier of the CPC and brevet Captain Beaufort de Beaumont of the 53rd. D'Acier's approach could best be described as defensive, and the gentlemen observing wondered if this duel would get off the ground as de Beaumont started on a cautious defense as well. Alas, deft parries are no match to the brutal cuts of a sabre, and perhaps de Beaumont overestimated the stature of his opponent, and the Brigadier lay nearly dead at his feet. He was carried out on a stretcher and taken home to be attended by several surgeons, whilst Paris wondered if he would survive. Ursula was distraught.
Perhaps in the interest of trying something different, Colonel Mondego took on the wet-behind-the-ears private Revenant. The King's Musketeer stood with panache, but again his lack of planning was no match against the experienced Cardinal's Guardsman. In the blink of an eye, his rapier had been collected from him, the second one this month! Gossips speculated that his regiment had better get him in line before he caused the Musketeers any more embarassment!
Determined to uphold his regiment's honour, Major de Treville took on LtCol van der Oops. En Garde! was the shout, and the crowd at Hunters were relieved to see a real duel. Again the beginning was cautious on both parts, but soon there was a flurry of slashes, cuts and lunges. van der Oops took a great deal of damage and surrendered well after most men would do, and he was escorted back into the club where his wounds could be tended.
Major de Treville glanced at Major la Vessie, and wondered if he might also like to have a go? La Vessie accepted and they began with damaging mutual lunges. After more slashes and lunges, la Vessie finally surrendered. Comments were made that the fight seemed very close, as the crowd returned to their drinks and antler hats, and went about the serious business of honouring the groom-to-be, Captain Lefuet.

Blue Gables was a quieter venue, perfect for a romantic dinner enjoyed by brevet BG Megane and Babette. The couple caroused and enjoyed the entertainment of a viola da gamba and sackbutt duo.

Private de Beuvron was at the 53rd barracks, on duty. Major Staunton Pierre practiced sabre at the CPC. Serge De Nimes hired a weapons master to improve his rapier skills.

Weekend 2
The celebration of Captain Lefuet's good fortune culminated with his wedding to the lovely Cosette. It was a plain and subdued event, although the lack of fripperies did not detract from the bride's beauty. Private Revenant felt honoured to attend, albeit a bit nervous when he realized that he recognized no other King's Musketeers in attendance. A few Cardinal's Guardsmen chuckled and tipped their hats to him, but fortunately it was not the habit in Paris to brawl in church. Piet van der Oops and Silac la Vessie attended with their respective ladies. Jacque Wabbit attended alone, and the gossips wondered if Gillian was pleased to be left out. Beaufort de Beaumont surely would have brought her, had he won her heart. de Beaumont also had a set of carved salt and pepper vessels sent to the couple's home. Alexandre-Valentin Le Fleurquin made a sartorial splash in his best dress uniform, and Veronique was in a beautiful new (and expensive) gown. Revenant's expenditure was a gift of a pair of silver candlesticks.
No one takes gift-giving more seriously than Fernand Mondego. "Captain Lefuet and Cosette; may these treasures, freed from the enemy, signal the success of your lives together and many fine sons for France," he said, presenting them with boxes. Hers held a fine German silver tiara set with small diamonds arranged in a starburst, surrounding a single ruby. Along with it was a necklace of silver from which hung a black pearl. Both pieces had been liberated from the wardrobe of one of Adolphius' mistresses. For him, a pair of fine Italian wheel-locks, each adorned with inlaid ivory and silver filigree. The weapons were snugly held within the box by blue velvet lined fittings.
Good wishes were offered by all to the happy couple.

Elsewhere that weekend, La Duchesse d'Abril literally pulled le Duc by his hand to have dinner in a good restaurant. "If not, the walls will fall upon us", she said.

BG D'Acier planned to attend Church with Ursula, but due to his health a priest was called to say mass for them privately. Ursula was still concerned he might need last rites.

bBG Megane visited Cardinal Richelieu; rumour has it their discussion regarded the brave actions of the men in the summer season, and particularly Louis Yves Desacroix. The Cardinal is now personally involved in the arrangement of a funeral. In what we are sure is completely unrelated, His Eminence was seen consulting with a stonemason for some marble; new statuary perhaps for the Cathedral?

Week 3
Le Duc D'Abril spent the week at Bothwells, drinking and gambling to kill time. He put 300Cr on the gambling tables in a single bet and doubled his money. Piet van der Oops went to Bothwells with Didi, whilst over at Red Phillips Alexandre-Valentin caroused with Veronique. Ravan Leclair was there as well, enjoying his wine alone.

The military Academy did swift business with eager students Major de Treville, Major Staunton Pierre and Major Wabbit. Swift was, in fact, the theme as they learned bout travelling speeds versus the number of troops.

Renno Megane hired a weapons master to train with a rapier. Jean D'Acier planned to do the same, but due to his health his training was mostly in the theory of the weapon. Practicing in their barracks were Colonel Mondego, Major la Vessie, Captain Lefuet and brevet Capt de Beaumont.

Jerome Revenant had his eye on a Parisian lady and many plans to win her heart, up until he was informed that as a private his time belonged to the King's Musketeers the rest of the month. Romance was but a dream as he took inventory of the buff coats and made arrangements for repairs.

Private de Beuvron courted Francoise, with a handful of asters and a song celebrating her charms. She was quite pleased and invited him in for the week.

Serge De Nimes had a wonderful time at Madame Fifi's and caroused the week away.

Weekend 3
Struggling to read the poems of John Donne in English, Chevalier Mondego neared resolving to attack England personally for having such a damned difficult language. Barbarians.

Piet van der Oops attended mass with Didi.

Jean D'Acier decided his recovery would be aided by sitting quietly with some Brigade paperwork.

Silac la Vessie allowed Roland's nursemaid and other domestic staff to use his Theatre box. The show must have had more appeal to the lower sorts, or else they were extremely polite for they expressed gratitude.

Major Wabbit rented a fine house in La Villette.

Major Le Fleurquin purchased the rank of Lt Col in the 4th. Private Revenant also realized the benefits of rank, and decided a majority would suit him. Whilst the rank requires that he own three horses, he was only able to afford two and began to wonder if he was spending too much. He vowed to buy the third horse in Novembre.

Week 4
Henri de Treville paced the floor of his house nrevously as he awaited news from the midwife. He would pick up a bottle to pour himself a glass of wine, then stop, wander into his library and out again, gaze up the staircase for some time and then repeat the routine. After many grueling hours, he was summoned to meet his infant son. Everyone who saw the child said he looked exactly like his father. Henri spent the rest of the week admiring his firstborn and seeing that all his wife's needs were attended to, as the news trickled out to Paris.

Ravan Leclair caroused at Red Phillips, alone.

BG D'Acier was finally well enough that his money was well spent for rapier practice. Training in their barracks were Duc D'Abril, Chevalier Mondego, Baron Megane and Captain Lefuet.

Jacque Wabbit moved into his new fine house.

Alexandre-Valentin Le Fleurquin and Veronique spent the week walking around Les Batignoles. Veronique liked his better town house, but she was still upset about the location. Alexandre liked several houses in the neighborhood, but explained to his love that he would need to find a free weekend in order to arrange rental.

Jerome Revenant's romantic plans were once again foiled by the lightness of his purse. He opted for a week at Hunters, counting his blessings rather than his mistakes. He did look rather dashing in his Major's uniform, after all.

Serge De Nimes called on Estelle, hoping to impress the lady with a basket of apples. She was not impressed, to his disappointment.

Private de Beuvron went to the bawdyhouse and gambled with the possibility that his mistress Francoise might find out.

A number of gentlemen found their plans cancelled when they were called into a meeting with the Field Marshall. Vicomte Dillee explained that they needed to purchase horses to suit their ranks, or face more "emergency" meetings in the future. Hopefully this was not lost on Lt Col van der Oops, Major la Vessie, Major Staunton Pierre and Captain de Beaumont.

Weekend 4
Taking up John Donne's book again, Chevalier Mondego spent an unsuccessful Saturday trying to comprehend the foreign words. Frustrated beyond belief, he came near to throwing the book into the fireplace. He thought better of it and calmly closed it, put it on the table beside his chair and went to bed. On Sunday he went to his study, picked up the book of poems and the dictionary he bought as its companion and calmly began his work. After all, if the English can speak this damnable language, certainly a Frenchman should have no problem.

At mass were Piet van der Oops and Didi, and Jean D'Acier and Ursula.

Jerome Revenant wandered around Charonne admiring the houses that he could not quite yet afford. He contemplated a note he received from his Lt Co,l Luc-Pierre Trebuchét, that his rank in the KM may be forfeited due to his reputation.

Jacque Wabbit settled into his new home with Gillian, who had quite a few pointed suggestions on decor. She seemed especially taken with a small sunny room that had been painted in gay colours by the previous tenant.

Determined to make some sense of the foreign culture, Alexandre-Valentin Le Fleurquin attended "Dragon Caché par Tigre de Acroupissement" again with Veronique. Gilles de Beuvron wanted to take Francoise to the show, but he did not have enough for tickets. It's a surprise he did not find a few discarded in the gutter, but that would not exactly impress a lady, would it?

Ransom
Colonel de Florrete set off with his men, riding the military barges down the Rhine to the standard entrepot to the Merzig siege. Once at the lines of fortification around Merzig, they delivered the precious chest of ransom into the hands of Major Salvadore's captains.
The greasy duke Braesi cackled as he met the brave Captains on the bridge over the ruined moat of Merzig. Running his large hands through the gold, he laughed again. "For this price, you could have ransomed a General. Take your Major -- I shall see you both on the field. Two nameless guards produced a tired, tortured, but still alive Major Salvadore. As the Captains escorted the brave Major back from Merzig, all three could hear the horrible laugh of Duke Braesi.

Rescue
Disdaining to enlist with the other newcomers to Paris, Msr. Pangloss purchased a horse, a number of sleeping draughts, and quite a few powerful purges. Stopping at his elderly grandfather's small apartment, he explains his actions: "Grandfather, How can I do anything less? Have you forgotten the grinning faces of Duke Braesi's mercenaries? Only the presence of that well named gentleman, Major Salvatore, and the volunteer battalion prevented the Black Dragoons from butchering the whole refugee column. Sweet Marie, my own sister, would even now be in their brutal clutches without him. He saved us, and now I have to try to save him. Honour demands nothing less."

Riding out of Paris, he paralleled the Rhine for some time, then breaking away when he saw the barges making better time. By cutting across land, perhaps he would get there faster.
The second band of bandits convinced him that there was some merit to traveling via barge. Slashing around him with his saber, he fought his way free and spurred his horse on pursued by their futile shouts.
Arriving at the snow-covered siege of Merzig, he circled once around the lines of countervallation. While, in the summer, the lines were fully manned and stretched fully around the city, there were quite a few portions of the lines not staffed by anyone beyond corpses; thankfully frozen in the cold snowy air.
Sneaking through the lines, he waited for a commotion to occur on the other side and climbed quickly over the ruined walls. Moving quickly to the cook pots of the enemy, he dumped a powerful purgative in every pot, and snuck away.
While moving through the city a few hours later, he saw a large crowd in the central square: shouts of "We need food!" and "We need coal!" filled the night air. The Duke's soldiers were holding their stomachs and groaning.
Approaching the northern fortifications, the rumored location of Major Salvadore, he became ever more cautious. Apparently the guards here didn't eat out of the same pots as the common soldiers. Sneaking again to the central kitchen of the fortifications, Msr. Pangloss dumped his sleeping powder into the thin soup. Even the elite soldiers on this side of the wall were being fed poorly.
Waiting again, Msr. Pangloss was shocked to see Major Salvatore being led by two soldiers past the niche where he was hiding. Throwing caution to the winds, he snuck out and followed the soldiers, only to follow them to the main gate. Standing around a corner, he overheard the ransom conversation take place. Shaking in relief, the inexperienced lad dashed out of hiding and sprinted his way to the French lines, overtaking the wan Major Salvadore at the last instant.
The shouts of the Duke's men overwhelmed the Duke's laughter for a moment.
Taken by two other soldiers, he quickly explained his plan to the high Command. For the intelligence he brought regarding the enemy's troop strength, his name was quickly mentioned in dispatches.

At the Front
The purges and sleeping draughts planted by Msr. Pangloss lasted far longer than the French expected. Duke Braesi was running critically low on supplies. One night, leaving only a lowly commander in charge, he took the majority of his men and snuck out of the city, past the French lines, and into the dense German forest.
The next day dawned bright and cold, with over two inches of accumulation. The frigid French Frontier division soldiers equipped their weapons and once again advanced on the walls of Merzig. This time, with the support of Lt. Colonel de Florrete attacking from the west, the French overpowered all resistance.
Fighting his way through the close quarters of the northern fortifications (much more easily accessed from the west than from the north) the brave Lt. Colonel de Florrete struck down groaning enemy soldiers. Coming to the old Duke's room, he flung the door open to find only a single remaining chest of treasure. While certainly nothing to scoff at, it was clear that Braesi had taken most of the loot and vanished like the night.
Meanwhile, still outside Merzig's north wall, Captain Laisse fought at the center of the French lines. When the soldier next to him took an unfortunate spear thrust through the gut, Captain Laisse displayed remarkable courage by standing over the fallen soldier and defeating all comers -- distracting the remnants of Braesi's mercenaries long enough to have Colonel de Florrete's forces overwhelm them from the rear.
As the triumphant forces liberated Merzig, again they were shocked to find the state of the city. The vile Duke's mercenaries had sacked the city. Gone were the majestic buildings which the French had so proudly defended. Gone were the happy people singing in the streets. A remnant of the civilians begged the army to take them to Paris.
The ruined city had litt value to anyone. General Voisin, having driven off Duke Braesi, elected to abandon the ruins to the elements and have the remaining civilians escorted back to Paris. One more month would be spent securing the surrounding area, and perhaps next season's fighting would be in a more hospitable climate.

Campaign Matrix:
Char MiDs Prom Crs Other
==== ==== ==== ==== =====
SOS -- -- -- RANSOMED!
ML 2 -- --
JdF -- -- 1000
FOP 2 -- --

The Regiments
The table shows the disposition of officer slots within each of the regiments. C6 - C1 are the captain slots in increasing order of seniority. M2 - M1 are the two majorities, LtC is the Lieutenant Colonel, and COL is the Colonel. 000N0 indicates the position is filled by an NPC. The first three digits are the NPC number and the last digit is his MA. - means the position is open. Any officer with a military appointment does not have a regimental command; that duty is passed to the next senior officer of the regiment.

Any character holding a brevet rank of Col. or below will be indicated as holding both ranks (ie CPT and MAJ).

Remember, for game purposes, there is no limit to the number of privates and subalterns allowed within a regiment, and they will only be noted if occupied by a player character.

Regimental organization: see http://patriot.net/~aquazoo/eg/eg_res/regts.html

The General Staff

Brigade Commands:
Brigade of Guards -- Moliere (NPC)
Horse Guards Brigade --
Heavy Brigade -- JDA Aug 38
RSP is Brigade Major Aug 38
Dragoon Brigade --
1st Brigade of Foot -- Aurillac (NPC)
2nd Brigade of Foot -- Petite (NPC)
3rd Brigade of Foot --
4th Brigade of Foot -- Saint-Girons (NPC)
1st Volunteer Brigade -- Groulart (NPC)
2nd Volunteer Brigade -- de Challon (NPC)
3rd Volunteer Brigade --
4th Volunteer Brigade -- Bonshom (NPC)
1st Cavalry (V) Brigade -- Becdelievre (NPC)
2nd Cavalry (V) Brigade -- Flambert (NPC)

Division Commands:
1st Division -- Luxor (NPC)
2nd Division -- DdS Aug 38
Cavalry Division -- Gamut (NPC)
1st Volunteer Division -- de Souveray (NPC)
2nd Volunteer Division -- Guivar'ch (NPC)
Volunteer Cavalry Div -- Guillory (NPC)
Frontier Division -- Voisin (NPC)

Army Commands:
1st Army -- Pied dans la Bouche (NPC)
2nd Army -- Besancon (NPC)
3rd Army -- Benoist (NPC)
Field Army -- de Gatinais (NPC)
Frontier Army -- Perigeux (NPC)
Field Marshal -- Dillee (NPC)

Other Military Appointments (only Player Characters are listed)
Regimental Adjutant RFG -- LL Aug 38
Regimental Adjutant GDMD -- JW Aug 38
Regimental Adjutant CPC -- JML Aug 38

Civil Appointments:
Comsr of Public Safety Baron Francois Pied dans la Bouche (NPC 123) Mai 38
Chancellor of the Exchequer RM Aug 38
Minister of Justice Chevalier Andre Montelimar (NPC 122)
Minister of War TdA Mai 38
Minister of State AML Mai 38
Minister w/o Portfolio
* The month shown is the last month in which the character will hold the appointment. The appointment ends on the last day of the indicated month.

Mistress Roster

Mistress	SL	Attributes	Gentleman
Beatrice	24		Married - TDA
Claire	23	I	Married - DdS
Antoinette	18	W, I, B
Hyacinthe	17	I	Married - HdT
Didi	17		Married - PvdO
Michelle	17	W	FM
Ursula	16	I	JdA
Aimee	16	B
Babette	15	I	RM
Mina	15	B
Madelon	14
Isabelle	13
Karine	13	B	ASC
Cosette	12	I, B	Married - LL
Camille	12	I, B	JdF
Lydia	11	W, I
Nadine	11	W, I	Married - SLV
Patrice	10	W
Rosalyn	9		RSP
Veronique	8		AVF
Gillian	8	B	JW
Wendie	7	W
Francoise	6		GdB
Estelle	6	W, I

Character Roster

Char	Regt	Rank	Club	Housing	Mistress	Title	SPs	SL gain
AML	DG	bBG	Both	Pal*IsleCite	Widowr 8/37	Duc	103	25+
TDA	None	bLG	Both	Pal*IsleCite	Beatrice	Duc	90	24+
DdS	None	bLG	Both	Pal*IsleCite	Claire	Marquis	20	23
HdT	KM	Maj	Hunt	FH*Charon	Hyacinthe	Baron	85	17+
FM	CG	Col	Both	Pal*Montr	Michelle	Cheve	58	17+
PvdO	CG	LtCol	Both	Pal*Montr	Didi	Cheve	58	17+
JdA	CPC	BG	Both	Apt*Bellev	Ursula		37	16
RM	GDMD	bBG	BlueG	Pal*IsleCite	Babette	Baron	72	13+
LL	RFG	Capt	Hunt	Man*Bellev	Cosette		67	12+
HdE	RFG	Maj	Hunt	Gar*Passy		Cheve	47	12+
SlV	CG	Maj	Hunt	TH*Charon	Nadine	Cheve	29	11
ASC	QOC	LtCol	Frog&	Apt*Bellevil	Karine		19	11
DDV	None			Gar*Passy			-3	10-
GSE	DG	Capt	Frog&	TH*Passy			27	9+
JR	KM	Maj	Hunt	Gar*Passy			8	8-
JDF	RM	LtCol	BlueG	Gar*Passy	Camille		Front	7
RSP	CPC	Maj		Gar*Passy	Rosalyn		37	7+
JW	GDMD	Maj		FH*LaVill	Gillian		26	7+
JML	CPC	Capt		Gar*Passy			19	6+
AVF	4th	Maj		TH*Passy	Veronique		25	5+
SOS	PM	Maj		Gar*Passy			Front	4
JN	GDMD	Sub		Apt*Passy			14	4+
RL	27th	Capt		TH*Les Bat			12	4
BB	53rd	bCapt		TH*Passy			21	3+
GdB	53rd	Pvt		Gar*Passy	Francoise		7	3+
FOP				Gar*Passy			Rescue	2
ML	PLLD	bCapt		Gar*Passy			Front	2
SdN			RedP	Gar*Passy			0	2-
CC				Gar*Passy			-1	1

'+' indicates the gain of a SL this turn
'-' indicates the loss of a SL this turn
'D' indicates the character is currently disgraced

Reminder: No Sps are tallied while on campaign

No Orders Received: DdS, HdE, JML, JN, ASC 2, CC 2, DDV 2
NOR Orders Used: None
Converted to NPC: None

Player Roster
Achilles Martin Legris AML 25 nospam.wdrobinson@gmail.com
Tirs D'Abril TDA 24 nospam.tirs@tirsabril.com
Daniel de Sparrot DdS 23 nospam.acarin@btinternet.com
Henri de Treville HdT 17+ nospam.sandbagger3@gmail.com
Fernand Mondego FM 17 nospam.ckirmser@charter.net
Piet van der Oops PvdO 17 nospam.vinlander@hotmail.com
Jean D'Acier JdA 16 nospam.jbalkestahl@yahoo.com
Renno Megane RM 13 nospam.reaching-moon@supanet.com
Louis Lefuet LL 12 nospam.kauss@eriga.lv
Hacute d'Ermatitis HdE 12 nospam.tomm@doctors.org.uk
Silac la Vessie SlV 11 nospam.micks@gmx.co.uk
Armand St-Cyr ASC 11 nospam.drew@zip.com.au
D'ahstardlee De'Ville DDV 10 nospam.chainsawpixie@yahoo.com
Georges Singe Elan GSE 9 nospam.aquazoo@patriot.net
Jerome Revenant JR 8 nospam.studmuffin_jer@yahoo.com
Jean de Florrete JdF 7 nospam.rubber_man_98@yahoo.com
Robert Staunton Pierre RSP 7 nospam.brian@technicraft.com
Jacque Wabbit JW 7 nospam.ashkc@btinternet.com
Jean-Michel LeBlanc JML 6 nospam.redwing922@yahoo.com
Alexandre-Valentin Le Fleurquin AVF 5 nospam.david.wells@sinclair.edu
Sam Orlando Salvadore SOS 4 nospam.martibr2003@yahoo.com
Jean Neffis JN 4 nospam.johnicholas.hines@gmail.com
Ravan Leclair RL 4 nospam.mrhamm1967@yahoo.com
Paul Martin PM 4 nospam.paul_martin598@yahoo.com
Beaufort de Beaumont BB 3 nospam.brwntrsk@sover.net
Gilles de Beuvron GdB 3 nospam.harrower459@hotmail.com
Stefan Marceau SM 3 nospam.donherndon@comcast.net
Felix Otto Pangloss FOP 2 nospam.aspearce@yahoo.co.uk
Marcel Laisse ML 2 nospam.thedouble1998@yahoo.co.uk
Serge de Nimes SdN 2 nospam.nebathenemi@yahoo.co.uk
Christian Cyan CC 1 nospam.ijew.1971@tesco.net