January continues much in the course set by December, such snow that falls failing to lie for more than a few nights. As a result the normal life of the town is hardly impeded and several transactions are concluded involving Henryk Wolff and fellows whose profits from recent activities beyond the town's boundaries are now reckoned in the order of 3,000 Marks each rather than total as previously supposed. Even after the purchase of housing and prime tracts of land (several being fallow or wild after the plague) to give each a credible smallholding, Wolff, Grossenmist, and Brock have enough money still to talk of a trip west to spend the remainder of their (doubtless ill-gotten) gains. Meanwhile Beren Gerhardt bewails to all who will listen the fact that these profits were made with the aid of his infernal machines, but without his presence to entitle him to a share, apparently a cause of great humour amongst his `friends'.
Other members of the fortunate party are rather closer about their dealings, and it is not until February that the news begins to circulate in the Taylors' Guild that the Volger family, until now journeymen contractors of the Wolfs are negotiating for three quarters of the business. This major change in the composition of the guild is possible because the three Wolf brothers all approach the time when they must expect to meet their maker, while there is only one son of age to take over the running of the business. It takes no penetrating insight to realise that the agreement reached is financed by Gustav Volger from his part of the treasure, looking perhaps to settle down in honest business now that he has a daughter as well as wife to support.
On Monday 21st February, amongst a common enough barrage by various Guard posts to deter a demon sighted high above the town, was heard a much sharper crack followed by cries of `FIRE' from the southern fields. A cannon mounted high on one of the windmills had burst, killing two of the guardsmen serving it, blinding a third, and setting fire its store of powder and the mill itself. Bucket chains proved of little use against a powder-kindled blaze fifty or more feet above ground so rather than risk further lives in a premature taste of sinners' reward the mill was allowed to burn, despite the anguished entreaties of Councillor Luther Richter, its owner.
His fellow councilor Malachi Neumann also joined those gathered to watch the blaze and made an impromptu and impassioned speech reiterating his demands concerning the disposal of degraded powders brought back to town by `Wasters and roving Vagabonds' to those assembled who seemed much impressed by his reasoning.
Later at the Town Council meeting held to inquire into the event Captain of the Guard Otto Pfifer denied negligence of his powder keepers leading to issue of councilor Neumann's `spoilt powder'. Angry exchanges followed with Malachi Neumann eventually proposing the transfer of responsibility for the powderstore to the Calvinists, being better qualified, so he claims, to deal with hellfire than a `clutch of constables unable to deal with any|thing more complex than a truncheon'. The meeting broke up at that point to allow further investigations to be undertaken, and Captain Pfifer to withdraw his challenge against the councillor on cooler and more considered reflection.
The Captain's apology and withdrawal come in March. Those given to idle speculation say it is prompted more by Neumann's known expertise with the pistol than considerations of his position, the Captain being more partial to the sword. As it happens this is only days before the demands for the take over of all major firearm functions by the Calvinist Guard are subdued by the unfortunate death of Franz Kepler, a scion of the Architect family. Taking the air atop the town walls of a Saturday morning he was struck by a musket ball which, while it was nearly spent and hardly broke skin, caused him to fall from the wall to the street below where he broke his neck upon the cobbles. It was, as everyone acknowledged, a mischance no doubt connived by a demon who, passing the butts, seized an opportunity, for which no one could be held to blame. It remains however a fact that the majority of those at the butts at that time were a squad of Calvinist Guards.
When he is able, ex-Guardsman Ullmann (blinded survivor of the explosion) testifies that rather than bad powder, the cause was over enthusiasm on the part of the gunners who double charged their piece in attempts to bring the full measure of Heaven's wrath home to their demonic target. A most subtle and distressingly successful temptation to sins of over indulgence to be unleashed by the Master of Trickery.
As a result of these events the hand of moderate council is strengthened in the issue of control of powder, however it has to be conceded that something is rather amiss in current standards of gun handling in the Guards. It is therefore resolved as a compromise measure to call upon the services of an expert from the western lands, and appoint a Master Gunner. Merchant Traders are given letters of authority and instructed to find a suitable person for this post from the pool of experienced persons resulting of the Holy Crusades against Satan's Minions in the civilised lands.
April and May pass in quiet manner, such as the worthy elders declare has not been seen in many a year since their youth - a contributory factor is held to be the otherwise occupation of various of the `adventuring' crews. Several left town in March with the early wagons west, unremarked (and unlamented) in the excitement that attended those days. Without these corrupting influences the more respectable pursue their honest business.
June is a warm and sultry month, to the extent that many discard coats and jackets for shirtsleeves and several Guardsmen on watch in their armour are overcome. The extreme heat carries over into July. On the 22nd no small amount of alarm was caused when a small fire started in a storehouse Koenig's powdermill. While there was no danger of explosion, only the smallest quantities of ready powder being held for transfer to the town powderstore, the store in question held sulphur, which spread a smell of brimstone and the Pit t across town to the distress of many unaware of its source, some of who fell upon their knees in the street to pray thinking the Judgement to be at hand. As a piece of malicious trickery upon the part of those inspired by the true Pit this backfired when the Calvinist Guard were able to prefer charges against several of the confessors on the basis of their admissions during this incident.
The trials were held during August which month also saw the return of those who headed west in March, bearing various items whose cost could have been better put to virtuous use such as poor relief in New Jerusalem rather than lining the pockets of bloated merchants to the west.
No sooner have they returned than their new geegaws must be displayed to the envy of those who should know better, and a party sets forth to harrow the forests and despoil the very trees of their golden treasures. Unfortunately stories of great profit and the sight of gleaming new armour, swords and guns bedazzle the senses of several ingrates unsatisfied with their lots and the established (even well known) group of Brock, Grossenmist, Schneider and Wolf are accompanied by several newcomers. To the chagrin of Beren Gerhardt not least, another profitable return occurs (though by no means to the standard of a year ago), sufficient for several of the newcomers to declare themselves satisfied in their lot hereafter - having done their part in the Great Struggle and smitten abominations as it behooves a Christian man to do. This excellent and worthy attitude to such pastimes is, predictably, not shared by their professional companions and within the week Henryk Wolff, Axel Grossenmist, Beren Gerhardt, and sad to say Gustav Volger lapsing into his bad habits of old, turn their faces south-east towards the moldering ruins wherein they (or most of them) won fortune last year. Causing some comment is the armour of Beren Gerhardt who has forsaken good christian plate for primitive chain mail such as is worn only by the benighted worshippers of the demon Allah, of the deepest south.
To some extent then it is no surprise when great fires are seen in the sky a pair of nights after their departure, upon the 24th. Several opine that Gerhardt has at last shown his true colours in adopting the manner of armour of the fiery south and has now caused the ground to open and swallow himself and his sinning companions, the fires being those of the mouths of Hell itself. Unfortunately for such theories they return and indeed enquire as to the safety of the town, having feared that some major conflagration such as an explosion of the powderstore had rendered them homeless. As to where they had been in the ensuing three weeks rather than returning to check upon the conditions of their home they were, as usual, vague.
A week after the return of that particular group another, strong and experienced in the most part, departed. Those partaking were the mainstays of the adventuring clique Gustav Volger, Henryk Wolff, Kurt Schneider, and Axel Grossenmist, with Albrecht Durer, an occasional follower of the paths of folly, Lotte Luuk (famed, if that be the right word, for her use of the bow rather than honest, simple powder and shot; not to mention her long standing courtship by the reformed adventurer and now otherwise respected lay preacher Ragnar Fisher). Praise-the-Lord Grimmelshausen of the landowning family also strayed. Given the power of the party it was somewhat surprising that they returned upon the 11th of October, starved, without the three horses they had set out with, and in the case of Kurt Schneider, without the fine new armour recently acquired in the west. They remained tight lipped about the cause of their misfortunes though rumours seep out of a desperate battle of wits against superior numbers of Abominations, in the unusually wet weather of the past two weeks when their powder availed them not. The hand of a Higher Power is seen in this, as pride often comes before a fall.
Later in October, having restocked with such requisites as armour and powder, Schneider, Wolff and his mastiff Jacob, and Gustav Volger who seems to take the peculiar opinion that his wife Felice is just as able to run the family business as him (not to be gainsaid given the way it flourishes despite his absences) retrace their steps in an attempt to locate the goods of which they were despoiled. Upon the late evening of the 25th October they return, again the worse for wear, Kurt Schneider in particular being carried in across a pack horse and the barber being called immediately to attend him at the Volger household to extract several pieces of shot by ill chance intercepted in a desperate fight against (different) abominations that haunt the deep forests to the north.
This second limping return brings a close to the gallivanting of the irresponsible element of town, though no doubt only temporarily. Several oaths of a marginal nature are made as to the fate of all from the vastness of the forest, that opposes good Christian men should such happen to cross paths with them next year. None of course take heed of suggestions that the good Lord is trying to pass them a message in his own subtle way...
In early November it is announced in Church that the completion of the Temple Tower scheduled for the past summer will be delayed into next year, due to the non-arrival of the clock ordered from Antwerp. No explanation of the delay has been given but it is believed that there have been campaigns fought on routes to that town over the last few months.
The end of the year is dreary and unexciting with continuous
sleet showers trickling down guardsmen's necks as they, as all
do, wait to see what new trials the new year might bring.