This is a an extract of a letter written to Gordon Malcom:
I haven't had Beren very active - he's mainly spent time practicing riding, in the guise of patrolling the fields as a sort of mobile gun tower.
The other main activity is planning with Felix van der Lubbe the siting of defensive works against an attack from across the river, & matters to do with getting better guns for him. In his opinion, most of NJ's guns are clapped-out relics, and dangerous with it, some being unable to fire their full charge with a solid shot. Of course there isn't the money to replace the guns at the moment (he'd like something like a dozen real (18-24lb) guns for a start) but you and he have been subtlely propagandising to various councillors and Capt (TG) Pfifer.
A problem of your own is one of credibility - lack of Volunteer Patrollers, the basic requirements for membership being: of good standing in the community, own horse and gun. All you have is Luther, Gustav and Axel, of whom only the later two have 'patrolled' into the woods and plains of the north. I've assumed Luther, like yourself, to be practicing riding and helping out with the field defences (and tending his quite extensive farmlands of course). I feel that you are both fairly reasonable horsemen now and I'll start running the two of you out on patrols soon unless I hear otherwise.
One problem with patrolling reported by Gustav and Axel is the general uselessness of horses in the woods. You really need a foot patrol but the council is not prepared to alter the conditions of membership as originally set down. Possibly you could organise an auxilliary force, out of your own funds - the old bow-hunting party might be willing perhaps.
I've assumed most of your money to be invested in farmlands, the income from which with your captains salary should keep you fairly comfortable, and probably support a small light force - though watch for political problems of what might be seen as 'private armies' - though that is the normal way to organise things these days - give the commander of a force a lot of money and let him arrange the spending of it on his own forces.
Mark Clampin has just arrived to collect this letter - quick finish - write if there's anything you want explained further...
Quick summary update April - July '41
After the elections GV + large party head east along the south bank of the river in an official VP recce. Came back to report a meeting with some Hobgoblins who said Steelback has been pushed out of his northern hold by the Green Meanies. The party was also attacked on the north bank by 3 GMs wearing flayed Hobgoblin skin masks to disguise themselves, which allowed then to get far closer than they would in their normal skin.
After discussion with GV, AG, FvdL it is decided to announce the GM threat to the council, which you do officially at the June council meeting, though beyond the formal report it was GV who did most of the talking. The general reaction was disbelief/unconcern about the activities of abominations fighting each other, with little appreciation of the potential threat of a unified, organised hostile force in control of the north bank. This may change as within the last couple of weeks (end of July) a couple of adventurers got killed in seperate incidents, one however involving GMs within a day's march of town, and GV & AG were attacked by organised, militaristic ogres, again within a day of NJ.