A windy month, sometimes carrying fresh snow, sometimes merely rearranging that which had fallen earlier. The icy blast sought out the gaps and unevenness of house and home, the new buildings' unseasoned timbers opened many an entrance for the ice-clawed tormenters from the innermost and coldest circle of the pit to savage any so taken with sloth during the sunny months not to have laid in firewood adequate for their needs. Some of these were carried off straightway, while others suffered the torment of cold conspiring with the dark humours of the night to sow then reap a harvest of disease, particularly of those too young or old to care properly for themselves.
The winds dropped, and gradually the snow fell wetter, and less inclined to blow. This brought some relief as it caked over the gaps which had rendered life so uncomfortable earlier. The relief was short lived of course, as this same snow and these same gaps provided the gushes of water that further afflicted the town on the thaw.
It was near the middle of the month before people were even able to attempt to dry out, as heavy rain and gales lashed. Conditions were too bad even for work to commence in the fields, which stood as a series of muddy ponds across the land, while the tracks between them were impassable rivers of mud.
Once the flood abated, or at least receded sufficiently for only the shorter workers to be in danger of foundering as they went about their duties, work commenced with an urgency and enthusiasm not seen at other times of the year, the Lord allowing whose lives are spent in the fields to be spurred to greater efforts by the pangs of hunger as the winter supplies run short.
It was unfortunate therefore that in his eagerness for not one of his lambs to be lost in the night (even as it is commanded in Scripture) Wilhem Pfifer was abroad in the fields searching by the light of the full moon, long after the call for the return to the walls. Another searched by the light of that moon, another whose tastes ran not to lamb but to souls, as the despairing screams of Pfifer attested as he was carried off into the night sky while the guards on the town walls could only watch helplessly the relentless flapping of the night flier and the last struggles of its victim, silhouetted against the cold moon.
Another soul is reported lost a little after this, when Councillor Volger returns to town from an early foray aginst the ungodly hoards. Roland C. Fodder, the lack-wit, fell in the van of the battle against an abominable bogle, hob, or goblin, having first sent several on their way to their dark master (with the aid r of the Councillor, Axel Grossenmist and lesser names) to let him know he could not disorder the wits of a New Jerusalem man without cost. Fodder's soul found rest from torment when a goblin left its sword in Fodder's throat. May he rest in peace.
That the Lord works in mysterious ways his wonders to perform, is well known though often not appreciated without the benefit of hindsight. So it is with the rains and floods of the last two months. The blessing threw off its disguise late in the evening of Saturday the 26th, then a huge and fierce fire engulfed the home of the Powdermaster Albert Schwartz in the Southside. Thanks to the damp circumstances of the town, and the wells being near brim full about town the blaze was quickly brought under control before it spread through the neighbouring streets, though some thirteen lost their lives in the first gush of flame. The fire raised suspicions immediately, after the loss of five barrels of powder last summer, and the absence of any trace of the powdermaster - one in a position possibly implicated in the theft, and who oversaw some of the subsequent searching. Following this line of reasoning the Council issue a writ for his arrest, though the Master Gunner was overheard to advise Councillor Schultz to undertake his search in the ruins, with a fine rake.
A warm month though occasionally wet, allowed field work to continue unabated, and brought on the crops nicely. Not that grain and livestock were the only things seen growing in the fields for Karl Leuter astonished all by ordering the construction of a strong house outside the perimiter of the fields, thus ending months of speculation as to what he would do with the thousand marks awarded by the Council last year. His response to enquiries as to the reason for his choice of location is to point out the advantages of building and farming on free land, and not having to walk the five or more miles from town to grazing lands as do most. When warned that the Council and Town Guard could take no responsibility for his protection from the manifold threats of the Enemy's minions in the wilderness, whether man, abomination, or demon, Leuter pointed out he survived many days alone in the wilderness after his expulsion, and found none of these to be a particular threat to a truly godly soul armoured by faith in the Lord. In addition he implied that the money saved in land costs would go in part to providing defenses against any threat. His emphasis of the `any' caused indignation amongst several Councillors who spoke of a threat to the integrity of the town, and of taking forceful moves to prevent the establishment of a dangerous precident. Their position is somewhat weakened when it is pointed out that Councillor Volger, wife, children and servants still reside in Wolf's Barn in the middle of the fields. When the Councillor reveals that he too was costing the building of a more suitable residence in the same location the case against Leuter collapses completely.
Towards the end of the month came the miraculous rescue of Ulrich Kane, thought lost a year ago from a party exploring the demon infested castle said to lie to the south-east, when unbeknown to his companions he lived, held in bondage to the twisted, light-fearing mockeries scurrying about their burrows deep beneath the land. His rescue came about when Gustav Volger and Axel Grossenmist, with the assistance of Frank Leibnitz, Konrad Steller and Gustav von Humbolt (relative newcomers to the struggle) fought a bloody battle deep in the bowels of the earth, during which Kane slipped his bonds and joined them having caused panic and confusion among the enemy by way of aiding the righteous cause. On his return to town he says little of his enslavement, but spends much of his time in church giving thanks for his freedom as is only proper, his story would undoubtedly lead to many hours being lost to idle gossip and discussion that could be spent more productively in work or prayer.
Is a cool and damp month, throught which most work diligently. However one-time hero of the town, and now ex-Guardsman Praise-the-Lord Grimmelshausen leaves the respectible, responsible and secure post in the Gunners to take up the hazardous life of a mercenary caravan guard. Why he should leave is a mystery, especially as he was regarded as having a bright future with the friendship of such as Councillor Volger, Volunteer Patrol Captain Gerhardt, and apparently well regarded by the Master Gunner, for whom he often acted as a confidential assistant of somewhat more standing than his rank suggested. It is difficult to understand why such a man should throw all up for a chance of profit, adventure and death in the western wars.
Stefan Schmitt, an apprentice smith, was arrested for preaching with neither a Certificate of Divinity from the Council of Ministers, nor a Preaching Licence from the Town Council. At his trial before Councillors Ullman, Schultz and Schroeder he refused to recognise the right of any earthly authority to command him in matters spiritual, and reiterates themes from his secret preaching that all wealth and land should be divided equally, with no man having dominion over his brother, thus proving himself to be one of the rowdy element that the new system of licences was thought to have supressed. Once Schmitt had thus incriminated himself he was found guilty without hesitation by his judges, with the usual sentence of a period of labour to the benefit of the town (on the night soil wagons, for instance) followed by silence or expulsion, when he started to rant and rage against the Guard and Councillors for daring to lay hands on a `holy man', calling the people of the town to rise up and ovethrow the ungodly tyrants, usurpers and oppressors of the `true faith' while Guardsmen struggle to restrain him. Faced with this the Councillors confer, and Councillor Ullman pronounced a sentence of death by hanging for the crime of seditions and incitement to bloody revolution, commenting that the town had suffered enough from that in recent years, and that it was now time to forgive and forget - and anyone who was not prepared to forgive and forget would be dealt with. Sentence was carried out the next day.
While July made up for the dampness of June by its fierce heat this brought the occasional thunderstorm. In the course of one Captain Gerhardt of the Volunteer Patrol took shelter in a hedge lest the weight of metal that he customarily wears on patrol should have attracted the thunderbolt. From this hidden vantage he then observed a field worker running into the storm from the direction of the fields in the direction of the forest nearby. Thinking the fellow to have confused his direction in the blinding lash of the rain the Captain called out after him, but with the noise of the storm remained unheard. Fearful for the man's safety in the forest and heedless of the storm, he mounted up and pursued him to bring him back to the safety of the town. With these good intentions in mind it was with some astonishment that the Captain found himself attacked by the one he had set forth to rescue. Such a foolish move had the inevitable result and the ruffian returned to town unconcious and bleeding, bound across the Captain's horse to the care of the Town Guard. Unfortunately for him the Captain's keen eyes had not missed the attempt to dispose of certain tokens that the untoward attack had covered. And the Guard subsequently mounted several raids against perons implicated after the wretch, Heinrich Hoffman, had been put to the question. From the long faces of Councillors and senior Guardsmen serious news is to be expected.
While a limb of the coven discovered by Patrol Captain Gerhardt sprouting in the dark of the great northern forest had been severed little further was done to trace the activities of the Damned and their Black Temple. Expectations of action on the part of the Captain were confounded - despite the fact that the forest is clearly within the remit of the Volunteer Patrol - as July slipped into August. Further raids by the Town Guard failed to bring to light more than minor misdemeanors which earned their perpetrators whippings and a period in the stocks to remind them of law and duty. None had achieved the heights of sinfulness represented by stake or gallows.
The August meeting of the Town Council brought demands from councillors for action by Gerhardt (Councillor Volger - so often with wisdom to impart on the subject of external threats - remained uncharacteristicly silent). In reply Gerhardt argued forcefully that the only time to have made discoveries in the woods would have been immediately on the arrest of the first malefactor, had he been broken soon enough by the Guard's interrogation. The man being armoured by the diabolical obstinacy of his kind held out until the third night during which time, the Captain stated, the thunderstorms and torrential rain would have obliterated all trace of the evildoers' meetings in the forest, and would certainly have caused no end of other difficulty to the Volunteers, dry powder being the most efficacious of weapons against the machinations of evil. Therefore he declined to throw his command into the forest, to blunder about without purpose. Indeed his discovery of evil in r circumstances so disadvantageous for investigation had to him the stench of a trap about it, seeking to lure the Patrol to rashly enter the forest.
With this the Council had to be satisfied. However some left questioning the benefit the town received from its Patrol, many of whom were known to be likely to go forth and cleanse the countryside of the agents of darkness with or without the approval of the Council.
On Patrol
Presumably the mood of the council persuaded Cllr Volger that the time had come for another venture against the forces of Satan, so he and his henchmen the armless Dutchman van Rijn and limping Johan von Trummenberg, Lotte Luuk, Conrad Steller (Axel Grossenmist's man at the Boar & Quill) and various friends, followers and wagon guards marched down the road with the announced intention of cleansing the spawning places of abomination which endanger the merchant trains.
This patrol of the 4th of August was followed two days later by the sudden departure of the much of the remaining strength of the Volunteer Patrol.
Drums across the Jordan
Early in the morning of Wednesday the 6th Captain Gerhardt, `Sergeant' Luther Brock, Karl Pfifer and Fritz Schwartz all in armour rode rapidly out of town to the border of the forest where they joined Elijah Richter and Ragnar Fischer, experienced hunters. These latter, being unarmoured, had slipped unremarked from town previously. The six disappeared into the forest on foot, horses left in the care of servants. Gerhardt's earlier refusal to countenance any such venture and Councillor Volger's departure southwest were thus revealed as a stratagem to allay fears amongst any with cause to worry about the Patrol's investigation of the secret sites of the forest.
After the excitement caused by the Patrol's departure amongst those who welcome any excuse to cease their daily labours, mindless of the penalties in the life to come of Sloth, the day proceeded in its normal and ordained course. The sun beamed down as a sign of heavenly approval, bringing the crops ever nearer what promised to be an excellent harvest. But a shadow veiled the sun somewhat after noon and those in the fields glanced up, expecting to see some haze or cloud, though none had been remarked in the sky all day. Instead of the cloud they sought, workers in the northern fields and guardsmen in their towers heard a slow tolling drumbeat from out of the dark depths of the forest, carried on a cold wind that sprang up in those moments. The sudden air of menace and despondency caused some to gather by the watchtowers fearful of attack, while others ran for the shelter of the town walls. Twenty-four beats shivered the air before silence fell - it seemed that nothing moved north of the Jordan but the wind hissing through the rye. When the twenty-fifth beat did not come many prayed before turning to their toils once more.
The Master Gunner
Felix van der Lubbe, the Master Gunner, has often been noted as a firm believer in the maxim that the Lord helps them that help themselves. Whilst others gave up prayers he gave out orders. By the time the last beat had died away a stream of guns and gunners were moving up the track from town to forest to positions apparently determined long since (perhaps on the long walks the Master Gunner and Captain Gerhardt take in the fields) heedless of protests where their chosen positions happen to be in crop-filled fields. So rapid was the response that within two hours of van der Lubbe's commands fully three-quarters of the town's carriaged guns were positioned north of the town, some of the lighter pieces only a few hundred yards from the forest edge. As the afternoon passed the Master Gunner inspected his positions, and placated the owners of the despoiled fields with such helpful remarks as ` Don't worry about it. If we fire all your grain will burn anyway .' or ` When the fiends come for your soul we will not flinch in defence of your field.'
No fiends in fact reached the fields that day. But near dusk gunfire was heard in the forest; as expected, the sound had the snap of the rifled weapons of the Patrol. That it was so close and consistant indicated that they were returning hard pressed. The Gunners stood to their primed pieces, matches smoking and ready for whatever should follow from the forest.
Surely enough the six staggered out, pausing to discharge their weapons at their enemy, who remained unseen in the depths of the wood. Weary from hard marching and hard fighting - Gehardt with his left arm bound up in bloodstained rags, Fritz Schwartz limping, assisted by his fellows - all with blood, powder stains and fresh dents on their armour they declined to enlighten those about them as to the events that left them in that state, though when told of the drumbeat of the afternoon the Captain snapped that it was a damn sight worse next to it, and on meeting the Master Gunner nodded significantly to his enquiring 'Well?'
The Captain reported to the council however and soon the news of his discoveries was common knowledge. In the deep forest the Patrol sought the meeting place of the devil's servants lately discovered. Often their path crossed the tracks of the legions of hell-born green and gold warriors often warned of by Councillor Volger, and while Captain Gerhardt had expected such a presence, the numbers sorely troubled him. By the skill and woodcraft of the scouts the patrol avoided confrontation as the long-term struggle against evil incarnate required knowledge of evil's heart rather than the severing of a few digits. Once they won to the proximity of the Dark Temple the scouts went forward using the utmost of their skills to win to and closely examine the secret place, despite the presence on all sides of patrols of the Enemy.
What was seen was a great and golden Temple, where a masked man, ashamed to show his face to Heaven above him, preached a sermon to massed fiends of the golden legions. Fortunately for the scouting pair, Richter and Fischer, they could not hear the blasphemies spoken for no doubt their souls would have been seared by horror. Instead they returned to join their heavily armed fellows.
It was at this point that Satan guided the footsteps of his minions, warning of the presence of the avenging soldiers of the Lord. A party of the demons marched directly to the hiding place of the patrol, alarm being given to the host of the Damned in the intense burst of fire that this misfortune occasioned. The patrol withdrew with all speed, under pursuit, when heaven and earth seemed to them to split and all were confused and cast down by the crafts of the enemy. Repeated attacks on the souls of the patrol (that were heard as drumbeats even in New Jerusalem) nearly delivered them unto the talons of the enemy until Elijah Richter, known somewhat as a preacher, led them in prayer and the singing of psalms as they fought their way free, being pursued even to the very edge of the forest, as has been reported.
Such a report filled some with fear and alarm, however it has long been known that as a citadel of righteousness New Jerusalem is continously under siege from the unseen legions of hell, so that if they present themselves in a more corporeal form, it avails them of naught save to make themselves readier targets for God's wrath as expressed through strong arms of His servants. Nonetheless it is incumbent on the Council, as leaders of those servants, to ensure that the strong right arm may be brought to bear in as efficient manner as possible and discussions go on as to how to ensure this. In the Council meeting of September several proposals are put forth, from Ezekial Himmler's suggestion that the fields north of the River Jordan should be abandoned rather than put souls at risk (for several of the expunged coven had admitted to having been tempted into the forest by glints of gold - that turned out to be the golden armour (a true sign that riches are no way to heaven) and thus damned by their covetousness). Himmler's suggestion was decried by the Landholders as might have been expected as was the suggestion from Gustav Volger that the council should devote the sum of ten thousand Marks to re-equiping and expanding the Town Guard, in particular the Gunners.
When several councillors had reseated themselves, Master Gunner van der Lubbe and Guard Captain Pfifer were called to detail their requirements in these matters, there being not a little sympathy for the idea in principle, recent events being what they were, and the many discussions that the Master Gunner in particular had had with individual councillors on the subject. Initially he asked only for improvement to the guard towers about the fields and rights to secure his cannon at night in the strong barns about the fields, that action against an approaching enemy might not be delayed by the need to wheel guns from the central park by the powder store. Several expressed doubts as to the wisdom of this course, the possibility of the guns being siezed and turned against their rightful owners being uppermost in many minds. Van der Lubbe admitted this possibility but pointed out that certain of the guns he would be happier to see in an enemy's hands - he might even leave them a barrel of powder and ball or two that they might try r firing with a full charge - something he dared not. Despite the Master Gunner's previous warnings to the council on this subject some were taken aback by this attitude and discussion turned to the need for guns, as well as their disposition and guarding.
It was decided to establish a strong fort at the bridge, permenantly manned and equipped with new guns. The overall cost of this van der Lubbe estimated at two to three thousand marks, depending in large part on the state of the wars to the west and therefore ease of access to the great foundries, such as are not under siege nor recently devestated. Of the sums mentioned the building of a simple fort in the modern style should not amount to much more than a hundred or so Marks as the great walls of antiquity (such as surround the most part of the town) have now been replaced by large earthworks in the recommendation of the present authorities. Certainly the breach in the old walls that now forms the route between the old town and the Outside argues that high stone walls leave something to be desired in effectiveness, as well as being extremely costly to keep. With winter soon to be upon the town, and the guns will not arrive until at least next Easter, the exact siteing of the fortress was deferred until that time, though it is not to be doubted that the Master Gunner has exact plans on the matter.
The end of September saw the return of Lotte Luuk and an auslander mercenary from one of Councillor Volger's patrols along the South road, telling of ambush and destruction in the woods some days south. The man had found himself lost in the woods during the fighting, but was rescued from the maw of the pit by the timely intervention of Luuk, who sought him out by her not inconsiderable skills as a huntress (it being widely held that she has better woodcraft drunk than most men sober). On his return he expressed a fervent desire to return to the west, where a man might lose his life in the fighting that prevails, but not his soul save by his own actions.
A scant couple of days later the rest of the patrol returned, having fought free of the entrapment with some losses of material which caused the Councillor and Conrad Steller, to repair to Herr Grossenmist's rooms and consult with him in his legal capacity, over the loss of one of the Councillor's guns whilst it was in Steller's care. The Councillor has a strong regard for his property, and woe betide any who should be a party to seperating him and it.
The meeting of the Council upon Sunday 5th started with further discussion of the matter of the fortification of the approaches to New Jerusalem. Councillor Hoffman of the Merchants proposed that a second fort be built at the southern edge of the fields to regulate more carefully the entrance of strangers to the town, especially those guards of the wagon trains casually employed for the journey, and not resident of the town itself. Such people he admitted had been on occasion the cause of bad feeling towards the merchants' operations, some being of a blasphemous or r troublesome nature offensive to the godly folk of New Jerusalem. To relieve these feelings the merchants had some time since lodged their auslander guards in barracks in their compounds, that they not be thrust onto the inns and lodgings of the town, which action had then provoked accusations of private armies and attracted the wrath of the innkeepers. Therefore he proposed that a gateway fort be established at which the trains could shed their excess guards (being under the protection of the Town Guard once within the fields) some five miles from the town that only those with business to conduct in town would procede further, provided sufficent lodgings and diversions be present at the gateway. The next train out could then collect its guards before setting off across the deserted lands.
Such a fort would be a larger affair than a simple crossing guard such as the proposed northern fort, having a regulatory function which would involve a permenent station of the Town Guard to keep peace and order. Hoffmann's would therefore be prepared to contribute half of the cost of the construction, and a lesser though substantial proportion of the maintenance in exchange for certain minor concessions, which offer was accepted by the council.
Following on from this debate Councillor Volger raised the matter of the number of auslander merceneries actually residing in town, having been disturbed on meeting a band on the road independent of a merchant's train. His further enquiries revealed some forty-nine, of four bands, to be resident, a fact that he considered to be alarming and was certainly unusual in recent years. Captain Pfifer, called to report on the matter, stated that the various groups had conducted themselves in a lawful manner for the most part after a few initial problems over dress. This being the case he felt no particular concern, though did of course maintain a watch on so large a group of auslanders. Councillor Volger was not satisfied and asked of the Master Gunner, who has more experience of such people than most, what reason they had to be in New Jerusalem. The reason given in response to his informal enquiries had been to find winter accomodation with the close of the campaign season in the west; which reason was also given in response to the Captain's official enquiry. Volger expressed his doubts that anyone would come a month's march to find winter quarters, and suggested that the Captains of the companies be called to explain themselves, in which he was supported by several other councillors sharing his concern.
Captains von Dreiden, Jurgen, Altbarn, and Ullman appear seperately to give account. When it became apparent that the story of winter quarters was not fully believed several changed their tune and gave more detail claiming: to have come on the recommendation of others met in the wars for a quiet place to overwinter (von Dreiden); followed a rival known for his luck (referring to von Dreiden) seen heading to an unusual destination (Jurgen); have found no where else to go (Altbarn); having a map to a lost goldmine somewhere to the northeast, to be explored in the spring (Ullman).
The whole council, thoroughly alarmed by the numbers of strangers unheard of in previous years, and their mendacious tales, voted and passed legislation for the disarmament of all auslanders, the arrest and immediate execution of their captains for conspiracy against town, church and lawful authority. Some questioned the decision, until it was pointed out that people such as these captains were responsible for countless massacres, persecutions and degredations across the lands, and that it is unthinkable that men so steeped in evil, as these obviously were from their lies (carefully co-ordinated so that they appear not to be co-ordinated, a diabolical subtlety), should not have been so employed. Thus they stood condemned without the necessity to know the full catalogue of their sins. Captain Pfifer was instructed to act discretely, as soon as the Councillors had left the chamber to assist in the disarming and suppression of the main body of the mercenaries.
The Guardhouse was alert and with the Volunteer Patrol in attendence awaited the return of the Captain from carrying out sentence on the mercenary captains, when one of their fellows staggered in from the council chamber to announce that some of the captains had escaped, rescued by their men, and that their own Captain was dead. Captain Gerhardt of the Patrol immediately took charge of the situation and led a force of Patrol and Guard to investigate the tale.
It proved to be all too true, with by-standers gawping at the sprawled figures of the Captain and guardsmen on the steps of the council hall. Gerhardt upbraided the curious for their lack of wit and piety for neither fetching help nor praying, and charged them to make restitution by informing him of the location of the murderers. On the information given he then set forth for the Westgate. The district was ominously quiet with only the clash of Patrol armour, and rattle of Guards' pikes and muskets as they passed deeper into the Westgate, and nearer to that gate itself where some disturbance was heard building. Coming to the proximity of the Breast of Gold inn, which stood before the West Gate (access being through a passage in the inn building itself) scores of heaped bodies were in view - the Captain's murderers obviously having driven before them then further murdered the unfortunates they met on their passage though the district, that none might give notice of their whereabouts. Simultaneously heavy fire crashed from the inn itself forcing guards and patrol to take cover in sidestreets and alleys.
Then commenced a desperate and bloody fight from house to house as Guard and Patrol forced towards the gate where the murderers attempted to break out and evade justice. Despite their best efforts some fifteen auslanders escaped over the West Gate, stacking barrels from the inn against the walls to do so, but left an equal or greater number shot at the foot of the gate or burned with the inn, set alight during the fighting. A similar number of guardsmen too perished in the confusion of the fighting though their wounded were more likely to survive to recover.
Meanwhile the Master Gunner was overseeing the reduction of a house in the Wallside held by the remainder of the mercenaries. Being uninclined to see reason and accept his offer of their lives if they but surrendered all their weapons and marched from town, van der Lubbe was forced to deal with them in his own inimitable way. Fortunately the fire consequent of the explosion of the two barrels of powder he had placed in adjoining buildings to the mercenaries' refuge was confined to an area of a quarter of the Wallside, mean hovels that could well do with rebuilding in any case, he said.
When the council (reduced by the loss of Karl Schroeder of the Breast of Gold) reconvened they confirmed the plans for the southern fort, to avoid any repetition of such an affair, and asked Captain Gerhardt to assume command of the Town Guard in place of the late Captain Pfifer. Take command he did on a temporary basis, modestly explaining that his abilities lay more in the duties of the Patrol than maintenance of order (despite the good reputation of his inn the Giant's Head as the most orderly in the Wallside, before the great fire).
A Patrol departed a two days after the fighting to determine the whereabouts of the bandit mercenaries, but from tracks found it seemed that they had appropriated sufficient supplies (not to mention some guns and powder from the guard towers) as they fled through the fields to carry them back to the western lands. With God's good grace the snows will come early this year and freeze them before they should reach shelter.
Thereafter the normal courses of harvest and preparations for winter held sway. Both Karl Leuter and Councillor Volger's residences newly built in the fields being completed and occupied in this time, the former a sturdy cottage to the south of the fields (close to the proposed site of the south fort as it happens) while Volger holds an altogether more impressive construction comprising walled courtyard with barns, house and strong tower upon which he proposes to mount his own cannon for the better protection of his property, workers and the town. In pale emulation Axel Grossenmist provides a watch tower and his own pivot gun to protect some of his fields. But showing a degree of concern for the events of the summer he choose to place it rather closer to the river than to the main body of his lands.
And so the year ends, the snow indeed coming rather earlier than usual, a tribute to the power of prayer and the Glory of God.