A game we played two weeks ago, at a miniature models convention in Séné (Brittany).
Action takes place in Brittany 1795 during the French Revolution (place names are imagined). There has been a treaty between the government and the royalist Chouan rebellion, however the war is about to start again...
There were a GM and 5 players:
- Marie de Calavret, a female Chouan who lives in the village of Calavret.
- Lostbraz a former smuggler who lives in the village of Locmaria.
- Le Mouron Rouge a British spy.
- Maréchal-des-logis (NCO rank) Delongville commanding a small unit of gendarmes stationed in the two-houses Kerbahr suburb.
- Citoyen-représentant Chauvelin (my good self) in charge of the garrison, town of Poulguénan and whole area.
The 1.80 x 4 m gaming table:
It's quite difficult to maintain order inside town, where some of the population are Sans-Culottes republican extremists (NPC) who think that Chauvelin is too lenient towards the rebels.
A local priest is held prisoner inside the chapel.
Soldiers patrol the nearby countryside.
Game begins when a drunk hussar enters table and rides into Locmaria where he haughtily asks the road to Poulguénan. A peasant answers him in Breton and a fight is about to begin when Lostbraz interferes to calm things down. The hussar then takes the road to town.
The hussar informs Chauvelin that trouble is brewing in the whole region, and also that he could ask for reinforcements if needed.
A small group of people on their way to town: Lostbraz, who wants the priest to be freed, Marie de Calavret who is secretly enquiring about barrels of black powder which had been hidden somewhere some months earlier, and the Mouron Rouge disguised as a young republican.
The gendarmes are very suspicious and search the cart. There's nothing hidden in the cart, but they find a large vat of strong liquor and ...they drink too much of it. So they search the cart twice again... almost causing a traffic jam near town.
After some time, the characters enter town with no more difficulty. Night is about to come.
Chauvelin offers money to Lostbraz to bribe him, and accepts to let him visit the priest. Lostbraz takes the money but doesn't really promise anything.
In the same time, three men of Lostbraz have silently stunned the guard at the chapel and taken his uniform. Lostbraz meets the priest who tells him where the powder barrels are hidden. Lostbraz realises that he cannot bring the priest out of town because they risk being searched again. He gives him a file ...but there are no bars nor windows in the chapel.
Chauvelin doesn't notice all this. However he had Marie de Calavret closely watched but she does nothing suspect.
In the morning they go out of town. Lostbraz says to Calavret where the black powder barrels are hidden and she soon finds them.
The missing guard is found near the chapel, Chauvelin is worried but the priest is still there so he doesn't understand what happened.
However, a small unit of soldiers arrive at Poulguénan and tell Chauvelin that the war is starting again.
Chauvelin orders the gendarmes to go and search the area. But it's already too late...
Regular royalist units have landed on the beach, and the Mouron Rouge takes their command.
At the same moment, the peasants of Calavret take arms. Lostbraz hesitates but prepares to support her.
Chauvelin walks out of town with two columns of soldiers.
There are only a few guards in town now, they dare not resist when Sans-Culottes extremists (NPC) storm the chapel and kill the priest.
The gendarmes have too boldly advanced and find themselves surrounded by the Royalists. They are killed, their NCO is wounded and taken prisoner.
On their right flank the Republican soldiers reach the low walls of Calavret and inflict heavy casualties to the defenders.
However, more Chouans enter the fight, and are furious because they've just heard that the priest has been killed. After a while the Republicans must slowly withdraw to town.
The gendarme NCO has been left behind, guarded by a woman from the village. He tries to make friend with her ...quite unlikely, but the player succeeds two die rolls... so they leave the country together and they go to America to start a new life!