I thought I'd post the player brief's to give a bit of an insight to the game:
Gideon King– Swanage smugglers:You are the leader of the Swanage gang of smugglers, a fearsome and efficient crew of cutthroats and ner-do-wells. Tonight you are landing your biggest cargo for a long time and it’s going to make you a lot of money, assuming you can stow it away in the church crypt before the morning and before the Revenue men catch you at it. You’ve heard talk that your rival, Bartholemew Pug who leads a gang from Weymouth is aware of your cargo and has been bragging that he’s going to take it from you. While you doubt Pug has the guts to take your gang on, you need to be on the lookout. The last thing you want is to run in to the Revenue, or is it? John Knill, the right hand man of the Revenue Officer Captain Clegg, has been calling on your sister in an attempt to gain evidence of your illicit trade, or so you suspect. It would be to your advantage if Knill was out of the picture, and a skirmish with the Revenue may be just the opportunity to arrange it.
You will receive doubloons for stowing cargo and for killing rival smugglers and Revenue men. Killing dragoons will not earn you any doubloons, the government just send more and they’re a nuisance.
You start on the beach, unloading the cargo.
Lieutenant Josiah Softlove – 2nd Dragoon RegimentYou are in command of a detachment of dragoons on patrol from Blandford, and you hate it! In fact you hate everything about this damnable county; the weather, the inbred locals, the boorish dim-witted local gentry. If only you’d not been caught ‘in flagrante’ with the Bishop of Westminster’s daughter you’d not have been posted to this dull backwater to let the fuss die down. The only thing that may get you back to London and Society quicker is if you can bag a few of the local villains. You’ve been given reports that there are two gangs working together in the area, and tonight is a good night for smuggling. With your loyal sergeant, Obediah Ruffbrute at your side, you’re in the mood for some sword work.
You will receive doubloons for killing smugglers, especially leaders. Capturing contraband isn’t going to get you back to London any faster, but it will spite the local Revenue wallahs. Whatever you do don’t go killing the locals, it will cause a terrible row.
You start on the Blandford road with your troop of mounted dragoons
Captain William Clegg – Revenue OfficerYou are the local Custom’s Officer responsible for patrolling the local area and apprehending the ‘Free Traders’ who avoid paying customs charges. You have been tipped off that a gang from Weymouth is coming to the Swanage area to meet up with a local gang to plan a raid on the customs house in Poole. It will mean promotion for certain if you are able to capture any of the gang members and bring them to justice, so you have planned an ambush at the local village where you are told they are meeting. Normally you would involve the army, but the local officer, Lt Softlove, is newly arrived from London and you don’t trust him. He spends more time with the local debutantes than he does at his duties and he’s a braggart and a dandy. You don’t want him getting in your way and taking any of the glory. You also have your suspicions about the local cleric, Parson Robinson; rumours are that he stores contraband in the churchyard in return for French wines and brandy, this raid may be an opportunity to bring him in for investigation too.
You will receive doubloons for capturing smugglers, especially leaders. Capturing contraband will also earn you doubloons. Nobody’s going to complain if a few smugglers get killed along the way either.
You start on the Poole road with your revenue men.
Bartholemew Pug – Weymouth smugglers:You are the leader of the Weymouth gang of smugglers, a fearsome and efficient crew of cutthroats and ner-do-wells. You’ve heard talk that your rival, Gideon King, who leads a gang from Swange is preparing to land a large cargo from France. The cargo is expected in a few days and it’s going to be worth a small fortune, and you don’t see why King and his men should take all the profit. You intend to scout out the area and make contact with the locals; if the cargo is as big as the rumours claim your men will need help unloading it.. Your second in command, Jeremiah Darby, has a cousin in Swanage who believes the local priest, Parson Robinson, may be persuaded to store the contraband until it is safe to take it to Weymouth.
You will receive doubloons for contacting Parson Robinson and two other locals; the local innkeeper Ezekiel Cain and Blind Moses, an old soldier who sees an awful lot for a person with only one eye. Of course if you happen to acquire any contraband on the way then you’ll get some doubloons for that too.
You start on the Weymouth road with your men.
Ann Kersaway – respectable widowSince the death of your husband at sea six years ago you have become a very enterprising business woman. Whilst maintaining your reputation as an upright citizen and pillar of the local community, you have established a very effective network of local informants – there is nothing that goes on in this area that you are unaware of, for example you know that:
- tonight, a French brig is bring unloaded in the bay by local smugglers led by Gabriel King
- the new Dragoon officer, Lt Softlove, has left London amid rumours of an affair with a bishop’s daughter
- the Weymouth smuggler Bartholemew Pug is planning to steal the French contraband from Gabriel King
- Parson Robinson knows too much about the smugglers for his own good, and would likely tell all if captured
- Captain Clegg of the Revenue is a very ambitious man who is out to capture a smuggler or two
- there is no contraband buried in the churchyard, it’s all in the crypt beneath the church
- John Knill, an agent working for Captain Clegg, is having an affair with Gabriel King’s sister
- Bosun Oates, one of the Swanage smugglers, has a French mother
- your informant Blind Moses has a cousin in Pug’s gang who he’s been feeding information about the French brig
You will receive doubloons for any contraband that comes into the possession of the villagers. Information is valuable too!
You start in the village.
25 June 2009, 10:42:34 PM
