Les Petites Bêtes Soyeuses
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Les Petites Bêtes Soyeuses
Being a correspondence game of En Garde! run by Pevans since April 1986 and now published as part of To Win Just Once.
If you'd like to play, you'll need to subscribe to TWJO (follow the link for details). You will need a copy of the rules to En Garde! - or at least access to a copy. The additional rules for LPBS are available as a PDF document. (You will need Adobe Reader to view this: it is available free from Adobe.)
Orders for September 1676 to LPBS, 180 Aylsham Drive, Uxbridge UB10 8UF or the LPBS orders e-mail address by 28th April 2025.
Game Report for August 1676
Sections: Duels, Trials, Appointments and Regiments, What happened in Paris, What happened at the front.
The August sunshine brings a few new arrivals to Paris. Vaux de Fon is one of these youngsters and makes a beeline for the moneylenders. Flush with cash, he heads for the barracks of the Crown Prince Cuirassiers to join up. CO Stephane Etrange has left standing orders and the new recruit is quickly accepted. The new Trooper Fon sets off for the front.
Much more surprising is what Frank X Change is up to. He resigns as Lieutenant-Colonel of the King's Musketeers and signs on with their arch-enemies, the Cardinal's Guard. This explains his suggestion that the CG Lt-Colonel should resign. He's even called in a couple of favours to help this happen, but Terence Cuckpowder puts his influence behind the Lt-Col and the man retains his position. Change buys his way back up to Major and transfers his kit from one bivouac to another before his former colleagues can spot his new uniform.
Cuckpowder's more usual activity is providing cash to recent arrivals and this is something he continues this month. For his part, Camille de Polignac makes a substantial donation to "Tiny" Thierry Toothpick, the new CPS - "in recognition of the great work he does in keeping all of us safe."
Yep, still besieging
While First and Cavalry Divisions head off to relieve Maastricht, Field Army commander Jacques de Gain marshals his remaining troops to continue the Army's own siege. The spoils of war make him over a thousand crowns richer and he gains a Mention in Despatches ("Good job he's already earmarked for Field Marshal").
This leaves Second Division in the van of the action and its commander, Zavier Ulric Turenne, hurls himself at the enemy. Literally. It's like he's wearing The Wrong Trousers. Luckily, Second Foot Brigade is right on his heels and overruns the Dutch positions. For Turenne there are two MiDs ("Bravest thing I've ever seen" "Ditto"). His newly appointed Adjutant, Charles PiedLuminaire, is busy getting to grips with his administrative duties and has his brevet rank (Lieutenant-Colonel) made permanent.
Second Foot Brigadier Armand Alsace removes the brevet from his rank (Brigadier-General in this case) and appropriates well over a thousand crowns for his own coffers. The damage to the Dutch forces is caused by the 13th Fusiliers and their Colonel, Hugo Furst, is brevetted to Bdr-Gen while gathering close to 1,500 crowns for himself. The 53rd back up the 13th and Captain Sebastiane Blanc-Chevaux finds himself Mentioned ("Commanding a Battalion while a Captain").
Third Foot isn't as successful, but Captains Agaric Champignon and Justin Cartier survive handily in the 27th Musketeers, as does Bdr-Gen Jean d'Aubergine commanding the 4th Arquebusiers.
As usual, the Royal North Highlanders are the success story in the Frontier Division, with now three general officers commanding the battalions. General Rick Shaw collects exactly fifteen hundred crowns' worth of loot - mind you, he's received money from Paris, too. Brevet General Jacques Hatt amasses an exact one thousand crowns' worth - that will let him repay some of his hefty loan from Louis Severin Descartes.
And new arrival Lt-General Bernard de Lur-Saluces picks up just over 500. He does get
a Mention in Despatches ("Johnny-come-lately!") into the bargain, though.
Dragoon Brigade continues its roving brief, but finds slim pickings this month. Brigadier Louis Severin Descartes collects a little booty (just over 500 crowns' worth), while Brigade Major Botte Le Chimiste gets even less - half as much as his boss in fact. Good job Louis has lent him some cash, then.
With the regiment's two senior officers running the Brigade, Grand Duke Max's Dragoons are commanded by Major Elroi le Flingue. As acting CO, le Flingue is Mentioned twice ("Stepping up"), which gets him a Knighthood. Junior Major Maurice Danseur has his brevet rank made permanent and is Mentioned as well ("A little promotion"). After collecting some 500 crowns' worth of loot, Captain Pierre De Terre also has his brevet rank solidified. A little bravery from trooper Ignace Pardaillon sees him loot a couple of hundred crowns' worth of goodies. Trooper Steve De Sade isn't brave and doesn't get anything.
Maastricht relieved!
The Cavalry Division trots towards Maastricht, clearing Allied patrols and pickets as it goes. Commander Ben e'Volence is brevetted to General and ensures he gets a big share of the booty: well over two thousand crowns' worth.
The Queen's Own Carabiniers are the Division's success story. They trounce the Imperial cavalry that tries to stop their advance, plundering their supplies to good effect. Justin Thyme is QOC Colonel and takes just under 1,500 crowns' worth of booty. He is promoted to (brevet) Brigadier-General. Surviving a close encounter with an Imperial dragoon, Lt-Col Come Asiouar's loot is worth almost two thousand crowns. His personal success is rewarded with a Barony. There's a Knighthood for Major Ian Dediette to go with just over fifteen hundred crowns' worth of loot and a Mention in Despatches. Captain Con Stantinople's share is closer to two thousand crowns, which means he can easily buy the horses he needs for his new rank of Major.
The QOCs colleagues in the Horse Guards Brigade, the Dragoon Guards, don't do as well, but CO Balzac Slapdash is still able to add over 1,500 crowns to his wealth. He is Mentioned in Despatches too ("Not as good as the carabiniers!") and takes over as Horse Guards Brigadier.
The Cuirassiers in the Heavy Brigade don't have such opposition. Colonel Hugh Jeneaux, leading Archduke Leopold's men, still pockets over a thousand crowns' worth of loot though. His opposite number in the Crown Prince's boys, Stephane Etrange, just gets a (small) Mention ("No loot here"). However, he does get to be Heavy Brigadier for the last days of the season. There's a similar MiD for his number two, Lt-Col François de Blanchefort. Having just bought the rank of Major, there's an even briefer MiD for Arent Hayes ("Need more ink"), while trooper Vaux de Fon is pleased just to survive.
Using the intelligence gathered by the cavalry, First Division is able to hit the besieging force hard. Its success allows the soldiers lots of loot. Division commander Greg de Bécqueur gets over 2,500 crowns worth to go with his double Mention in Despatches ("Stunning success").
The Guards Brigade assaults the English regiments that are part of the besieging force. The Royal Guards and the Musketeers cut through them while the Cardinal's men struggle. There are Mentions for Brigadier Zeold von Tu, who also gets fifteen hundred crowns' worth of English 'memorabilia'. His Brigade Major, Martin de Garnache, takes just over 1,500 crowns' worth.
Beau Reese Jean Seine's brevet rank has expired, so he leads the Royal Foot Guards as Colonel. The regiment's success brings him over a thousand crowns in booty. Lt-Colonel Camille de Polignac plunders the same amount for himself. Major Hector William Boone goes larger, looting over fifteen hundred crowns to go with his Mention in Despatches ("Good looting skills"). Senior Captain Neville Moore's looting is on a par with his Colonel's. Captain Felipe Savant takes his looting to exactly 1,500 crowns' worth. There are MiDs for him ("Exactly? Exactly!"). And Captain Thierry Toothpick gets a little bit more.
Exactly fifteen hundred crowns is also the value of KM Colonel Claude de Nord's plunder. He is also Mentioned for his foresight in appointing an able Adjutant to boost the Regiment's competence. There two Mentions for the new Major in the Cardinal's Guard, Frank X Change, but nothing else ("No loot here. Hang on, wasn't he a Musketeer last month?").
Percival Puffington, in charge of the Picardy Musketeers, receives two Mentions in Despatches for their accomplishments and loots over 1,500 crowns' worth. A Knighthood comes his way as a result (of the accomplishments, not the looting).
Another Knighthood goes to Marcel Hatch Dupree, Lt-Col of the Royal Marines, after he is Mentioned for surviving the impact of an English musketball. A bit of looting sees him almost a thousand crowns richer. Captain Chemin de Fer outshines him with nearly fifteen hundred crowns' worth. Two hundred of that goes on buying a couple of horses as he is brevetted to Major.
All this reflects well on First Foot Brigadier Henri DuShite, who gains exactly two thousand crowns in plunder and two Mentions in Despatches.
The French attack forces the Dutch/Spanish/Imperial/English besieging force to pack up and march off. Retaining possession of Maastricht gives the French side more leverage as peace talks start in the town of Nijmegen.
Last quiet month in Paris
New boy Justin Saad begins his time in Paris by applying to join the Blue Gables club. Alas, he doesn't meet the criteria for membership and thus spends some time kicking his heels. Still, at least he is able to attend Louis Renault's party, alongside Hugo Serre, who is showing off his new conquest, Sue Briquet. ?
Who was where: in the clubs |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Where | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 |
| Fleur de Lys | TC + Morgane | JJ + Jacky | JJ + Jacky | |
| LR + Maggie | ||||
| . JS | ||||
| . HS + Sue | ||||
| Shows who was in or outside a club: . = Toady to character above; (G) = Gambled; CP = Crown Prince; (id) = expected host. | ||||
Who was where: courting, visiting and going out |
||||
| Where | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 |
| Sue | HS succeeds | Out | ||
| Maggie | Out | |||
| Jacky | Out | Out | ||
| Morgane | Out | |||
| Shows who was with a mistress or on a doorstep: Out = Mistress with current lover; I = Indiscreet (+ mistress name); ex-id = Pinched from former lover. | ||||
Who was where: round and about |
||||
| Where | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 |
| Bawdy houses | JS + FC | |||
| Practising | JJ - Rapier | TC - Sabre | JS - Rapier | TC - Sabre |
| LR - Rapier | JJ - Rapier | HS - Rapier | ||
| TC - Sabre | LR - Rapier | |||
| HS - Rapier | ||||
| LR - Rapier | ||||
| Busy doing nothing | JS | |||
| Shows everybody else: FC = Female Companionship; Mug n = Mugged & amount lost; (G) = Gambled; Weapon = Weapon practised with. For those doing nothing: -club = not in a club; -Cash = insufficient funds; -SL = insufficient Social Level. | ||||