The Yorkman/Issue 016

Greetings, and welcome to the sixteenth edition of The Yorkman - normally weekly! We apologise for the slight delay in getting this issue to you. As always, feel free to contact us via e-mail, especially if you have some news to share with the world. Also, feel free to discuss the articles on the talk page. We are also currently looking to recruit more reporters and columnists.

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Thanks - The Yorkman Team

This issue originally published on 04/03/07

Winners and Losers

Here it is – the first objective look at the Fourth Invasion of York, what each side was trying to achieve, and how far they achieved it. No more Third Invasion-style claims and counter-claims of victory, please. This definitive analysis is all you need to see who’s winning so far.

Indeed, this could be the last word on the Invasion. With the Jolly Roger Gang gone, the Mercenary’s Guild pulling their last troops after tonight’s attack (see Newsbites), and only the Imperial Privateers remaining, it seems relative peace may soon return to the streets of York.

…And Statistics

Our tireless researcher has found every confirmed kill in the Invasion and logged them all here. A cursory glance would suggest a bodycount victory for the defenders, with 108 kills for only 79 deaths – the attackers lag somewhat with only 83 combatant kills for 127 deaths*. Add in civilians**, however, and the attackers reach 107 kills, bringing them just short of the defenders in terms of sheer carnage inflicted.

Attackers	Civilian Kills	Combatant Kills	Deaths
Durham Pistoleers	0	1	1
Imperial Privateers	6	8	30
Jolly Roger Gang	13	3	9
Mercenary's Guild	5	71	87
TOTAL	24	83	127

Defenders	Civilian Kills	Combatant Kills	Deaths
CCTU	0	19	1
Colonial Militia	0	16	11
Colonial Police	0	45	66
Derby Hospitallers	0	5	1
Order of Patriots	0	23	1
TOTAL	0	108	80

A Note on Statistics

These kills were logged from the 20th of February to the 3rd of March. The initial killing of The Malice on the 19th of February, provoking the Invasion, is also logged. The figures may not initially appear to add up, as many participants killed, or were killed by, people not in any of the involved clans.

Kills by blatant zerg accounts have been disqualified.

Defining "Civilian"

A civilian kill is defined as a person killed for non-military reasons and outside the scope of other regular clan activity. Thus, if the Guild take down a long-term enemy in York, that is not a civilian. If they take out someone just for preaching at them, that is. If the CP execute a criminal for crimes unrelated to the invasion, that is not logged as either a civilian or combat kill.

Invaders

The Durham Pistoleers

Officially, the Pistoleers weren’t involved in the invasion, but one of their members played an important role, so they get an honary mention. Nobody knows exactly what Lord Lordington was hoping to achieve, but since he’s now sworn vendetta upon York, we’re guessing he hasn’t achieved it yet.

The Imperial Privateers Regiment

As always, the Privateers want to capture York for the Crown of Holland. But in a rare fit of realism they have admitted that they can only hope for a short period of power. Easily the worst-performing attackers, they have been hounded out of York, and their bank was forced to close. Hoping that one last push can regain some of their lost dignity.

The Jolly Roger Gang

Michael Edward’s crew have finally done what they always wanted to – raided York. They went about it with gusto and an admirable lack of restraint, killing four civilians for every military target and making it clear to all involved that they hated York. Despite their small numbers, the Jolly Rogers struck fear into the hearts of Yorkmen and then left pretty much on their own terms.

The Mercenary’s Guild

The Guild’s objective was to ‘cause havoc on the streets of York’, and they certainly managed it for a while. But once the defenders had got their act together, this quickly became ‘havoc in the jungle, near York’. An impressive amount of kills, a significant portion of which were from repeated attacks on the Colonial Police leadership, are overshadowed by an impressive number of deaths.

Invadees

The Colonial Counter Terror Unit

The CCTU sprang into action after their leader became the one of the first targets, victim of an anonymous bounty. They have sustained no further damage since, and are making good progress on their goal of making the whole South coast unsafe for the mercs.

The Colonial Militia

The 1st Colonial Militia wanted a “secure perimeter” in York, ad they seem to be satisfied that they have one. Working in close cooperation with other York groups, they helped drive the Guild back into the jungles and mostly held them there.

The Colonial Police

Caught off guard by the initial attack, the Colonial Police sustained heavy casualties. Only once they had regrouped and begun an organised defence did they begin to make a real impact on the Guild. With York still in their grasp, the Guild gone, and civilian casualties kept to a minimum, the CP will doubtless feel victorious. But with three score dead and the blood debt still unpaid, the departure of a prominent officer, and their town battered by the war, it has come at a steep price.

The Derby Hospitallers

Despite the looming Derby Derby, the Derby Hospitallers sent two of their finest to aid York. Tribune James Barnes stuck to healing and support work but Jack ‘Warmaster’ Molay excelled in the field, launching attacks on Guild reinforcements for a week until his death at the hands of Lord Lordington. Hospitaller relations with the CP were somewhat repaired, and the Hospitallers proved themselves a force to be reckoned with. Jack Molay was at one point so pleased with himself that other clan members feared he had been “enjoying himself a bit too much”.

The Order of Patriots

Ever shadowy, the paramilitary wing of the Order deployed only two known members to the invasion, but was an impressive asset to the defence. They were the only clan to sustain no casualties. Local legend W B Hazen slew seventeen of the invaders, whilst Mr Bungle slew a wandering shaman and cut of vital Mercenary backup. The Invasion may well have played right into the hands of Order propagandists, and it seems York will remain pirate-free for a long time to come.

UPDATE: It turns out that the OoP sustained one casualty during the invasion, which was not previously logged on the underworld.

So, Who Won?

We’re not going to say, because, well, we fear for our lives. But in the long run it is the effects on the reputation and influence of the clans that will be the lasting indicator of victory. With each invasion York, and Shartak in general, becomes increasingly polarised.

We’ll see you all later for round five.

Discuss

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Elections to be Held in Durham

Following last week’s ceasefire called by Durham Nationalist leader Nathan Hale, the Durham Pistoleers have agreed to negotiate with the Nationalists, and have agreed in principle to all of their demands. This is a radical turnaround in Pistoleer policy – they have previously dismissed the Nationalist movement as “a lone madman” and “terrorists”, and refused to compromise with, let alone agree to, their calls for a change of government in Durham.

The Nationalist demands place heavy emphasis on the emancipation of Durham and on limiting “foreign influence”, seeking to change Durham’s reputation as a haven for those outlawed from York. Groups such as they Jolly Roger Gang, who have interests in Durham and are closely allied with the Pistoleers, have so far made no public statements on the matter. A change in government would undoubtedly hurt such groups though, as they rely heavily upon Durham for medical supplies.

Another of Nathan Hale’s intriguing demands is for the establishment of a court system to determine guilt and allot punishments. Like the other towns, Durham currently has a system where the police act as judge, jury and executioner, finding criminals and applying capital punishment on the spot. Nathan suggests that a people’s court should decide on the severity of each crime and allocate punishment accordingly. He suggests a range of ‘lesser’ punishments including exile, to minimise use of the death penalty. For minor crimes the perpetuator may even be given the option to atone with a period of incarceration at Fort Creedy, the ancient jail complex to the northwest.

By far the most fundamental change, however, is the proposal of open elections, aimed at installing Shartak’s first publicly chosen government to oversee these changes. The process is in early days as yet, but candidates are already being proposed and the parties have already begun canvassing for votes.

The Nationalists insist that every Durham citizen who has been a resident for a certain amount of time should be eligible to vote, and anyone eligible to vote should be eligible to stand for Governor as well. They also want a public counting to ensure fairness. Mr Hale seems confident that the people of Durham are behind him and that he is leading them into a new era of independence and democracy.

Discuss

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Trouble Out East

As we approach the final week of the Derby Derby, both sides have now settled comfortably into their roles, and the competition is really heating up. Lama and Foo Fighter are in the lead with 16 heads each, closely followed by Emile Durkheim with 14. One contestant has retired after the loss of their heavy sword, taking the total number of heavy sword breakages during the Derby Derby so far to three, but it is rumoured that Great Durham Headhunt contestant Baron Samedi may be signing up to replace him.

The headhunters have begun to work to disrupt the Eastern Federation defence, with Derby Hospitaller Tribune James Barnes joining the casualties last week. The defenders are know to rely heavily on a system of patrols, and if the contestants were to find a place beyond the reach of such patrols, but still within striking distance of town, they would be able to increase their kill rates greatly. However, the competition between the players makes cooperation on such a venture unlikely, and that will make it far more difficult to locate such a place.

The defenders have been taking a respectable number of heads themselves, and have already put the Durham Defence Unit to shame both in terms of kills and in generally hampering the headhunters. To increase the impact of their defensive work, a small team of elite Federation members recently slew wandering shaman **, causing several of the headhunters a very long walk back to the competition.

Overall, both sides are in good spirits and the level of commitment being displayed is impressive, to say the least. The Derby Derby is a shining example of how people of vastly differing backgrounds can come together and have a good time killing each other. Even if they don’t win everyone involved has at least had the joy of simply taking part – and that’s one hell of an epitaph.

Discuss

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York Alliance Accused of ‘Nationalist Leanings’

A scandal has erupted in York after a trusted informant of the Colonial Police, known only as ‘InfoMan’, has published a series of private conversations that allegedly show key figures in the York Alliance voicing support for the Durham Nationalist movement. Initially alleging also that the Colonial Police and Colonial Militia were planning a full-scale invasion of Durham, the accusations have raised fears over the intent of York’s protectors.

Individual members of the Colonial Police were quick to respond to the accusations, with respected officer Nighter, well known for his diplomatic efforts and moderate viewpoints, pointing out that the published comments were not representative of the entire conversation. Others have echoed this sentiment, and many of those quoted feel they have been deliberately misrepresented for political reasons.

A source close to The Yorkman who witnessed these conversations describes them as “heated”, but says he heard no plans to invade. InfoMan’s revelations also contain no statement of such an intention. All involved have said the discussion was merely on the morality of the Nationalist’s demands and the rights and wrongs of their methods, and the situation in Durham in general.

The Durham Nationalists took no part in these discussions, and may not have even been aware of them. A notoriously independent group, they have publicly refused previous offers of assistance from groups such as the influential Order of Patriots. In light of more recent events in Durham, such support seems even less welcome, as the Nationalists have insisted that the Governor of Durham be chosen by the people of Durham.

Perhaps the most lasting consequence will be the departure of the Colonial Militia from the York Alliance, citing differences with other groups and a desire to move the war to a different front, but also no doubt catalysed by the initial public backlash caused by the ‘revelations’. With such an intervention now looking distinctly unlikely, however, the reputations of the groups involved will almost certainly recover very quickly.

Discuss

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Newsbites

Privateers Place Bounty on Kahuni

Eager to revitalise the flagging invasion of York, the latecomers of the Imperial Privateers Regiment have offered the Mercenary’s Guild the princely sum of 500gc to perform a secret “mission in York”. Believed to have been taken from the coffers of the now-closed Imperial Bank of York, this sum is effectively a bounty on the head of Kahuni, York’s long-suffering shaman. With Kahuni dead, the Privateers hope to sweep all opposition from York, and claim it for a short period of time.

As part of the deal, the Guild have also agreed to escort former York banker Ibn to the shipwreck, and protect him whilst he attempts to open a new branch of the bank. Good luck, Ibn – all the people who think York is violent have never visited the wreck!

Discuss

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Colonial Militia Leave York Alliance

Following intense debates over the purpose and future of the loose coalition of clans defending York, Serious Sam and his Colonial Militia have left the alliance, and York. Although still seemingly on friendly terms with the other clans, and still committed to the defence of the South, Sam cited irreconcilable disagreements with several individuals.

As the fighting in York wound down, the Militia made clear their intent to move the focus of their operations to a different area, probably Durham. With York no longer in such great need of them, and tempers flaring on all sides, the Militia have now moved out into the jungle to secure a wider perimeter.

Discuss

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Derbians Die! Defenders Plant Garden

Ever mindful of the well-being of their citizens, the hardworking members of the Eastern Federation have begun work on plans to alleviate the siege mentality currently gripping Derby. As roaming headhunters have confined many Derbians to the town center, Consul Jack Molay has begun work on the Derby Horticultural Gardens, a small shrubbery in southern Derby which brings the beauty and calming influence of nature right into the heart of the town.

Shartak Preservation Front leader Marco has praised Jack’s “selfless promotion of environmental awareness” and encourages others to follow in his footsteps.

Discuss

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Pirate Defence Force May Reform

As reported last issue, the deployment of the wreck’s entire police force to York for the invasion has caused crime to skyrocket – and the same is happening up north, too. The situation has now got so bad that retired PDF founder Rozen has returned to the wreck and is seeking to re-establish the force. Although several former and current members have pledged support, he is hoping to attract a lot of new recruits as well.

Current PDF leader Patch, when questioned on the subject, yelled “Yarr! Death t’ Yorkmen!” and brutally assaulted our reporters.

Discuss

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