In the Guild Master's Study...over to you dear reader

Please vote in the poll on the left for what you wish to happen next in the story.
I want your input,combined with my own ,to tell an exciting and diverting tale.

Visitors to the Guild of St Hermes...

The Guild of St Hermes has its headquarters in a rather run-down area of Tradgardstadt. The shabby door onto the grubby street prepares no one for the glories (albeit faded and tatty around the edges) that lie within. The fresco paintings of a winged messenger flying over the Duchy of Tradgardland dominate the main room. Executed in the very best Baroque style by a fashionable, if disreputable, painter of unknown origins this visual display hammers home for all to see just how self important the guild members are- at least in their own eyes. 
Two gentlemen have arranged to meet on the door step of the Guild Headquarters.They are recent visitors to the Duchy of Tradgardland( from Wolfstein and Humperstein) and have become firm friends.They have become intrigued by their strange encounters of late and have decided to try and discover more...

Many felt it was somewhat strange,if not heretical ,to have a pagan god as a patron saint but the Guild Master and members just accepted it as a sign of continuity and of the divine nature of their work. The Guild were responsible for all licensed message carriers, be they on foot, horse or even boat. They held a monopoly with regard to the breeding, maintaining and usage of carrier pigeons not to mention the ill –fated attempt to organise carrier hares some years ago…
As  a strange encounter took place in the Grotto of  Mercury (the statue gifted by the Guild in memory of  deceased members) the Headquarters seemed to be a good place to begin to try and solve the mystery.The gentlemen open the door and go in and inquire of a clerk if the Guild Master is at home. Without a word they are beckoned to follow and are shown into the Guild Master's study...

In the Grotto of Mercury or Arrivals and Departures in Tradgardland

A new visitor to The Duchy of Tradgardland,from Wolfstein, presents his compliments to the Bordurian Ambassador in the Grotto of Mercury. The Bordurian seems flustered by events going on in his proximity and tries to distract the Wolfsteiner by initiating  a discussion on the finer points of Real tennis but to no avail.

There, in the Grotto, are some rough Bordurian fellows dragging a strange figure further into the trees.The figure seems frightened as he is bound and gagged and  taken away...

The Bordurian Ambassador makes his excuses and follows his fellow countrymen into the trees.The visitor from Wolfstein looks perplexed and heads off in the opposite direction...

Anyone know the answer?

As  part of my embryonic 40mm 18th Century Project I have been looking at books for French Regiments to paint up .I have resisted the temptation for the famous and  I  decided to go with a "bottom up" approach to things and have been looking at the Milices Bourgeoises and their uniforms.These units took to the field when the enemy were nearby or to defend their town in the case of sieges. What I cannot seem to find out is if they carried standards or not.If they did can any of you shed some light upon this and give me examples of what the standards looked like?

A few hours later At Schloss Thun

In the grounds of the castle, which dominates the whole of Thun, Duke Albert of Tradgardland converses with General Really -Constant and his chaplain Fr Chantry-Pigg.The Duke has been offered a place on the General's Staff for the forthcoming battles at the Centenary jamboree.
He is keen to learn from such a modern army as that of Army Red/White but hopes also to interest them in the new fangled Pederson folding bicycle which has been adopted by the Tradgardland army.

Making connections : a visitor to Headquarters...

April 1913
General Really -Constant is sitting in his office in the picturesque yet practical castle in  which his headquarters are situated in.The castle dominates the town of Thun and from this location the General is getting ready to march south to the Centenary event.All is in order ( except for a couple of mules to finish) and Really-Constant takes some time to read over the rules of engagement written by that splendid English Padre...

His reading is interrupted by  his signals officer ( an enthusiastic Danish sailor who is still trying to liaise with the Navy Red/White but to little avail) who comes into the office with the news that His Grace  Duke Albert of Tradgardland is on the telephone and wishing to speak to the General in person.
To be continued...
I created the Duchy  of Tradgardland around six years ago as an 18th century imagination.I have really enjoyed the time spent with it.From the beginning the enemy was The Imperium aka the Austro-Hungarian Empire in general and their forces in the Netherlands in particular- just a stones throw away from the Duchy. As my other Funny Little Wars Army is Army White aka The Imperium I thought I could perhaps bring my ideas together in some way and this may be part of it...

The postman cometh...

There have been interesting packages each day this week waiting for me as I got home from work.Ambassadors from imaginations,recruits for my embryonic 40mm project,Staff for Army Red/White and this too-

I am a lucky chap indeed...
Off to the train now TTFN!