The Leibgarde of the Empress Elizabeth

My Lord

In response to your request to investigate the events in Milan of April 12 last, I have compiled the following information.

As you will no doubt remember, you encountered Von Stroheim and the Society of Thule in your attempt to recover the Ruby of Roland, a gem of vast value and rumoured occult powers. In the ensuing battle you were hard-pressed, having few Incorrigibles with you compared to the hordes of Jager/Todtruppen. Upon this scene arrived several men on horseback, riding wildly with great skill who sliced the Todtruppen apart with their sabres while other men at a distance picked off the Prussians with supurb shooting. Other soldiers appeared who charged with the bayonet and turned the tables of the fight. Then a masked lady appeared briefly, dispatching several Todtruppen, only to disappear again. Within a few more seconds both the interlopers and the members of the Society of Thule had vanished, along with the Ruby ,leaving you in possession of nothing more than questions.

Your suspicions were indeed correct and the company which interfered with your procurement of the Ruby of Roland does originate in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The clue that enabled me to confirm this was the supurb horsemanship of the Hussars that you observed. 

It appears that these beasts were trained in the Spanish Riding School in Vienna, and amongst the riders was none other than an Oberst Nazadzy. Nazadzy is an Hungarian nobleman who has won fame throughout the Empire for his dash and skill. 

This is where the plot thickens, my Lord, for on further investigation it appears that Nazadzy is no longer serving in the Royal Hungarian army. Nor is he to be found in the Imperial Austrian army, nor in the K.u.K. army.  I can tell you it has taken me no small amount of digging to reveal the current placement of the Oberst. Money has had to exchange hands in no small amounts and difficulties have had to be ‘eliminated’.  I can now reveal, however, with relative certainty, that Nazadzy is in command of the Body guard of none other than the Empress Elizabeth herself. This is a somewhat startling revelation. You see, my Lord, the 'Leibgarde von Kaiserin Elizabeth'  officially does not exist. Furthermore, it offers fresh complications. Your initial request to me made much of the appearance of a masked lady who not only killed several Todtruppen with whom you were also engaged, but was responsible, so you think, for capturing the Ruby of Roland and making off with it. Your letter makes much of her stunning beauty (almost unseemly at times) and marksmanship. I must confess that I have not been able to affirm the identity of this woman, but it is fairly certain that she is a highly trained lady in waiting to the Empress. At least one source suggested that it was the Empress herself, but I dismissed this out of hand as being absurd, and the source himself is (sorry, was) a notable drunk and cad.

Accompanying this company you correctly identified soldiers of the Royal and Imperial Army, and indeed the chaps that you identified as having half a dead cockerel on their head were Imperial Jagers.

 I have managed to ascertain that these are again men that do not exist on the books of the Austro-Hungarian military establishment, but have been seconded due to their skills and fortitude.

As to the whereabouts of the Ruby of Roland, I have found no trace. It would seem through other intelligence sources that it was not gathered by Von Stroheim or the Society of Thule. My investigations will continue.

Yours,

Agent 7

P.S. During my investigations I came across this, produced by the Skoda works. It may be of note for the future.

The Leibgarde of the Empress Elizabeth

	Pluck	FV	SV	Speed	Cost	Talents	Equipment
The Masked Lady	2+	+1	+3	+1	71	Leadership +2, Inspirational, Startling beauty, fearless, marksman	Lined coat, Rifle, Magneto Static umbrella
Oberst Nazadzy	4+	+2	+3	+0	41	Cavalryman, Tough, Leadership +1	Sabre, Carbine,  Cavalry Horse, Brigandine
Huszar	4+	+2	+2	+0	31	Cavalryman	Sabre, Carbine,  Cavalry Horse, Brigandine
Jager	5+	+1	+3	+1	28	Marksman, Bayonet drill	Military rifle and bayonet, lined coat
Soldat	5+	+2	+2	+1	22	Bayonet drill	Military rifle and bayonet, lined coat
Startling beauty works the same as Erudite Wit and costs the same points.

I have not yet statted up the Skoda panzerstompwagen. The basic company consists of the Masked Lady, Nazadzy, 2 huszars, 2 jagers and 2 soldats which comes to 274 points. I've painted enough figures that the Masked Lady can be removed and with Nazadzy's leadership increased an extra jager and soldat can be taken as an option.

Again, like the GES not a particularly Victorian Sci-Fi company, mostly just tough soldiers and a woman of mystery. I wanted an Austro-Hungarian company that was more reflective of the historical empire than Vlad the Impaler. Having loved Vienna when I visited I couldn't help but note the Empress Sisi was everywhere. The Viennese seem to have a real love affair with the tragic Empress, and I knew she needed to figure in any late 19th century company I created. Between this, the Spanish Riding School, the colourful Hungarian Huszars, and the Tyrolean Jager I had a company sketched out in my mind. I'm now looking forward to giving them a run against some of the other companies, particularly Razin and his Cossacks.

That completes my companies for the main Continental European powers - Russia, Prussia, France and Austria-Hungary. For the British I have Lord Curr's company still to paint, plus a whole Zulu War project that can provide me with British soldiers and Zulus (and Boers).

Next on the painting tray, though, is my Trojan War project for Of Gods and Mortals.

Nate