Apparently s and /s aren’t strikethrough tags.

And apparently even Gnomes can’t edit their own comments.

Official Report of Events in Rockford, on the Tenth day of Reaping, 586 Common Year
By Sheriff Olfstig Brendhelm, as Related to my Self by Individuals

Early this AM, the Guards were told to release from Gaol, those being held who was Militia-Men, to a right and proper Escort of Four Yeoman from the Rockford Garrison. Said Militiamen were being Held on account of last Night’s ulterca alturka fight at the Inn.

The Gross of Militia left before Dawn. They were headed West to Dark Gate. They were late, as One of their Number had reported in was Not Present for Duty.

Shortly after Dawn, Jolwulf the Farmer made a Discovery of a Bodie in the Orchird. Said Bodie had been savagely savaged by some Wild Animal, and was very bloodie. I personally investigated the Matter, and the Deputies and my Self was very disturbred at the Sight. A Search of the surrounding Orchird was Fruitless (ha-ha!).

The Bodie was identified as belonging to Cay, a young Lass who had helped at the Inn last Night, and was Last Seen speaking to a Militia-Man. The Deputies and my Self fear he is Dead.

At that Time, I ordered the Release of the Others from the Jail, EG, the Others being those who had kilt all the Spiders at Old Man Duntin’s place two days back. They had Paid Their Debit, and besides, Neanne said they dint start it. Not even that Dwarf Eda who Knocked Out Cold four of them Militia-Men with her Sap. We could use her as a Deputie.

The Others, EG, Bracchus and them, went in the Inn for awhile and came out to the Bodie. They looked at it and Tried to Search the Orchird, but were also Fruitless (ha-ha-ha!).

My Self and the Deputies, we went to Search the Houses for any Thing wrong, and to ask the Populis Peopu Folks if they seen or heard any Thing last Night. And we also got the Rent from them who ain’t paid yet. Bracchus and them were insturu instructed to Search the Barns, since they stink (the Barns, not Bracchus and them), and since They are so Good at killing Things in Barns, EG, like Spiders.

Just before Noonday, Bracchus and them walked up with the Bodie of the Cythric, the Militia-Man who dint Report for Duty this AM. They told a Tale that my Self took Notes on, and is below:

Bracchus and them searched Four Barns before finding Cythric, a Deserter from the Militia who said he and Cay was Attacked by a Foul Monster what threw him aside and kilt her. He said he run off, a Coward, and was afraid to return. But Tieran, saw that the Claw Marks on his Face dint look like what tore up Cay, so he dint believe the Story. At what point Cythric got mad and Punched Bracchus in the Face, and faught them all. Bracchus said Cythric faught like a Mad Man, and was very Strong. He just about kilt Tieren, and it weren’t until Lashek the monk Punched his Lights Out that he Fell, and Bracchus, being part Orc, thrust his Sword into his Throat and kilt him good.

That little Gnome Nanoic cast a Spell what told him Cythric was wearing a Magic Necklace, and also Cythric had a Ring that belonged to Cay, so he was the Murderer.

Tieran returned the Ring to Cay’s Family. He said Cyrhtrc had four other Rings, and two Necklaces, all woman’s jewelry, and some Money. They kept what they found on Cythric, which is Proper, as they are an Officially Chartered Adventuring Group.

Beolfrida took the Necklace and will destroy it in the Fires of Joramy’s Eye next month.

Eothelm said he dint want Cythric’s armor and weapons, saying it weren’t fit to protect a Yeoman’s hide, and I don’t blame him.

Cay’s Bodie will be laid to Rest on her Father’s Farm tomorrow. Beolfrida will do the Honors, and I will Attend.

Cythic’s Bodie will be Burned, and his Ashes will be plowed into the Dirt, so he can do some good, after all.

I like the idea of having them do it in character, telling someone about it. That is far superior to just asking the players to say what happened at the last session.

As for pimping the recap, I would say that 10 minutes of “reliving” the last session can do a lot for getting everyone focused and in-character for the current session.

Rafe: Now I am really going to have to get MG. I love that they have a mechanic for the Recap. I also like a one-time in-game reward for the recap.

In the D&D (4e) campaign, that I am a player in, the GM has us post Recaps online. If you do, you get an extra Action Point that must be spent during the next session.

I like the theme of the in-character recap that has come up so far in the comments.

Regardless of recaps or prologues being integrated into a system’s rules, recaps could be used to reward a player for their narrative involvement. Grant a special action point that must be used during the session but is not lost after an extended rest. Grant a single reroll that can be used in that session (taking the higher of the two). There are lots of ways to make players involved in the story, even through a recap. It also helps move people to being in-character if one enforces the recap being told from the character’s perspective or with his/her “voice.”

1. It marks the start of the session. All the preamble is over, get seated, it’s time to play.
2. It lets me know what was important to the players in the last session, it’s like a sneaky feedback. I get to see what they remembered and enjoyed.
3. I get to tack on any news stories occuring from events the week before. Chances are, they’ve blown something up or killed someone of note. This gives me the chance to drop hints.
4. Any players missing the session before get immediately brought up to date but with details from a player’s, not a GM’s point of view.
5. In Icar, players can only increase skills they’ve used. However, they can elect for a “tenuous” skill raise by trying to convince the GM and the other players that raising a skill they didn’t use is justified. The recap helps them remember the situation and makes the justification a lot easier.

I always get the players to do the recap in character, as if they were telling a third party about what happened. They should use the ‘voice’ the of the character and do it from that point of view. If the character was not present, then the events should still be retold as if they were telling the story from a third person. The player gets to earn some more experience points (called Roleplaying Points or RP in Icar) that they can then spend on their character after the recap has finished. The more in-character the recap is, the more RP they get. I often have to flip a coin to decide who gets to do the recap for the extra RP and they are always entertaining. Other players may interject but it must be in character and must assist and not derail the recap.

Pimping the recap too much is dangerous – you are there to play and not to relive last session.