Here's the Drunken Dwarf's take on the stories.
#1 Blooding Quest
I loved the description of the battle with the troll. It is easy to see Jordan's influence with the names of the combat maneuvers, but that's not a bad author to emulate
I also got the impression that Vanguard combat could be like that, with openers, bridges, and finishers having names like "Stalking the tree."
I thought that the character was well-done... expecially the novice mistakes such as getting distracted in combat. Really made you feel like Dalin was in fact fighting his first troll. Finally, there was enough background information to make Dalin seem real enough, and I understood his motivations and found myself wanting to know more about Clan Thunder Axe.
#2 Secondhand
I liked seeing a battlefield description from the young dwarf's point of view. It gave a different perspective than normal. The story seems like it would make a good opening to a much longer story. It seemed to really set a stage where there were a lot of questions that I wanted answers to. What had Jason's father done exactly? If Jason's path wasn't that of a warrior, what was it? And finally, what was Jason going to do with the sword? The hope of the city rested on his shoulders, and I wanted to hear more of what happened next.
#3 Twas the Night Before Raiding
What a fun read! I loved this holiday-themed look at the official forums. Anyone who has been around MMOs for a while can definitely appreciate this little ditty... and the reindeer names made me (literally) laugh out loud when I read it. I'm looking forward to reading more of Shiver's stuff over at Vanguard ten Ton Hammer.
#4 The Path of a Fighter
Zenya's tale of how a young Paladin Apprentice earned the gift of virtue, Lay Hands, had all the elements. Characters that drew me in, a setting that I could easily visualize, and tie-ins to Vanguard gameplay that seemed very natural. Very well done!
I enjoyed reading all four of the entries. Very good work by all!