diff --git a/process/compress.py b/process/compress.py
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..539f1a032
--- /dev/null
+++ b/process/compress.py
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+
+from sys import argv, exit
+from string import join
+from os import access, R_OK
+from os import system
+
+gamename='Eressea'
+
+if(len(argv) >= 3):
+  gamename=argv[2]
+
+template="""#!/bin/bash
+#PATH=$PATH:$HOME/bin
+
+addr=%(email)s
+[ $# -ge 1 ] && addr=$1
+[ -z $addr ] || send-%(compression)s-report $addr '%(gamename)s Report #%(turn)s' %(files)s
+"""
+
+turn = argv[1]
+try:
+    infile = file("reports.txt", "r")
+except:
+    print "%s: reports.txt file does not exist" % (argv[0], )
+    exit(0)
+    
+for line in infile.readlines():
+    settings = line[:-1].split(":")
+    options = { "turn" : turn}
+    options["gamename"] = gamename
+    for setting in settings:
+        try:
+            key, value = setting.split("=")
+            options[key] = value
+        except:
+            print "Invalid input line", line
+    if not options.has_key("reports"):
+        continue
+    reports = options["reports"].split(",")
+#    reports = reports + [ "iso.cr" ]
+    prefix = "%(turn)s-%(faction)s." % options
+    files=[]
+    if options["compression"]=="zip":
+        output = prefix+"zip"
+        files = [output]
+        if (access(output, R_OK)):
+            pass
+        else:
+            parameters = []
+            for extension in reports:
+                filename = "%s%s" % (prefix, extension)
+                if (access(filename, R_OK)):
+                    parameters = parameters + [ filename ]
+            system("zip %s -q -m -j -1 %s" % (output, join(parameters," ")))
+    else:
+        for extension in reports:
+            if extension!='':
+                filename = "%s%s" % (prefix, extension)
+                output = "%s%s.bz2" % (prefix, extension)
+                files = files+[output]
+                if access(filename, R_OK):
+                    if (access(output, R_OK)):
+                        #print output, "exists, skipping"
+                        continue
+                    system("bzip2 %s" % filename)
+    #print files
+    options["files"] = join(files, " ")
+    batch = file("%s.sh" % options["faction"], "w")
+    batch.write(template % options)
+    batch.close()
+infile.close()
diff --git a/process/orders-accept b/process/orders-accept
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..552a3e9a1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/process/orders-accept
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+#/bin/.sh
+grep -v '>From' | $HOME/src/scripts/bin/orders-accept $*
diff --git a/process/orders-process b/process/orders-process
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..d15d188cf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/process/orders-process
@@ -0,0 +1,218 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+# -*- coding: iso-8859-1 -*-
+
+from os import unlink, symlink, rename, popen, tmpfile
+from os.path import exists
+from re import compile, IGNORECASE
+from string import split, join, upper, strip
+from sys import argv, exit
+from time import sleep, time, ctime
+from syslog import openlog, closelog, syslog
+
+from epasswd import EPasswd
+
+def pwd_get_email(faction, pwd, pwdfile=None):
+    return None
+
+def splitfilename(filename):
+    from os.path import split
+    return split(filename)
+
+def unlock_file(filename):
+    try:
+        unlink(filename+".lock")
+    except:
+        print "could not unlock %s.lock, file not found" % filename
+        raise
+    
+def lock_file(filename):
+    i = 0
+    wait = 1
+    if not exists(filename):
+        file=open(filename, "w")
+        file.close()
+    while True:
+        try:
+            symlink(filename, filename+".lock")
+            return
+        except:
+            i = i+1
+            if i == 5:
+                raise
+            sleep(wait)
+            wait = wait*2
+
+messages = {
+"subject-de": "Befehle angekommen",
+"subject-en": "orders received",
+
+"validate-en": "Validating",
+"validate-de": "Verarbeite",
+
+"faction-en": "Faction",
+"faction-de": "Partei",
+
+"unknown-de": "WARNUNG: Die Partei ist nicht bekannt, oder das Passwort falsch!",
+"unknown-en": "WARNING: This faction is unknown, or the password is incorrect!",
+
+"warning-de": "Warnung",
+"warning-en": "Warning",
+
+"error-de": "Fehler",
+"error-en": "Error",
+}
+
+
+# base directory for all your games:
+rootdir = "/home/eressea/eressea"
+frommail = "Eressea Server <eressea-server@eressea.de>"
+orderbase = "orders.dir"
+sendmail = True
+maxlines = 25
+echeck_cmd = "/home/eressea/echeck/echeck.sh"
+
+# regular expression that finds the start of a faction
+fact_re = compile("^\s*(eressea|vinyambar|partei|faction)\s+([a-zA-Z0-9]+)\s+\"?([^\"]*)\"?", IGNORECASE)
+
+def check_pwd(filename, email, pw_data):
+    results = []
+    try:
+        file = open(filename, "r")
+    except:
+        print "could not open file", filename
+        return results
+    for line in file.readlines():
+        mo = fact_re.search(strip(line))
+        if mo != None:
+            fact_nr = str(mo.group(2))
+            fact_pw = str(mo.group(3))
+            if pw_data.fac_exists(fact_nr):
+                if pw_data.check(fact_nr, fact_pw) == 0:
+                    game_email = pw_data.get_email(fact_nr)
+                    results = results + [ (fact_nr, game_email, False, fact_pw) ]
+                else:
+                    game_email = pw_data.get_email(fact_nr)
+                    results = results + [ (fact_nr, game_email, True, fact_pw) ]
+            else:
+                results = results + [ (fact_nr, None, False, fact_pw) ]
+    return results
+
+def echeck(filename, locale, rules):
+    dirname, filename = splitfilename(filename)
+    stream = popen("%s %s %s %s %s" % (echeck_cmd, locale, filename, dirname, rules), 'r')
+    lines = stream.readlines()
+    if len(lines)==0:
+        stream.close()
+        return None
+    if len(lines)>maxlines:
+        mail = join(lines[:maxlines-3] + ["...", "\n"] + lines[-3:], '')
+    else:
+        mail = join(lines[:maxlines], '')
+    stream.close()
+    return mail
+
+## the main body of the script
+game = int(argv[1])
+
+basedir = rootdir + "/game-%d"  % (game, )
+queuename = basedir + "/orders.queue"
+if not exists(queuename):
+    exit(0)
+
+# parse the queue file -
+#print "connecting to SMTP..."
+from smtplib import SMTP
+try:
+    server = SMTP("localhost")
+except:
+    print "could not connect to SMTP server"
+    exit(0)
+#print "reading password file..."
+pw_data = EPasswd(basedir + "/passwd")
+
+#print "reading orders.queue..."
+# move the queue file to a save space while locking it:
+try:
+    lock_file(queuename)
+except:
+    exit(0)
+queuefile = open(queuename, "r")
+lines = queuefile.readlines()
+queuefile.close()
+
+# copy to a temp file
+
+tname="/tmp/orders.queue.%s" % str(time())
+try:
+    lock_file(tname)
+except:
+    exit(0)
+tmpfile=open(tname, "w")
+for line in lines:
+    tmpfile.write(line)
+tmpfile.close()
+
+openlog("orders")
+
+unlink(queuename)
+try:
+    unlock_file(queuename)
+except:
+    pass
+
+for line in lines:
+    tokens = split(line[:-1], ' ')
+    dict = {}
+    for token in tokens:
+        name, value = split(token, '=')
+        dict[name] = value
+
+    email = dict["email"]
+    locale = dict["locale"]
+    game = int(dict["game"])
+    file = dict["file"]
+    gamename='[E%d]' % game
+    rules='e%d' % game
+    warning = ""
+    failed = True
+    results = check_pwd(file, email, pw_data)
+    logfile = open(basedir+"/zug.log", "a")
+    dirname, filename = splitfilename(file)
+    msg = messages["validate-"+locale] + " " + filename + "\n\n"
+    for faction, game_email, success, pwd in results:
+        msg = msg + messages["faction-"+locale] + " " + faction + "\n"
+        if success: failed = False
+        else: msg = msg + messages["unknown-"+locale] + "\n"
+        msg = msg + "\n"
+        logfile.write("%s:%s:%s:%s:%s:%s\n" % (ctime(time()), email, game_email, faction, pwd, success))
+    logfile.close()
+
+    if failed:
+        warning = " (" + messages["warning-" + locale] + ")"
+        syslog("failed - no valid password in " + file)
+    else:
+        result = echeck(file, locale, rules)
+        if email=='eressea':
+            print result
+            continue
+        elif result is None:
+            # echeck did not finish
+            msg = msg + "Echeck was killed. Your turn was accepted, but could not be verified.\n"
+            warning = " (" + messages["warning-" + locale] + ")"
+            syslog("process - echeck got killed, " + file)
+        else:
+            msg = msg + result
+            syslog("process - checked orders in " + file)
+
+    subject = gamename + " " + messages["subject-" + locale] + warning
+    msg = "Subject: %s\nFrom: %s\nTo: %s\nContent-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8\n\n" % (subject, frommail, email) + msg
+    try:
+        server.sendmail(frommail, email, msg)
+    except:
+        syslog("failed - cannot send to " + email)
+
+server.close()
+
+closelog()
+unlink(tname)
+unlock_file(tname)
diff --git a/process/orders.cron b/process/orders.cron
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..be573fe86
--- /dev/null
+++ b/process/orders.cron
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+## this script processes incoming order files.
+# files are delivered into an incoming queue by procmail, then cron runs
+# this here script to make a non-blocking syntax check and reject or
+# accept the order file.
+
+for GAME in $*
+do
+  if [ "$GAME" == "eressea" ]; then GAME=2 ; fi
+  if [ "$GAME" == "e3a" ]; then GAME=3 ; fi
+  if [ -e $HOME/eressea/game-$GAME/orders.queue ]
+  then
+    $HOME/bin/orders-process $GAME
+  fi
+done
diff --git a/process/send-bz2-report b/process/send-bz2-report
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..733b5c6be
--- /dev/null
+++ b/process/send-bz2-report
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+if [ -z $ERESSEA ]; then
+  echo "You have to define the \$ERESSEA environment variable to run $0"
+  exit -2
+fi
+source $HOME/bin/functions.sh
+source $ERESSEA/etc/eressea.conf
+
+TEMPLATE=report-mail.txt
+if [ "$1" == "-Lde" ]
+then
+  TEMPLATE=report-mail.de.txt
+  shift
+fi
+
+if [ "$1" == "-Lde" ]
+then
+  TEMPLATE=report-mail.en.txt
+  shift
+fi
+
+EMAIL=$1
+SUBJECT=$2
+shift 2
+
+ATTACHMENTS=""
+while [ $# -gt 0 ]
+do
+  if [ -e "$1" ]; then
+    ATTACHMENTS="-a $1 $ATTACHMENTS"
+  fi
+  shift
+done
+
+cat $ERESSEA/etc/$TEMPLATE | mutt -F $ERESSEA/etc/muttrc -s "$SUBJECT" $ATTACHMENTS -- $EMAIL
diff --git a/process/send-zip-report b/process/send-zip-report
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..fb068c33f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/process/send-zip-report
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+if [ -z $ERESSEA ]; then
+  ERESSEA=`echo $PWD |sed -e 's/\/game.*//'`
+  echo "Assuming that ERESSEA=$ERESSEA"
+fi
+if [ ! -f reports.txt ]; then
+  echo "need to run $0 from the report direcory"
+  exit -2
+fi
+
+PWD=$(pwd)
+GAME=$(dirname $PWD)
+
+TEMPLATE=report-mail.txt
+if [ "$1" == "-Lde" ]
+then
+  TEMPLATE=report-mail.de.txt
+  shift
+fi
+
+if [ "$1" == "-Len" ]
+then
+  TEMPLATE=report-mail.en.txt
+  shift
+fi
+
+if [ -e $GAME/$TEMPLATE ]; then
+TEMPLATE=$GAME/$TEMPLATE
+else
+TEMPLATE=$ERESSEA/etc/$TEMPLATE
+fi
+
+if [ ! -e $TEMPLATE ]; then
+  echo "no such email template: $TEMPLATE"
+  exit -3
+fi
+
+while [ -e /tmp/.stopped ] ; do
+  echo "waiting 2 minutes for lockfile in /tmp/.stopped to clear"
+  sleep 120
+done
+mutt -F $ERESSEA/etc/muttrc -s "$2" -a "$3" -- $1 < $TEMPLATE
+
+if [ $? -ne 0 ] ; then
+  echo "Sending failed for email/report: $2/$3"
+fi