Arrrggghhhh!

Avast there me hearties, you know what day it is? Once again it be:

International Talk like a Pirate Day!

http://www.talklikeapirate.com/

Seeking Pirate Wench

Must Have
1. Tight Corset and Fyne Booty.
Preferrably likes it ROUGH and does not mind husband who goes to sea for months at a time. Is NOT the jealous type!

Of course, it wouldn't be White Wine Sauce unless we had AIR pirates here!

And this crewman be here for me old shipmate Maksim:

Have ye-selves an Arrrggghhhhh of a day mateys!

Verne Cartographies

After much searching I have finally found a chart showing the track of the Nautilus in 20,000 Leagues under the Sea. Its not very clear, but that has a charm of its own.

I found the map here, which links you to some fascinating articles about Jules Verne and his works.

http://jv.gilead.org.il/sfs/Harpold/#figure3

Still, if you happen to see a bigger or clearer version , please let me know.



And if you havent seen them before, here are some fantastic collection of maps of the heroes travels in Voyages Extraordinaires:

http://www.phys.uu.nl/~gdevries/maps/maps.cgi

The Quest for Great Nautilus...

My first experience with VSF was 20,000 Leagues Under the Seas. This may, in fact, have been the first novel (regardless of genre) I ever read. For quite some time, Captain Nemo has been lurking in the back of my head but he's recently inspired a gaming quest.

Let's start our tour with the essential 28mm miniature - The Captain Nemo from the London War Room.

I first became aware of this company through another VSF fascination; that being Mars. I'd already assembled a small, mixed unit of City Dwellers before I noticed the Extraordinary Personages page. The Nemo figure immediately went on my "order this some time" list.

There are actually two versions of Nemo from the London War Room and I made my determination of which to buy based on availability of suitable miniatures for the Nautilus' crew. One cannot just have a Nemo without a submarine.

But there was one other figure that moved all the figures mentioned here from the "some time" list to the "now" category. Artizan Designs has recently released a Swami miniature and he immediately seemed to be a perfect "second in command/spiritual advisor" to our exceptional captain.



This made if fairly simple to narrow the field of searches for what I estimate to be a crew of fewer than 20. It was also helpful to have started the quest with a fair degree of familiarity with companies that make wide ranges of historical figures.

I must admit that I didn't look for every example of Indian/Sikh figures; I was filling a roster and planned to stop when that was accomplished. Three visits later - to Wargames Foundry, Perry Brothers, and Copplestone Castings - and the quest seemed complete.







These figures have all now arrived and the submarine is fully crewed. I may have to add a few from Castaway Arts; I discovered them after the last recruits reported for duty.

I added a few extra figures from Artizan Designs to justify the postage costs.







For similar, I revisited the Martian selections from Parroom Station. If you look at the Scout and some of the Hill Tribesmen, you'll notice a happy accident of simultaneous collecting.







I should note at this point, there's a female figure in IND232 that my wife informs me is Nemo's daughter. There's a tremendous number of roleplaying ideas in that statement.

And here's the Martian Scout:



Now, we need a Nautilus. I happen to have one of Comet Miniatures' efforts.



I bought it many years ago at a convention and have never painted it or mounted it on a base. It lurks (much as Nemo does in my mind) in my attic - but is no less loved for not being on display.

Our Excellent Host recently reminded me of the Comet Nautilus and that prompted a look on eBay to determine its value. This auction, now ended, shows the relative cost of finding one not-in-one's-attic. It turns out to be worth $36.67, with another $10 for shipping.

Upon visiting the closed auction, a "related item" gave me the VSF opportunity of a lifetime - if you'll pardon what may be a cliche.



I actually plan to use these blueprints to build a 28mm-scale model of the Nautilus. I haven't quite decided whether to build it in sections, with interior diorama spaces, or as one solid piece.

Bill's Nefs

BillChuck at TMP has posted some pic of his British and French Aeronef starter sets.
I particularly like the larger bases he has crafted, which look more resilient than the big GW style ones I have used for my BCs and above.

You can find his pics here:
http://s100.photobucket.com/albums/m23/billwerks/On%20the%20Bench/Aeronef/

And the TMP thread here:
http://theminiaturespage.com/boards/msg.mv?id=119871

Dino-Dictionary

What kind of Raptor species is that head mounted over the fireplace?

Dont guess, know! Consult the:

"On average, a new species of dinosaur is discovered every six weeks.

The Dinosaur Dictionary profiles over 300 known dinosaurs"

http://www.dinodictionary.com/dinos_a.asp

Strange Maps

Any Aeronef Captain, Ironclad Commander or Aquanef Navigator worth their salt spends hours pouring over various charts and maps. And the weirder and more mysterious the better I say!

This website is a treasure trove of all sorts of very interesting geographic displays - not just old maritime charts but, maps with different representations of the same old shapes youve always looked at.

Go have a look and see what I mean! Its intriguing:

http://strangemaps.wordpress.com/

And I'm still looking for a chart of Captain's Nemo's track in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by the way...

HG Wells Short Stories

The Stolen Baccilus and Other Incidents
by H.G. Wells

An excellent anthology of short stories by H.G. Wells, most of which were published in various gazettes. The lead story details an anarchist plot to spread Asiatic cholera throughout the city of London, with unexpected results.

Quick and easy thought provoking reads, I know you'll enjoy these:
http://whitewolf.newcastle.edu.au/words/authors/W/WellsHerbertGeorge/prose/stolenbacillus/index.html

Jurassic Terrain

Its been awhile since the last post on Dinosaur Hunting and Jussaic Adventues. This one is about representing tar pits and other prehistoric terrain on your table.


At the Lost World Safari yahoogroup, there have been some excellent suggestions about modelling tar pits and other pre-historic style terrain including land slides, hot springs, choking gasses and other nasties. I guess hunting 30 foot carnivorous beasts just wasnt dangerous enough!

Alan made the following suggestions:

"In our Lost World type game (see http://www.morvalearth.co.uk/Lost%20World/Lost_Wld_gal_01.htm and http://www.morvalearth.co.uk/Claymore05/balloonatic_intro.htm ) we had a number of "natural" occurrences on cards.

Naturally large tar pits and so on can be placed about the place in a more open way. Given the danger of entrapment the first turn is the important one. If the person/creature does not panic then an escape is likely. However, the more the victim panics the more likely they are to be trapped. The bigger they are the easier it is for them to get out on Move 1 but the more likely they are to get covered (sheer weight) if they thrash about.

I saw a reconstruction of a similar event on one of the Dino programmes on TV and this suggested that the majority of the animals that became trapped were old/sick/weak and the predators closed in - some of them becoming victims themselves. Once the victim(s) were dead or nearly dead the scavangers came in.

Tar pits:
That flat ground is a thin crust that gives way underfoot. Select a party member at random. Gets stuck in it and it takes a score of 8+ on a d10 to free them. Add 1for each additional person helping. Add more if they are using ropes, overhead in a balloon etc. These assistants may not shoot or fight this turn. A roll of 1 means that the victim is slowly immersed in tar and choking and baking dies a horrible death.

Strange Mist
A mist envelops the party. It blocks sight and reduces movement by half. Roll d6:
1,2 it lasts 3 turns
3,4 it lasts 2 turns
5,6 it lasts 1 turn
Roll d10 for each figure. If a 1 is rolled on any turn that figure is lost. When the mist clears roll a d6 for each turn the figure was lost and move away from their party in a random direction that number of inches.

Choking gas
A sudden jet of hot gas blasts from the ground. One random figure is knocked over and loses his/her weapon on a d10 roll of 1-3. The weapon may be recovered next go if they roll 7+

Hot spring
That flat ground is a thin crust that gives way underfoot. Select a party member at random. Falls in and it takes a full turn to free them.

Geyser
A sudden geyser of hot water blasts from the ground. One random figure is knocked over and so is the one following him. They lose their weapons on a d10 roll of 1-3. The weapon may be recovered next go if they roll 7+

Landslip
The cliff nearby gives way. D6 boulders bounce towards the party. Roll a d10 for each member within 9” needing 2+ to hit less one on the die per inch the boulder travels.

You will need to modify these for your own rules and situations particularly if the dinos are to be victims as well."

You can visit Alan's great Fantasy, VSF and wargaming site here:
http://www.morvalearth.co.uk/

There was also a good TMP thread over a year ago about modelling such things

http://theminiaturespage.com/boards/msg.mv?id=70973

WANTED: Raygun!

Weta Originals "Miniature Manmelter 3600ZX"

I have been a steadfast fan of Weta Originals products for years and they really helped me out during the Martian cylinder incident a few years ago. They have also helped me out of a bit of bother in boarding actions against the Boche and filthy pirates too, but that is another story for telling over a Brandy or five.

Unfortunately, I missed Weta's recent promotion of their Miniature manmelter 3600ZX (to be fair I AM on the other side 0f the world you know...).

http://wetanz.com/holics/index.php?itemid=353&catid=4

It looks like just the thing that every good Officer should have one! I was wondering if there were any spares around that might be available. I am willing to offer in trade my gilted sword which was gifted to me my the London Times for my exploits in Asia, but that is another story for telling over a glass or three of port.

Search your Laborotories!

Search your Armouries!

Let me know!

Seriously, if you have a one spare or available (or know where one is) please let me know and I'd be delighted to make you an offer.

Dr Steel Interview, Part 2

As you are probably aware, last week we had the opportunity to ask the infamous Dr Steel a few questions and learn more about him and his intended conquest of the world. This is Part 2 of that Interview, where the insane but lovable Doktor answers some supplementary questions. He writes:

Dr Steel: My Dear Tas,

Below are answers to your recent inquiries. I do so hope they help in your creation of this much appreciated blog.



White Wine Sauce (WWS): What exactly are you a Doctor of? Where did you study and what are your credentials?

Dr Steel: I am a doctor of spin and a professor of reality engineering. I am a Minister of Metaphysics and I have acquired my credentials online from the same university as Dr. Dre and Dr. Suess were appointed their elite status.


WWS: Many would-be World Emperors have made fatal mistakes on their road to immortality. Indeed, these have now been published into a large list of "Top things NOT to do when you take over the world" which my agents inform me has recently been brought to your attention. How will this list effect your plans and what, in your opinion, are the most important mistakes to avoid?

Dr Steel: Indeed, there have been many examples of what not to do by those who have attempted to take of the world in the past. I believe there is much to be gained from these past failures as well as much to be learned from the brief successes. Being certain to crush your foe quickly without explaining the complicated details of how you came to be and how you have decided to finish them is one of the most fatal flaws. Likewise there is much to be learned from the style of previous world domination oriented uniforms. There were some smashing designers with grand taste indeed. Shiny black is always a good choice.


WWS: Many would-be World Emperors have embraced organic familiars; Mr Bigglesworth the Cat comes immediately to mind, and keeping predatory animals such as sharks and crocodiles as a means of eliminating the unwanted. You have instead embraced artificial familiars in the form of your robot army. What is the downside to inorganic companions and what are the pitfalls of combining your friends with a mechanism for enslaving the world? Did your unfortunate episode with the poodle Baby Lu-Lu taint you at all?

Dr Steel: Though I do appreciate the natural world, I am rather opposed to the idea of "pets". Poodles are far from members of the natural world as they have been genetically altered to serve as decorative trifles and barking accessories. Such experimentation should cease immediately.

I do however enjoy my robotic experiments. Mechanical companions are grand...that is, when they work. I suppose the downside would be their frequent malfunctioning. I had one little fellow who became entangled in a bio-feedback loop resulting in its scratching a nearly un-repairable hole in my experiment room door. Though I look forward to far more efficient artificial intelligences in the near future.


WWS: What is your opinion on giant armoured airships and their uses in conquering and domination? What would you call your flagship?

Dr Steel: A good question indeed. I am rather a fan of the zeppelin, aesthetically speaking. When it comes to durability I would have to opt for flying saucers. As for a name, I believe "The Steel Beast" might be nice, or perhaps "Bad Ship Lollipop".


WWS: In return for my sworn allegiance and Commanding your aerial armada in support of the robot toy army rampaging below, may I be granted the Governorship of Australasia and South East Asia?

Dr Steel: Ah, by all means my good man. I'll even throw in a personal action figure to be molded in your honour as well.


WWS: Excellent! I cant wait to see "Action Tas" and what awesome array of acessories and weapons he comes with.

Thankyou again for your time Dr Steel. Its been another enlightening but disturbing journey through your psyche...

Dr Steel: Thank you ever so much for the grand spreading of my propaganda, my good man. I appreciate it very much



Yours in a White Wine Sauce,

Tas
Commander of Dr Steel's Aerial Armada and
Governor designate of Australiasia and South East Asia

Victorian Submarine Adventures

I discovered these wonderful photos by a Commodore Wells, of some mysterious goings on under the waters off the Mersey River in Liverpoool.


I'm not entirely sure what ensued (the Secret Act you know....) other than it involved giant sea creatures, Adventuers in Diving suits and an experimental Aquanef style machine. Huzzah!

This submarine was constructed from a large Christmas ornament, the prow is a curtain decoration bent into shape and the screw is a computer cololing fan. I think its grand!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/banging1out/sets/72157601821154141/

War Zeppelin

WARZEPPELIN

(Click for larger version)
Vehicle design for the Iron Grip series of videogames by Isotx.

I love this picture, and am consdreing getting a proper print of it for hanging in my Gaming Room. From the Artist's website below you can order 13x9 and 8x10 verisons.

http://keiththompsonart.com/pages/zeppelin.html

Recovery Dirigible

Vanvlak has been at it again, and this is a WWS exclusive - not posted to anywhere else at all.
Its his new 'flagship' - a recovery dirigible. In his words:

"This is 'Lysander', a ship owned by Titan Marine Consolidated, and currently assisting the knights as can be seen from the scarlet-tail markings on the twin dig hull. She's a sort of floating goliath crane (the type was originally designated Double-Goliath) slung under twin dirigible hulls, with a sliding cabin hanging below the crane.

Capacity - er - well, some day I'll calculate how much two bags of helium (or should it be hydrogen?) can lift.

The crane colour is actually a reproduction of the green patched look one of the cranes we had at the shipyard had for some time when it was being repainted. The smaller rig is in yellow because - well, many cranes are yellow.... "

Great job once again V! I shall endeavour not to need her services for my Fleet!

Electrolux Death Ray!

This one is more pulp than steampunk, but its a cracker:

Brotonic Weapons presents:
The Electrolux Death Ray! "Yesterday's future...today!"


See the fantastic advertising trailer here:
http://www.brotron.com/main/main.html

I have a sudden hankering to go searching for an old vacuum cleaner now!

More Aeronef Art

I found this great pic of an Aeronef in flight at the website of a band called Abney Park.
I thought you guys might enjoy it

There is a large, high-res version here:
http://www.abneypark.com/wither_-thou_goest.jpg