D is for Deelguy

Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/bc/Beklan_Empire.jpg

Deelguy is a land to the northeast of the Beklan Empire in Richard Adams novel "Shardik". I don't remember the story enough to say how it figures in the book but it has always been a name that I've liked. Some authors either don't have the imagination or are too lazy to come up with good names. Nowadays when I see a fantasy novel I always check to see if there is a map. If there is I look at the place names - the cities and countries. If they are just rip-offs of older writers, or they look like they are put together with a random syllable generator I generally give the book a pass. (Likewise if it involves time travel or the characters speak as if they grew up down the street.) Eliminate those and there really are not that many fantasy novels out there that are worth a glance.

Richard Adams, on the other hand, did a good job with Shardik. I like the map! :-)

C is for Chariot (or Cart...)

Fire Chariot...

The image of a fiery cart - sometimes called a chariot - being pulled by a Demon seems to be common in Buddhist art. I've come across several examples, including one that had a demon pushing as well. Unfortunately that example was very small - so small as to be barely visible. I would like to find a better version of it, but these images are the only two I could find. I believe it is also called a "Hell Cart". I'm sure the one saw had Mara standing in the back, but it has been a while so I could be mistaken. 

...or Hell Cart 

A cart inspired by these will be part of the Mara range in the Garden of Kama setting. The Mara themselves have already been sculpted and can be sen here.

B is for Banner Bearers

Excerpted from the Armies of Angkor, by Michel Jacq-Hergoualc'h 

Khmer banner bearers to be exact. One of the factions from the Garden of Kama setting is largely based upon the medieval Khmer armies as detailed in the book this illustration is taken from: The Armies of Angkor: Military Structure and Weaponry of the Khmers, by Michel Jacq-Hergoualc'h. 

According to this work the armies were accompanied by large numbers of musicians as well as these acrobatic banner bearers who are shown balancing the banners on forehead, chin and - if the illustration is to be believed - lower back! (In this case the illustration is a reproduction of a carving at the palace of Angkor Wat.)

A modern-day variant of flag balancing is still practiced in various areas in SE Asia. 

For the Garden of Kama setting I have commissioned some banner bearers to follow behind the army. At the same time I've been trying my hand at drawing up some banners in Corel Draw...

I've made over 60 designs so far. Each banner is 90mm tall before being put on a pole. The intent is to get the figures sculpted with the banner-base as part of the figure - on the forehead or chin, for example. That will provide a point to drill a support hole with a pin vise to allow the banner to be attached. I've done so many designs because I want each unit to be accompanied by a party of banner bearers, with each banner being different.

In addition to making for a colourful display, there could be a practical benefit to mark casualties (as in Hail Caesar, for example) by removing a banner for each "hit" the unit takes. 

A is for Artesia

Artesia is the creation of Mark Smylie, who is both author and artist of the Artesia comics and graphic novels, and the Artesia role-playing game: Artesia: Adventures in the Known World.

Artesia is the heroine of the stories - referred to as an "epic military fantasy" - and is both warrior and witch, equally dangerous whether wielding sword or magic. 

There are at four graphic novels: Artesia, Artesia Afield, Artesia Afire and Artesia Besieged. Sadly, I have not yet been able to locate a copy of the last. :-(

There is also the role-playing game, which provides a lot of detail for the Known World in which Artesia wages her wars. All are superbly illustrated by Mark.

I am slowly working up to wargaming in the Known World. The Assault Group, a manufacturer of 28mm wargaming miniatures recently ran a kickstarter to generate funds to expand their renaissance ranges - specifically with a Tudor English range. The drive came up short unfortunately but there is still the opportunity to pick up the kickstarter goodies on their site. 

One of the options was to pledge for a custom command pack - sculpted to your specifications. I went for that option, requesting an "Elizabeth I" figure, mounted and in armour, with a mounted and armoured "lady-in-waiting" and a dismounted male courtier. Can you guess which figure I was angling for?

I'm still keen to continue the pledge - I just have to confirm with TAG that they are willing to go ahead. There are so many of their figures throughout their renaissance lines that are suitable! The setting is not earth, of course, but the armour is vaguely the right level of sophistication, with the wilder fringes having more primitive styles. And there is magic. Gunpowder is not much in evidence but is mentioned at the end of the third book. How much it features in the fourth book I do not know. :-(

Mara Ordered!

The Mara, sculpted by Andrew May

My news for today is that I've ordered 50 sets of the Mara, or Tibetan inspired demons. Sculpted by Andrew May, they will be sold in sets of six demons. They come with separate hands and heads to maximize the individuality of your warbands. Six different bodies with six different heads and over twelve different hands (I can't recall the exact number of hand/weapon variants done) is 432 combinations, at least, by my calculations. Each set will be $30.00 US with Tekumel Club discounts applying, even though these are not technically related to Tekumel.

If interested please email me at: green27 -AT- sympatico - DOT- ca

Postage is a fixed rate: Canada $5.00; USA $10.00 and International $15.00.

I hope you like them!

In the line-up are their beautiful but deadly sisters: the Daughters of Mara, also sculpted by Andrew.

Best Regards,

Howard Fielding

Galley Seating...

...is better than coach! Well, maybe not so much. :-)

Anyhow, I made a tiny bit of progress today, finishing the benches and gangway for the Khmer galleys. There will be ten oarsmen down each side. This will be molded and cast in resin and included with each galley. The figures will be sculpted sitting, cut-off just below the knees.

There are meant to be wicker screens that provide some small bit of protection (see my previous blog entry) but I haven't figured out exactly how to make those yet. Per the last entry I have some strips of styrene that I hope to weave together to make the wickerwork. It seems likely to be very fiddly and I'm still working out how exactly to approach it. When they are done - if I can do it - they will also be cast in resin by JTFM. They will be very fine, but JTFM specializes in super-fine detail! :-)

Here is one last picture, showing one of our Swamp Folk standing on the gangway...

28mm Wicker Work

The Khmer galleys had a wicker screen that shielded the rowers and I have been agonizing over what to do about it. Tony made a version but I think I want something finer. Today I picked up some .25mm x .5mm stripstryene by Evergreen Scale Models and I'm going to try and weave a screen. My thinking is if I do a panel I can get it molded and then either stick a bunch of the moldings together to make one long screen or just have them so that several are used on each side of the boat.

Sounds easy, eh?