Summer Gaming Plans, Ver. 1.0

   We all know how 'buggy' a version 1.0 can be, right? So don't hold me too strictly to these plans. But in a few weeks I will go on summer vacation, and have significantly more time for gaming as a result. The thought occurred to me that some sort of plan might help with gaming productivity in my slow time. Thus, the following:

• Send 20 Kroot to painting service for Venusian Parrotmen.
• Send the boys' frogs to painting service.
• Obtain and paint about 15 Victoria Miniatures "Ood-like" figures.
• Paint eight 25 pdrs plus crew and staff for FOW.
• Paint an Indian mortar platoon for FOW.
• Obtain and paint more Cygnar figures ( a unit of trenchers and at least 2 warjacks).
• Finish painting Dragonfly Lancers.
• Finish painting 10 Empress Miniatures British.
• Obtain and paint replacement VSF British from Victoria Miniatures.
• Finish 5 German VSF figures.
• Obtain 10 more Prussian infantry. Paint all 20.
• Paint 10 more Aetherbattalion figures.
• Complete Volume 3, Issue 1 of The Aethergraph.
• Play some Star Frontiers RPG with the boys.
• Attend Historicon.
• Obtain a lot of terrain for 15mm desert and city.
• Obtain a lot of terrain for 25mm desert, jungle and city.

Ummmm... I think that's probably it. Look for updates, though. This is only v. 1.0, after all...

End of Month Progress Report [ooc]

So, here's the progress on projects this month.

Deathray cavalry: Have received all figures. Three additional lancers, a musician and the unit leader are painted and assembled, just waiting to be mounted on the rays. After these, I have five more to finish, and the units will be done. I say units because I have two. One is the Prince himself, with standard, musician and four guards. I am considering adding three more gun-armed men to this unit to round it out to a full ten. The other unit consists of a captain, musician and eight lancers.

Martian Personalities: I have painted the Incomparable Dejah Thoris, John Carter, a Martian priest, and a Martian king/hero. The butler/assassin is primed, but hardly painted.

Martian swordsmen: Little progress.

Bombardment Sentinel: Purchased Whirlwind for conversion of rockets to Sentinel. Awaiting arrival.

Gunship, 28mm: Received guns, assembled and primed. Currently on painting table. Trying to decide on magnetic attachment option or permanent fixture.

Gunship, 15mm: Main deck cut out. Primary lower hull section built. Mast section assembled but not cut to final length yet. Re-working cabin section design. Forward lower hull needs final desing and assembly. Guns not ordered; considering ERM fittings. Help with 15mm guns would be appreciated.

Parrotman Huts: Prototype finished. Adjustments still to be made for remaining three huts. Back-burner project.

15mm Papal Troops: Two 90% painted as prototypes.

Mordian/German Special Weapons: About 70% painted on lieutenant, sergeant, grenadier, and three riflemen, plus two mortarmen and melta-gunner.

Gex/Gaters: Decided to send to be painted, as I am never going to get around to them. Looking for painting service in US.

That's pretty much everything that's even remotely active for right now. I am hoping to get some projects finished in March, letting me get back to some older projects that have been on hold for a while.

Some new photostats have arrived

Gentlemen, I know many of you have wondered what a Martian farm must look like. So, I present to you, a typical farmstead.

The dome atop the farmhouse is the atmospheric water condensation device, which comes in very handy on the arid plains of the Red Planet, away from the life-giving canals.

Also, note the unusual trees next to the farmhouse. This is the famous Martian leatherleaf tree. The Martians often use the tough leaves of this plant much as we use leather. Once properly cured, they will last for years, staying as soft and pliable as deerskin but as tough as elephant hide.

Note also some reinforcements for the Royal Martian Crown Colony's sepoys have been arriving (in 25/28mm). [RAFM Space 1889 Colonial Infantry] Pictured here is Private Gleepa, his Martini rifle at the ready.

Next, we have additional photostats of the newest mechanical marvel from the minds of Britain's top engineers: the Sentinel-class light cavalry walker [modified GW Praetorian Sentinel] For some reason, this trooper is not flying his identification pennant. I am sure a few days of fatigue duty will remind him how a proper soldier of Her Majesty should make ready.

Finally for the evening, I present to you an in-the-works photo of the Pappegaivolk, Parrotmen of Venus. [GW Kroot, unmodified except for parrot-y paint job]

Gentlemen, I think its time for a round at the Club. Good even to you all.

[Editor's Note: the field photographed up at the top was made by spraying a cheap doormat from Target (about $2.99 for a 2'x3' mat) with dark brown paint. Then a few dustings of other colors (terra cotta and tan), and voila - a plowed field. I will be doing more from the same mat, adding some vegetation and such to show crops coming up. The farmhouse was a butter tub and Easter egg half, painted, with some basswood accents added on. It's not entirely done yet.]

Parrotfolk Article Added to Archive

I have added the original Parrotfolk article to the archive list of publications on the left hand menu of the journal. This should help you reach it once the articles have cycled off from the main page of the journal.

Please feel free to print, read and enjoy, but remember that I retain the copyright on all of the material I publish via the Internet. If you wish to make changes, include it in your own works, etc., please do the right thing and ask permission first.

I have another short story written that I may publish here as well, but that one I actually have a hope of selling in the future, along with a series of other short tales in a similar vein.

A Minor Gex-based quandry

To this point, I had thought that the gex would be in homogenously hued tribal groups, each warband consisting of ten warriors to fall in line with the rules set that we most commonly use.

So, one group would be ten red and orange warriors, one ten dark and light green, ten dark and light blue, and so on.

But now I am reconsidering, especially for the bow-armed gex. It might look better to mix them up.

A quandry, a puzzle, a confused muddle of possibilities now exists where once all was clear. Blast it all!

In regards to progress, a bit has been made today. The first Sentinel (I may re-name them, though it is a very British sounding name, is it not?) has been 'dipped' and now awaits its highlighting, basework and matt finish. A bit more work on the Pappegaivolk has been done, though nothing exciting. I have begun work on the 'ghost gex', those made from modified skink totem bearers into giant club wielders. They will be gray and white, hence the 'ghost' appellation. The sergeant for the Research Platoon is almost finished. And a swarm of snakes just waits for basing and matt finish. Finally, the red and orange "Flammekröte" warband of gex is nearly finished, including their fearsome warchief, Firebelly.

Venusian Parrotfolk, Pt. 2

Der Pappegaivolk von Venus
[The Parrotmen of Venus]
By Doctor Fritz Hammacher and Professor Heinrich Schlemmer
das Deutsche Kaiserliche Institut fur AuBerirdische Gelehrten
[Imperial German Institute for Extra-Terrestrial Study]

Society

Parrotman society is divided into castes. Each of these castes defines the Parrotman’s role in society. Castes do not interbreed, but a juvenile’s caste is not decided at hatching, and their parents have little direct say in the caste selection for the offspring. In fact, the shamans of the tribe assign caste to the juveniles in a ritual held at the beginning of the adolescent period. While a child is usually assigned the same caste as its parents, this is more due to an inherited suitability (by way of selective breeding) for that caste rather than as a result of a political or dynastic inheritance.

The highest (and smallest) caste is der Magier [shaman] caste. The shamans supervise all the rituals of Parrotman society. One of their most important duties is to pronounce caste for each of the tribe’s young. Shamans are very rarely seen by those not a part of a particular tribe. They are the most protected of all the tribe, as if all a tribe’s shamans are lost through war, famine, or disease, the tribe falls apart.

The next most prominent caste is der Blutbefleckt [bloodstained] caste, the warriors and hunters of the tribe, those who spill blood. Much more numerous than the shamans, the warrior caste includes both males and females – as, indeed, all the castes do. The members of this caste are trained in the use of weapons, including the unique firearm of the Pappegaivolk, the Venus Rifle. Warriors and hunters are the most commonly encountered caste of Parrotmen, as they are the most likely to travel any distance from the arboreal villages. Males dominate the warrior aspect of the caste, females tend toward the hunter or butcher roles, although there are apparently unprejudiced exceptions to this general guideline.

Der Herstelleren [maker] caste comprises the craftsmen and artisans of the tribe. It is the second-smallest of all the castes. All of the metalworkers, potters, tanners, weavers, and builders of the tribe are members of this caste. These craftsmen make the tools and equipment for all the other castes, and have the secret of the Venus Rifle’s manufacture.

The lowest caste is die Hausmeisterin [caretakers]. It is the largest caste, and is roughly analogous to European peasantry. These Parrotmen raise the crops, prepare the meals, care for the young, ad clean the nests for all the castes. While they rank low in their society, that society would cease to function without their presence.

Culture

Parrotmen enjoy a variety of cultural pursuits. Functionality dominates the design of their tools and weapons, yet these same objects often have decorative engraving or are adorned with feathers and ribbons of bright colors. Tattooing is considered a high art form. Pottery is often brightly colored, as are woven fabrics and tanned leathers.

The mimicry of Parrotmen lends itself strongly to a musical tradition. One of the reasons Pappegaivolk get along well with the Venusstadt colonial government involves the gift of a phonograph player and selection of phonographs of classical music to the first tribal elders met by the original German expedition’s leader. The complexity of the melodies appealed to the Parrotmen, and at times you can hear a rendition of Mozart’s Ein Kleine Nachtmusik filter through the trees of the great forests. Efforts to record the native music of the Parrotmen has been hampered by the destructive nature of the extreme heat and humidity of the Venusstadt colony. What few recordings have been made command excellent prices in Berlin, creating a potential secondary source of much-needed export income for the colony.

Unlike the lizardmen, Pappegaivolk do not build rude huts upon the surface of the planet unless there is a specific reason for the placement at ground level. Parrotmen build their homes in the trees, connected by rope bridges suspended dozens of feet above the jungle floor to create their villages. Some buildings, such as the tanneries, animal pens, and tool sheds are located at the base of the trees. The tree houses of Venus swing gently in the boughs of the massive gulunga trees. At the center of each village lies a gunga galunga tree. The shamans of the tribe maintain and protect the tribal shrine in this tree. Were it to be destroyed, the village would be abandoned, and the tribe disintegrated. Naturally, a strong taboo prevents anyone but the shaman caste and certain invited others from approaching the gunga galunga. To do so without permission would be cause for immediate execution.

Politics

The political situation of the Parrotmen is quite simple, really. They hate the lizardmen, the lizardmen hate them, and they will do their best to exterminate one another at any opportunity. The preferred fletching for a lizardman’s arrows is the feathers of a young Pappegaivolk. In return, Parrotmen enjoy eating the tadpole-like young found in the spawning temples of the lizardfolk. This enmity predates the evolution of writing on Earth, and is unlikely to be changed with the coming of a new dominant sentient species to the planet.

Several tribes of Parrotmen have taken advantage of the nearby highland location of Venusstadt and their ability to speak a human tongue to ally themselves with the Fatherland. This has aided our Kolonie by increasing the foodstuffs available for our stalwart colonists and the fine German soldiers that protect them from the dinosaurs and lizardmen. The Parrotmen also occasionally will agree to send Blutbefleckt as guides and warriors for our forces on Venus. The governor has provided several gifts to the nearby tribal elders, including the immense Venus Rifle[1], designed specifically for the use of the Pappegaivolk by Herr Doktor Gunther Krupp.

To this date, it is suspected that the British imperialist enclave operating without the sanction of His Imperial Majesty in the Kaiser Wilhelm mountain range are attempting to negotiate with at least one tribe of Pappegaivolk. No evidence of a successful alliance exists at this time, but we must caution the Kaiser’s governor to watch the situation closely. The British have always claimed territorial rights on Venus that include Venusstadt itself. With a large alliance of Pappegaivolk, they could press that claim successfully. It is the considered opinion of the authors of this paper that failure to maintain the friendship of the Parrotmen would be very costly to the Empire.

[1] The Venus Rifle is a large weapon that is designed for the hands of the Parrotmen. It fires a heavy 18mm bullet and uses an unusual propellant that is resistant to the humidity of Venus. The weapon itself is very robust and is often fitted with blades for close combat.

The Parrotmen of Venus, Pt. 1

Der Pappegaivolk von Venus
[The Parrotmen of Venus]

By Doctor Fritz Hammacher and Professor Heinrich Schlemmer

das Deutsche Kaiserliche Institut fur AuBerirdische Gelehrten
[Imperial German Institute for Extra-Terrestrial Study]

Introduction

The Parrotmen of Venus are a strange folk. Infinitely more civilized than their far more numerous ancient enemies, the various tribes of lizardmen, they are still quite savage by Earth standards. Consider them, perhaps, as you would the more savage tribes of natives in Equatorial Africa or the Amazonian Jungle, or indeed, the American West.

Parrotman Anatomy and Biology

Physically, the Parrotmen are much taller than humans, but quite thin for their size, weighing much less than a human of comparable height would. Their skins are brightly colored, as are the feathers that they have in place of mammalian hair. These feathers appear on the limbs and both genders display a crest upon the back of the head. The body is bilaterally symmetrical, with two arms, two legs, et cetera. On the hands they have two fingers and two opposable thumbs to either side of the palm. The feet display four toes as well, but similarly to humans, without an opposing digit. All fingers and toes are taloned. A hump high on the back of the Parrotmen is thought to have once been an attachment point for wings, but today not even a vestigial wing (similar to the African ostrich) remains.

Facially, the Parrotmen have no mouth proper, but rather a large, very hard beak designed for tearing and crushing. Two eyes are set in the front of the head, indicating their role as omnivorous predators. Their diet consists primarily of meat and carrion, with both wild and cultivated plant matter added to provide nutrients and filler. No external ears exist, but two small holes, one to either side of the head, allow the Parrotmen to have what seems to be an extremely acute sense of hearing. An interesting discovery in relation to the physiognomy of the head is that Parrotmen are capable of reproducing most sounds they hear, and are in fact excellent mimics. Unlike the lizardmen, Parrotmen are capable of human speech.

Internally, Parrotmen are quite distinct from humans. Their bones are not hollow, as a Terrestrial bird’s are, but they are porous, with millions of tiny bubbles in the structure of the bone. It is quite similar to a honeycomb, though obviously made from a hard, calcinated material rather than soft wax. The cardiovascular system differs in that Parrotmen have two three-chambered hearts, either one capable of sustaining life. The species also has two stomachs, although the first is more similar to a terrestrial bird’s gizzard. Finally, the kidneys are quite large, and are incredibly efficient at neutralizing toxins which would be nearly instantly fatal to humans.

Reproduction and Maturation

Reproductively speaking, the species has two genders, male and female. Parrotmen are oviparous. The fertility period for females begins on the first day of the Venusian spring, and lasts for only five days. The female will lay one egg each day. Fertilized eggs have a golden sheen to their thick shells; unfertilized eggs are a dull white. In olden days, the female would then care for the egg directly, ensuring its warmth and proper rotation within the nest. The Parrotmen have developed an artificial incubator, in which an entire tribe’s eggs can be placed. Gestation takes 126 days, at which point the infant will crack the shell using its beak. Infants are essentially helpless for the remainder of their first (Venusian) year[1], and are restricted to the tribe’s communal nesting area during that time. They are fed a paste containing both animal and vegetable products during this time, gradually working towards solid food.

By one year of age, the young Parrotman is able to walk and feed itself. It begins to learn the speech of its tribe at about the same time and will quickly gain fluency as a result of their incredible mimicking ability. As a juvenile, Parrotmen are allowed to exit the communal nursery but are kept within the arboreal tribal village area. They are expected to assist in chores around the village, including food preparation, assisting in the cultivation of various plants, and other tasks. This juvenile period lasts for three years.

Following the juvenile period, the young Parrotman develops into an adolescent. It is during this time period that the Parrotman matures sexually. In addition, it will grow rapidly, approaching its full adult height by the end of this two year period. During the adolescent phase, elders begin the instruction of the Parrotman’s particular caste (more on caste later). By the end of this phase, the Parrotman is ready to take its place as an adult in the tribe, following the caste-appropriate maturity rituals.

[1] For ease of reference, all times should be considered Venusian, rather than terrestrial. The Venusian year lasts for 224 Earth days, or approximately 6/10 of an Earth year.

Photostats from Venus!

The first plate here shows a small tribe of hunting gex as they move effortlessly through the underbrush. While much smaller than their gater cousins, gex are just as vicious. Their envenomed bite merely adds to the danger of encountering these primitive brutes.



















On this plate, some of Her Majesty's soldiers, in the Research Platoon, ride upon the back of a large saurian transport. From this secure vantage point, they can avoid smaller carnivorous dinosaurs, the more dangerous flora of the Jungle Planet, and find their main foes, the savage lizardmen of Venus.


















A small herd of Triceratops feeding on the jungle growth. These large creatures are herbivores, but like the Earthly hippopotamus, are large, powerful and very territorial. Extreme caution is advised should a traveler on the surface of Venus find himself confronted by even one of these beasts. If there are young about, I would recommend that you flee the area as quickly as you can without drawing attention from the herd.


















This last photostat shows a gater, mounted on a carnivorous lizard, possibly Deinonychus, as he exits the brush line. These gaters are extremely dangerous, remorselessly bloodthirsty savages. When encountered, I recommend they be treated to volley fire by platoon. Thankfully, most of the gaters encountered thus far on the Planet of Mist are not powerful enough to dominate a mount such as this one. The few that are, however, are even more dangerous than their bretheren.

We are expecting our first photographs of the giant Parrotmen of Venus in the near future, good readers, but were unable to obtain any prior to publishing today. I shall, however, publish portions of a short paper by Doctor Fritz Hammacher and Professor Heinrich Schlemmer, both of the Imperial German Institute for Extra-Terrestrial Study (das Deutsche Kaiserliche Institut fur AuBerirdische Gelehrten), in the very near future, perhaps even this afternoon.

Colonel Sir Mimsey Popinjay, III

   Having noticed the rather lifeless (not to say dull!) nature of the posts to this journal as of late, I have decided to include today a catalog of names I frequently have found in use on my table when VSF'ing or colonial wargaming. I do hope that this entry meets with higher approval than the last few, or we shall simply have to have the copywriter sacked [ulp!]. Or perhaps put to the question as to why his efforts seem so lackluster and then sacked [double ulp!]. His writing has become about as exciting as an Amish Kama Sutra.

   Nothing against the Amish, naturally, but then, those Luddites would almost assuredly never know I said anything derogatory about their love lives in this format. At any rate, on with the names:

   Popinjay is the main British officer, used many times. Somehow, he has survived repeated military disasters and not been cashiered for incompetence! Influence at the Horse Guards, I am sure.

   He is often bedeviled in the dry hills of Afghanistan and the Northwestern Frontier by the wily Pathan leader Chief Wherda Hecawee, or his twin brother, Hooda.

   Herr Kolonel Waldo von Grossnarbe leads the Imperial Germans.

   Capitaine l'Phideaux leads the French usually.

   Finally tonight, a request of you, my good friends and faithful readers of this sad little chronicle. I am in need of a good Martian name or two and some Venusian names as well for those leaders. Martians are red men as Master Burroughs indicated in his excellent works about the life of his 'uncle,' John Carter. Yet I hate to merely repeat names from those novels. The Venusian lizardman chieftain [GW Saurus on Cold One] needs a grand but lizard-y sounding name. I thought Slee Stak might be good, but haven't decided. I also need a better name for the leader of my yet-to-be-assembled Venusian Highland Parrotmen than P'all Ewannacr'ka.

New Terrain and Poll Results

Good evening, Gents. A general update this time.

Purchased a few pieces of Egyptian-y terrain today. A ruined temple wall which put me in mind of the time the Colonel and I... er, never mind that. Also a pair of statues, which will look suitably gargantuan on the table. Photos will be posted sometime in the near future.

Also, purchased via difference engine some bits of creatures that rhyme with 'brutes' and are produced by a major manufacturer of overpriced plastic and metal toys based out of England. While I am all for free trade and supporting the British economy (hear hear!), $2+ per multi-part plastic is a bit hard on the finances. And I need them to model up the parrotmen of the Venusian Highlands. Naturally, they are in the grander scale of 28 mm rather than the One True Scale, which as we all know, is 15 mm.

And speaking of the Great Scale Schism, brethren, it seems the advocates of the 25/28mm Scale have won out on the polling here. Poor benighted fools that they are, they have chosen the path of least resistance. Still, I suppose its not all bad. I'm not ashamed to say I dabble in both scales.

No painting done today, as the memsahib hosted a Ladies' Gathering today to celebrate the forthcoming nuptials of a young friend. Had to close up shop, take my two impressionable young sons and flee as if the hounds of Hades were after us. An afternoon at the kinetoscope provided entertainment for the three of us.

Finally, I am preparing an additional section of my journal in which to place certain interesting documents and photographs, so that they take less space in this area. When this task is completed, you Ladies and Gents shall of course be the first to know.

Now then, where's that tea cart gone off to?