Talk about a hiatus!

http://thescattergungamer.blogspot.com/2011/07/weird-war-ii-jurassic-reich.html

Almost six years later, and I still haven't done anything at all with these. How depressing.

Monthly Goal Update

Greetings, Ladies and Gents...

Felt like I ought to update my progress for the month. So first, the stuff that is being painted:

• 40x 15mm Zulus [Stone Mountain]: Mailed to painter. I realized I want the troops, but I don't want to paint them. New painter this time; I'll review the work when I receive the minis.
• 20x 15mm Luftschiffetruppen [Old Glory]: 80% done. Touchup, basing, and clear coat.
• 10x 25mm Feral Martians [RAFM]: 40% done.
• Aeronef Papal Fleet [Brigade Models]: Total of six ships. About 60% done. I made some alterations to the fleet paint scheme that need to be redone on several ships.

Regarding new purchases, I have been a busy boy, on TMP, eBay and company websites. Also, I have discovered the joy of Bartertown (http://www.bartertown.com), and that has been time consuming. The 'take' so far:

• GW Mordian Lascannon and crew. No gunshield. Repaint and fit with 19th C. field gun wheels.
• Parroom Station Clockwork Soldier (NIB). New 'recruit' for Maton.
• Armorcast Gothic Laboratory Power Generator. Power for the Lascannon.
• 20x Copplestone Castings German Colonial Marines. Destined to be Luftschiffetruppen.
• Wyrd Miniatures's Malifaux Brass Arachnid. Nice and big, suitably menacing for Dr. Maton.
• 16x 25mm Japanese cavalry (Russo-Japanese), painted
• 17x 25mm Japanese infantry (Russo-Japanese), painted
• 2x 25mm Japanese artillery, w/ 4 crew (RJW), painted
• GW WFB Lizardmen Stegadon (5 ed.) - only $10! Gex in the howdah... a fearsome weapon on Venus!

And there are still some things I am trying to find at a reasonable price or trade.

• 3x GW Imperial Guard Praetorians with lasguns. Most poses would be okay.
• 1x GW Imperial Guard Praetorian Sergeant, with the powersword.
• 2x GW Imperial Guard Praetorian missile loaders
• GW Imperial Guard Praetorian heavy weapons (especially heavy bolter and autocannon)
• Wargames Foundry Victorian Special "Dr. Jekyll". I will probably order today from Foundry, but at $10.50 for one figure, it hurts!
• A boat to convert to a Martian 'kite'
• And more... always more... *sigh*

So... plenty to keep me busy for the next nine or ten years, at any rate...

New Allies on Venus

Royal Hawaiians Arrive on Jungle Planet

Reporting for duty to Venus, the 25th Royal Oahu Rangers are a specialist corps of tropical scouts and pathfinders known affectionately as the "Birds of Paradise" for their use of tropical bird calls for secret communication in while on missions. Having served in various island actions both against homeland threats and in various island skirmishes, they are adept at navigating the threats of tropical environments. They are skilled in ambush, raiding and counter-raiding tactics and fight in what has been described by many Europeans as a very "un-gentlemanly" manner. Already perfectly acclimatized to hot and humid environments and undaunted by the drizzle and miasma of a rain forest, they were the perfect asset for the Kingdom of Hawaii to lend as aid and a sign of solidarity with the Republic of Texas.

Their commander, Major Thomas Kipitupu, is proud to serve his king alongside his kingdom's Texican allies. He and his men will lend all of their talents to the efforts to forge a new colony in the hostile, shadowy jungles of Venus. Forging paths, scouting new territories and lending warclub and rifle to battle any hostile forces they might encounter, I am sure the Texican Marines on Venus will quickly come to appreciate their merits.

Sadly, our staff photostat artist was confined to his bunk with a nasty fungal infection, so no photostats are available at this time. We hope he will recover soon, so he can get back to work and earn the ridiculously large sum he receives as a per diem from this journal... I tell you, it's the last time I hire one of my wife's useless relatives...

[Editor's Notes: Eli sent me the basic text of the above copy in an email. I made a few minor changes to make it fit in a bit better stylistically, but it's a great addition to the VSF storyline as far as I am concerned. I wonder what's going to happen on Venus? There should be some kind of adventure their in the nearish future if I can pull a few things together. Stay tuned!]

Frogmen!

FROGMEN OF THE AMAZON!

Or somewhere, at any rate. Obviously, these fellows may be relatives of the bloodeye frogs of Venus. My eldest son, Greyson, found these at Historicon and bought a good number of them. It is his first real painting project. I think they look great for a 13 year old. Much better than I managed at the same age, I promise you!

I'm not positive of the sculptor, but the minis are avialable only through Eureka Miniatures. Nic Robson, the owner, came to H-con all the way from Australia, and was a really great guy. He seemed to enjoy talking with my boys all twenty times we visited his stand, and even sent along some rules for the amphibian lads! You can buy some direct from the US distributor at http://www.eurekaminusa.com/. Go now, and tell them I sent you! Look at the turtles too. We have some of those still waiting to be primed....

They still need to be based ( I need to get some bases ordered!), but I think they look awesome.

Finally, below is a shot of the newly based (but not yet dull coated) lizard dog thingy that I got from Splintered Light at Historicon. It is part of their 15mm Lizardman army, but the fellow manning the booth (whose name escapes me at the moment - sorry!) was very obliging when I asked if I could get just a few of these fellows. I love the three eyes.

Fliegerjaeger Photos

Hauptmann Captured On Static Plate!

From Neu Berlin, we have received static plates of the leader of die Fliegerjaeger. He is equipped with a fantastic invention for personal mobility designed by the Kaiserlich Forschungsanstalt fur Geheimewaffen (KFG). The long blades above the captain's head are sent whirling in a circle at astonishing speed, which forces air downward, lifting the soldier straight up into the air! Powered by an ingenious spring arrangement, the device does not last long, but can allow troops to cross thick or difficult terrain in long jumps rather than slowly crossing by foot.

The captain is also armed with a repeating pistol attached to a stock for use as a carbine. His eyes are protected with goggles from the debris flung about by the downdraft of air from his flieger gear.

One can only hope that the scientists of Britain will find some way to counter this astonishing device.

Vardu Plans

The following is a quote lifted from copy text Matt Beauchamp of Hydra Miniatures' blog. It was posted two years ago...

Xenophobic and defensive in nature, the humanoid plant race of the Vardu rarely travel far from their native rainforests. The Vardu are not one species of plant-being, rather they are a variety of different species linked by collective intelligence of their surroundings. Silent yet ferocious when provoked, the Vardu use dried organic weapons from the forest - large seedpods on rigid stems become clubs, enormous dried leaves become blades. The humanoid Vardu warriors tower over most enemies on the battlefield. Their gnarled bodies are a mass of tendrils formed into strong sinews. A thick wooden hide usually protects their central bodies and their limbs and body often sprout incredible sharp thorns. Their blossom-like "heads" contain all of their sensory and sexual organs and are often opened dramatically in battle to enhance their awareness, aid in comunication, and frighten invaders. the Vardu reproduce by budding, and small sproutlings emerge from the leaf-like structures that project from their backs. These sproutlings finally drop to the ground and gain mobility, easily swarming invaders. The exotic Vardu elders are rather exotic and are easily identified by an abundance of brilliantly colored, feather-like petals sprouting from their heads and backs. Covered in sharp spines and rough barky armor, the Vardu blood thorns are the most dangerous close combat warriors of the forest. Breeds of smaller, muscular, carnivorous quadrupeds known as maw hunters serve as the "hunting dogs" of the Vardu. their strong limbs allow them to overrun their enemies and their gaping maws can make short work of their prey. Ambling quietly along the forest floor, the sporers are bloated multi-limbed fungi with massively oversized heads. A distinctive whoosh sound can be heard as the plant-thing launches a powdery cloud of spoors, choking all non-plant creatures in the vicinity. These floating clouds of spoors are also used to cloud enemies vision, thus allowing the Vardu warriors to advance undetected.

So far, only the Vardu sprouts have been released. I own twenty, for use on Venus in both 15mm and 25mm scale, although they are technically supposed to be 25mm miniatures. I love the scale-neutrality of the sprout figures, which stand between 20 and 24mm tall. As Matt himself says, "They'd be perfect for pulp/VSF games..."

Why do I bother to post about this? I am hoping to drive more business Matt's way so that he'll produce more figures. You should definitely check out his Retro Raygun stuff too, for retro-looking robots that make for great VSF automatons (see them elsewhere on this blog!).

And for the record, I have no financial interest of any sort in Hydra Miniatures, nor have I ever met Matt personally. Just a very happy customer who is looking forward to more products from a talented sculptor.

Painted Minis Arrive, Part 3: Red Gex

More painted minis from White Ape Painting Studio!

This time around, its the red gex getting the treatment. Again, the first photo is the sample I did and sent out with the minis needing paint:

And here are two of the nine I had returned:
Still pretty pleased with them. Cathy's communication was good, and she sent photos a couple of times during the painting process which helped get a few things cleared up. More on that in the next (and last!) installment of this mini-series.

Painted Minis Arrive, Part 2: Blue Gex

Following on from yesterday's posting regarding my newly arrived painted minis from White Ape Painting Studio, this is the second unit of four sent. These were once metal GW skinks armed with javelins. They are now a unit of spear-armed Gex from Venus!

The first photo is a closeup of the sample that I painted and sent to Cathy, the painter. He's obviously a leader of some sort.
And here's a closeup of a typical member of the nine figure squad I commissioned:
As before, the lack of basing is at my request. I think she did a pretty good job of matching my sample figure, don't you? There are a couple of spots on these figs that I think I may need to touch up, but I think that's more due to my OCD than anything else.

More to come!

Painted Minis Arrive, Part 1: Gaters

If you have been following this blog for a bit, you may already know that about three months ago I did something I have never done before in my gaming career: I sent minis off to be painted for me. Now, I usually paint my own, and am fairly confident that I can produce a good figure. And I have bought pre-painted before, and been both very pleased and very disappointed. But I've never sent bare lead off to be painted for me. So this is a new one.

I chose to send the figures to White Ape Painting Studio, owned by Cathy Hamaker out of Indiana. Why not one of the big Asian studios? Two reasons: 1) Postage. Way too high for the 40-ish figures I was sending to be painted. 2) The economy. I am trying to promote 'buying American' when possible. The prices were pretty competitive with the Asian guys, especially when you took postage into consideration, and, well, I felt a bit better not having to deal with customs and all of that.

So, on to the reviews. Overall, I am pretty happy with Cathy's work. This first batch I am showing you are what I call Gaters in my VSF universe, but most of you would recognize them as Games Workshop Saurus (the old plastic ones from the boxed set that have been sitting about forever). I sent the mounted figure below as an example of the color scheme I wanted.

And this is what she returned to me today:

Really, not a bad match. You may be looking at the bases and saying to yourself "Uh... what's up with the bases?" That's my fault - I asked that she not do any base work so that I could get everything matching up. Once I do that, and hit it all with a shot of matte varnish, I think this unit of Gaters is pretty much done, although I do need a hero for it. Anyone with a nice metal Saurus hero type - a Temple Guard would work too! - give me a shout.

I'll be posting more - there are three more batches to go. So look for a new posting every day for the next few days.

More Tales of Ol' W.J.

17 May 1881

Another week and three more dead herbivorous reptiles. W.J. Struthers III, our overbred and overpaid civilian 'guest' was bragging about how he shot all three "on the run." However, Sergeant McKay of the dragoons was out on a patrol and he said the stegosauruses were calmly eating swampweed when he killed them. The stegos just looked at him as he approached to within thirty feet before he shot. The funny part was when Ol' W.J fell in the muddy swamp water, and got soaked from head to foot as a stego charged him because he was creeping up on one of her three hatchlings. Just like one of our longhorns back home! As he was telling the story, McKay's face was contorted in an amazingly accurate caricature of Struther's ugly mug. Sergeant Garcia spit the beer he was drinking across the room at the sight, drenching Sergeant Mendoza. Continuing the story, Sergeant McKay said Ol' W.J. was running for dear life as the mom's spiked tail was swinging dangerously close to him. W.J.'s men were running for their lives as well, except for the cook who was just watching the show from a safe and sensible distance.

On a more serious note, this week Doctor Palmer and Caruthers uncovered a coffin elaborately decorated with artwork showing the life of its owner. On the walls there was also pictures and more of the strange writing. The crypt under the temple had four guardians idnetical to the ones in teh upper temple, but on a smaller scale as they were only six feet in height. No one has moved the coffin yet, as the explorers were all searching for traps on it. Crypts and temples like this one back on Earth are often full of many nasty devices that have killed many would-be thieves and explorers.

Well, it is time to hit the Mess for dinner, a fine cigar, and hopefully some more funny stories about Ol' W.J.

The Rainy Season Ends

10 May 1881

The addition of bricks to the main building is definitely a fine sight to see. I think Corporal O’Hara and his crew have done a great job on their masonry work as well as keeping the steam generated machines running in an efficient manner. The roads are also taking shape as the rainy season has finally ended and we are just receiving the daily drizzle. The sub-base and stone roads are taking shape as I envision us someday connecting our fort with Camp Trafalgar. The Limeys are talking of building a railroad to link the two camps already and are expecting to get approval from London. I cannot imagine how many troops we would lose in building the railroad as the landscape is still unknown in many aspects and the terrain is something difficult to venture across (except by dirigible).

Seaman 1st Class Johansson has been away from his sawmill duties this week as he has been gallivanting across the sky in the Orca with the officers and also W.J. Struthers himself. If the Orca loses steam I am sure we can use Old W.J. as a power source as his tales of grandeur are never ending. The officers still hear his tales continually as they are forced to eat with him on a daily basis. This is one of those times I am grateful I am not an officer and would have to be polite to someone of Old W.J.’s stature.

W.J. Struthers III has shot four different species of dinosaurs / reptiles this week and has already had their hides treated in the sun. Not one of the species is hostile in the least, and I cannot believe he shot a Grillag to mount on his wall. That would be like shooting a longhorn and mounting its head on your wall. His men are very skilled and his cook is an exquisite baker and definitely gives Sergeant Thibodeaux a run for his money in his ability to turn out a meal. The difference is Sergeant Thibodeaux cooks meals for a whole battalion and Mr. Kinsley only cooks for small groups of people. Plus, I would never tell Sergeant Thibodeaux that someone can cook better then him. Besides reducing my rations, he would probably put one of those Cajun curses on me.

The temple has been quite amazing as Doctors Caruthers and Palmer say they have uncovered a few new artifacts from the antechamber on the north end and believe they have found an entrance to a crypt.

I am hoping to receive word form my oldest boy Ian, but I do not expect much as he is in fish camp at Gannon Military Institute for the next two months and his freshman year will be quite long and difficult. Enough for now. Time for a cigar and a walk to the mess.

Tales of Delusion

03 May 1881

Wow, what a week we have had! Between the ever boisterous noises of self promotion from the Honorable W.J. Struthers III it is amazing anyone else is able to talk. His clothes are very extravagant and do not seem very useful for spending any length of time in the field. He wears a necklace full of different teeth of animals; the biggest set of teeth he claims came from a Sasquatch in the Oregon Territory of the United States. He says he stalked the 8 foot tall beast for six days after it had killed two of his fellow adventurers. On the morning of the sixth day he shot the beast from a distance of half a mile. He says the beast turned toward him and started running a full gait and seemed to be unaffected by the gunshot of his trusty Sharps .45-70 rifle. At this point in his tall tale I started to snicker and managed to hide it in a loud cough as our new commanding officer Lieutenant Soto gave me the look to control myself. I glanced at RSM Taggart and I thought he was going to burst at the seams. In the end of the story our weaver of tales said he killed the towering beast with a slash to its neck with his trusty Bowie knife. The man definitely has a way of words and is a great public speaker but I could take no more as I would have soiled my pants if I would have stayed longer. I asked Lieutenant Soto if the NCOs could leave as we had to make rounds and double check our men and the camp to ensure we werwe ready for the expected storms tomorrow. RSM Taggart followed suit and his men left as well. Once we got outside and into the NCO mess the laughter from my fellow NCOs was uncontrollable. Sergeant Manuel McKay of the green leg dragoons does a great impersonation of the Honorable W.J Struthers III and he kept us laughing for days as he would recite the tale. Of course this was all done in the confines of the NCO mess as it would be bad examples of leadership to openly joke in front of the men.

The Dragoons have made several mounted patrols and have the best of equipment. You can definitely tell the cavalry and all supporting units attached to them get most of the military’s budget. They are very professional and seem to carry out there duties to with the greatest attention to the surroundings. It did take them a little bit to get use to the Pachysaurs as riding an upright, bipedal lizard is quite different from riding a horse or camel. Well, it is time to get some dinner and Lady V is moaning as she is hungry as well.

New Stuff from Forge of Ice

Fellow named Alex Bates out of Alaska has started up a new miniatures company. It's still pretty low key, but he has a few items I think are just perfect for Venus: shields made from large turtle shells! I was thinking at least a batch for my elite Gaters, who are going to be made from old GW Saurus Temple Guards when I get around to that project...


Check out the photos below, from his website [http://forum54.oli.us/index.php?topic=5205.msg43690#msg43690] where you can order them. I want to say they are about $1-1.25 per. He has some other very interesting items as well: spears, huts, peacocks (!)...



I sure hope Alex doesn't mind me snagging these photos. It is to help drive some sales for his company, after all...

Visitors New and Old

26 April 1881

The RTS Santa Fe battle group arrived once more today after five weeks. We received some expected and unexpected guests. We had the pleasure of receiving new marines as well: Lieutenant Miguel Soto, Colour Sergeant Michael Standowski and Corporal Fredrick O’Hara.

Lieutenant Soto is our new commanding officer and Mr. Griggs is taking the executive officer billet, as well as command of Second Platoon. Mr. Soto is a Naval Academy class of ’77 with two years in grade as a lieutenant, which will put him as the third-highest ranking officer on camp as he is senior to the Army lieutenants. He is from Los Pines, Sonora Province.

Colour Sergeant Michael Standowski and I go way back as we were corporals together (his second time at being a Corporal) but he always seemed to get into trouble and I think has been busted twice. Once was an altercation with the RSM’s daughter and the last was striking an officer. He is an experienced boxer, with the nose to prove it. He was the All Pacific Fleet Champion when we were stationed in Guayamas Naval Base, but that was twelve years ago and these days he has calmed down and is assuming the role of platoon sergeant for Second Platoon. For the record, he is still the biggest man I have ever seen in a Marine uniform. He is all of 6’8” in his stocking feet, and weighs a good 300 lbs; he stands a good seven inches over my head.

Corporal O’Hara is new to me as well but Colour Standowski says he is the best maintenance NCO he has ever seen. Seems Corporal O’Hara has a knack for anything mechanical and also works as a brick mason. So his squad will be performing maintenance and masonry/rough carpentry work as needed. We are now officially a company of Marines and should not expect any further growth for a while.

The Army battalion received another officer as well, one Subaltern Williams. As we get new officers fresh from school, Mr. Griggs keeps smiling because he outranks all of the other subalterns on Venus. The Army also received a troop of dragoons, the infamous "green legs." As mounted infantry they will ride the Pachysaurs on patrols but are by no means 'real' cavalry. The dragoons act as the infantry attached to cavalry and camelry units. The Square did not want to part with any of their precious cavalry, so sent the dragoons instead. It will be interesting to see how they get along with the black and red legs. Subaltern Williams graduated just three months ago, and had just finished Camelry School before volunteering for this assignment.

On the strange side of the house, we have the dubious pleasure of the appearance of the famous big game hunter, Mr. William Jameson Struthers III. He is an arrogant but very rich man, because his family owns the Struthers Ranch, the biggest ranch in the Chihuahua Province. And if you didn't know, he'll be the first to tell you about it. He had enough money and influence to hitch a ride on the Santa Fe, carting along five servants and more luggage than an entire squad of Marines. His money has put him in the guest quarters, while his servants will sleep in the junior enlisted berthing with the Army.

Struthers spends all of his time sipping martinis, complaining about the accomodations here on Venus, and shooting game for sport. He claims to be the best shot in the entire world, claiming to have killed a lion running full speed at five hundred yards. He seems to be not much more than a huge bag of hot air. The man even wears a monocle! Maybe we should introduce him to the Orca!

Struthers even has two pet news reporters with him, "to record his astonishing adventures on Venus," as one of the fawning idiots phrased it. One is from the Guayamas Gazette and the other from the Williamsburg World. I hope they last longer than the one who disappeared in the jungle two months ago. He got swallowed up so fast, I can't even recall his name. You should have seen the looks on the two scribblers' faces when I told them about that! I'll bet they won't set foot outside the walls of Fort Humid until it's time to go back to Earth.

Chief O’Malley was as jolly as ever and hand delivered some fine Sonoran wine to Father Flannigan for Sunday Mass.

Forty Five Years in the making.

21 April 1881

Although today is a Tuesday, we have taken the day off to celebrate San Jacinto Day. Yes, it was only 45 years ago today that we defeated the Mexican Army at the Battle of San Jacinto. The few survivors left from the battle will march in a parade in the capital today, followed by a massive barbecue luncheon at the site of the battle. We saluted with our two artillery pieces today, firing blank charges into the air at noon. Father Flannigan gave a wonderful speech after his special blessing of the food. I do not think I would be able to swallow another bite as I am full from smoked Grillag and sausage. Plus, the men had a fun game of rugby and there was a double ration of ale for the day's feast. Needless to say, there was a lot of rather bawdy singing going on.

About half of the men have relatives that fought in the war, including Corporal Redfeather, whose grandfather was a scout for President (then General of the Armies) Sam Houston. A good deal of the men are recent immigrants and first generation Texicans. My grandfather had not yet immigrated to Texas and was still in the Royal Navy at the time of the battle.

Well, I am headed to bed and calling it a day. Happy Birthday Texas.

Rainy Days Again

19 April 1881

Another week down and another week of work completed. All is well here besides the endless supply of rain. I would love to be in weather forecasting on this planet! I imagine it would go something like this: “Today it rained, with the sun making it hot and humid in the morning, followed by more afternoon rain and a little rain through tonight. Tomorrow we shall expect more misty rain, followed by sunshine, except during the occasional sudden downpour of torrential rain, to be followed by alternating rain and sun through out the day.” I would love to have a day that my boots did not get soaked. I am just glad we were issued three pair for this assignment. The black legs have two cobblers who are constantly working on repairing our boots.

Corporal Redfeather is doing a wonderful job. His discovery of the clay pits has kept his kiln ever so busy with the task of making bricks. Major Higgins has requested to have the battalion’s Headquarters Building reinforced with brick. Mr. Griggs tried his best to overturn the major, but they "flipped for it"* and three moons beats one every time. So Corporal Mendoza and his crew will lay the brick around the HQ, while Corporal Redfeather's crew is working on roads and more bricks.

The RTS Santa Fe battle group is expected to return next week with more provisions and probably more black legs. It will be nice to receive mail as I am waiting to see if my oldest wrote me. He graduates high school next Friday, and the following day will pack up and head to Gannon’s Fish Camp. I am keeping this short today and will write more later; RSM Taggart and I are up for a game of chess and cigars.

[*"Flip you for it": A term used in jest as a poker move. All in attendance will cover up their rank with the right hand and when the hand is removed, the one with the highest rank showing wins. Of course, the highest ranking man in the group always wins. For example: "Mr. Griggs I understand your concern. I am a gambling man, so I will 'flip you for it' and whoever has the highest hand wins.” Both men cover their ranks and the major looks down at his shoulder. “Well, Subaltern Griggs, it looks as if I have the highest hand, so I win. Again. Now, about these walls I want built…” ]

Painting Service

I am using a very nice person to paint some miniatures for me right now. I will pass the name of the service along once they are done with my stuff, as I don't need them distracted by hordes of orders.

Communication has been good, and I received by email the first photos of the first unit that has been completed. I know the bases are bare - I asked that they be left alone so that I could match to my other bases.

The skink all the way to the left is the sample I sent. I think the others match fairly well, don't you? So far, I am pretty happy with the service, which I was nervous about, as I have never sent off anything to a painting service before.
Obviously, these fellows are bound to be Gex from Venus, one of the two main species of Lizardmen on the Veiled Planet. There should be another ten of these, for a total of 20, plus some Gaters and a dozen 15mm British lancers in the order. I expect it to be done in about a month, and I'll post more when I get it. If the painter keeps this up, I'll be trumpeting their name both here and on TMP.

Our First Easter on the Veiled Planet

12 April 1881

Today was a beautiful day for our first Easter on the Veiled Planet. Both reporters wrote stories of reflection and took pictures of the occasion. Father Flannigan was right on once more and his service was in the open outside of the chapel. We had two men this morning convert to Catholicism. As they were baptized it was quite a pleasant occasion. The sun even came out for a few hours in the morning, before returning behind the neverending clouds. Miracle enough for most of us! Father Flannigan said every Sunday’s worship service should have this turnout and told everyone they needed to worship every day and just not on Christmas and Easter. If the men listen to Father Flannigan and start attending we will have to build another, larger chapel.

The cross for the outside service was assembled in secret by one of my Marines (we think - Father Flannigan isn't talking), though no one took credit. The mystery woodworker also carved a Jesus out of the face of the wood and I was amazed at the skills of whoever built it. I have my suspicions but I would not single anyone out. Father Flannigan thanked us for the altar and the crucifix.

We followed up Holy Services with a big lunch of flounder, Venusian alligator and grillag. Sergeant Thibodeaux and his cooks out did themselves once again. I swear they are using off-world spices but they say they have been using only what has been found here at the foothills and in the swamps. We all shared in wine and ale with our meal and it was quite a joyous day.

The officers went exploring in our dirigible the Orca once again, this time to the west over the ocean and north into the highlands. Seaman 1st Class Johansson was exhausted from his trip and crashed early. God Bless this wonderful day, as it is time for us to hit the rack once more, I just have to take Lady V for her evening walk as I do not want her to make a mess in my hut.

Weapon Qualifications

11 April 1881

Yesterday we had our bi-annual small arms qualifications as required by regulations for all Republic Marines. Everyone qualified on the standard issue Martini Henry and NCOs holding the rank of corporal and above had to qualify with both the Martini Henry Rifle and 1877 Colt Dragoon. Like always, I earned a "Sharpshooter" qualification. I just can not seem to qualify as an "Expert" (Order of precedence: Marksman, Sharpshooter and Expert). Mr. Griggs qualified "Expert" and shot range perfect on the pistol. He almost beat Lance Corporal Jones (not to be confused with Private Jones or Corporal Jones) with the rifle. After we qualified and met our requirements, Major Higgins challenged us to a shoot-off with the enlisted shooting Martinis and the officers shooting the Dragoons. Lance Corporal Jones as always blew the competition away and Subaltern Griggs outmatched all of the Army officers, with Captain Lamar coming in second by seven bull’s-eyes. I am not surprised by the results, as Marines pride ourselves on our shooting; after all we are all still infantry first and engineers second. It also helps to have Mr. Griggs on our team, as he was on the Naval Academy's shooting team. Petty Officer 3rd Class Valen was on hand to document the event and even used his new subminiature camera box to capture the event. It is amazing to see the advances in technology as I would have never thought a box camera could fit in your hand.

The temple added more to the mystery this week as Doctors Carruthers and Palmer found another hidden door in the antechamber leading north towards the Highlands. It seems as though they were pressing the stones that moved and found the correct combination. As the door opened the Guardian on the West wall turned his head north and his upper torso shifted as well where the spear tip faced the corridor. I am not getting anywhere near that temple below ground as it always feels evil to me. Lady V will not go down the stairs either and I trust her instincts as animals seem to be able to sense things better than us humans.

Next week we will be playing Rugby against the Brits. The Army's Blacklegs team will go first, taking on their 24th Regiment's team, and then we will play the British engineers the following week. It is nice to have these challenges as it helps to pass the time and get the men’s attentions focused away from the strains of life for a short period of time.

Mr. Griggs confirmed that he will be assuming the Executive Officer role when the RTS Santa Fe battle group returns. We are expecting another squad of Marines to arrive, making it six squads and two platoons, with a colour sergeant as well. Sergeants Garcia and Cromwell will stay as the platoon sergeants and the new colour sergeant will be the company sergeant. No word as yet who the new lieutenant or captain will be. Mr. Griggs is not down in the mouth at all, but is actually looking forward to the change as we will have an officer of higher rank to represent us. Mr. Griggs has come a long way in our time on Venus, and though he still has a ways to go, he has learned to trust the judgement of his senior NCOs.


[Editor's Note: The 1877 Colt Single Action Dragoon revolver in .45 long caliber was the standard issue military side arm for the Republic Military in 1881. The design proved quite popular overseas as well, and was exported to both the United Kingdom and the United States in large quantities. All of the former 1860 Colt Single Action Dragoon revolvers in .44 caliber were either sent to the Yucatan Republic or remained with the Republic Militia Forces. All enlisted men and NCOs are armed with the current service rifle or carbine, depending on service branch. Officers are armed with sword and revolver, and NCOs may carry a revolver as well. Cavalry troopers often carry non-standard issue pistols as back-up to their sabers for mounted combat. The only exception is the Medical Corps, members of which carry pistols only.]

First Man Returned to Earth

05 April ….

Private Wells was transported to Camp Trafalgar aboard our dirigible, Orca, with further transportation to Earth to be carried out aboard the HMS Fitzgerald. It will be another week at least until the RTS Santa Fe is expected to return, and we needed to send Wells back for better treatment than we can deliver on Venus. The other two men, Privates Johnson and Kelley, will return to duty tomorrow, although on a limited status. I just hope this is the last of the deaths and injuries we receive but that would be naïve of me to truly believe. RSM Taggart is feeling more comfortable, as he is almost at full regulation battalion strength and is more than happy his men are returning to duty. All three privates will receive the notorious "bloody slash."

Corporal Mendoza and crew returned back to Fort Humid to build additional water tanks and windmills in which to utilize the water from the wells they have been drilling these past two months. We currently only have two tanks and two windmills, and after their construction project is complete we should have an additional three around the fort's interior. Sergeants Garcia and Cromwell have also been building additional chariots on their spare time, as there are plans to utilize them once the new roads are built. Corporal Jones is still working on the new warehouse and is approximately 90% complete. Corporal Redfeather is working on the brick kiln and intends to send a small aerial patrol further north to find an gravel pit and hopefully a quarry. They will first utilize the Orca piloted by Seaman 1st Johannson, and if they spot a potential site will then send a mounted patrol north. We are still only using mounted patrols as we are better to maneuver from those fast dinos.

RSM Taggart and I talked about our boys and also about the anticipation and speculations of what they will face as fish at G.M.I (Gannon Military Institute). We talked of our time in the service, as we both joined as soon as we were out of school at the tender age of sixteen. Both of us completed school because our dads were both serving as career NCOs in the Republic military. It runs in the family, I suppose. It's still rather unusual, because most men do not graduate from school as the Republic is still very rural. Only about three out of ten men continue past the 6th grade. Petty Officer 3rd Class Valen, our resident Alamo Gazette combat journalist, has still been writing on the troops and Mr. Griggs. I'm looking forward to seeing what he has written about us, as only the officers have been permitted to read the drafts he is sending home. We grunts will just have to wait for a paper to make its way back to us.

Mr. Griggs will have one year in grade come May and will be very happy to start his second year as a subaltern. If we receive more troops, it is very likely we will receive another officer of lieutenant grade and Mr. Griggs will be forced to take on the position of executive, rather than commanding, officer. I think it will be difficult for him to step down in position, as these last seven months he has been in charge of us. We will also receive a colour sergeant as well if that happens. I would be happy to have Garcia promoted, as I am impressed with his performance here on Venus, but he does not have enough time in grade yet. He has only been a sergeant for one year and must at least have two more years in grade before he is eligible for promotion. (This should not be a problem for any of us, since we are the 1% of the Republic Marines who are serving off Earth). Well, I'm off the NCO Mess for dinner and a cigar.

[Editors Note: Wound Stripe (aka the Bloody Slash): For receiving an enemy-inflicted wound in battle, a member of the Republic’s armed forces is eligible to receive a Wound Stripe. This takes the form of a red ribbon, four inches in length, one half inch wide, with the location of the battle in gold on the ribbon. The ribbon is sewn diagonally at a 45-degree angle above the cuff on the left sleeve. Multiple awards are possible; additional ribbons are sewn above the first.]