Sleeman's Sons & the Thuggee

[Wirelizard]

or, Random Late Night Thoughts Toward An Alternate/Additional Strange Aeons Setting...

Thinking about my existing figure collection and a possible SA background that would fit nicely into it, I started thinking about Thuggee and British India. I have a good collection of British troops in WW1/interwar tropical kit, a fair number of other figures in tropical gear, and a small but expanding set of Thuggee, which are some of Bob Murch's most recent and best-ever sculpts.

Mainstream history records the Thuggee cult as being a group of Kali-worshipping stranglers who preyed upon travellers across India for about 150 years before being thoroughly and effectively suppressed by the British (in particular, the British administrators William Bentinck and William Henry Sleeman) in the 1830s & 1840s.

Or, as Wikipedia puts it, They were seemingly destroyed by this effort. The most secret innermost archives of the British Raj (and the whispered village legends of India) report an even darker and more terrible background to the Thuggee, however. Alarmed but unwilling to officially acknowledge what they had learned in suppressing the Thuggee, a clandestine and semi-official group of Britons, sympathetic Indians and others formed in the early 1840s, working in the shadows to protect the crown jewel of the British Empire from things even darker than Russian machinations, unruly Native princes and tribal border raids.

These men (and soon enough, women) eventually called themselves Sleeman's Sons, after William Henry Sleeman. Decades later, they are still at work across British Indian and in adjoining territories, and they have been known to work in England itself and further afield when particular incidents have subcontinental orgins.

=====

Who says cultists need to be random European dudes in robes? Werewolves? Weretigers! Missing Links? Yeti, obviously. And of course, all sorts of non-Indian evil might have arrived with the British and other foreigners...

I think I need to hit the library this weekend for some books on Indian mythology and folktales...

[Mason]

Now that sounds bloody good to me.

In fact, I think you have mentioned this before in my British SA thread at some point.
It sounded interesting then and even more so now.

I agree that it would provide a nice alternative to the norm.
The Indian culture and sub-continent should provide you with plenty of inspiration.

I can see the attraction in using a more exotic clime.
I intend moving my own campaign to Africa in the (distant) future for a little variety.
Just need to sort out the scenery first.
 

I look forward to seeing this progress.
 

[Oldben1]

Some good ideas here.  What about a mine terrain board like the one from Temple of Doom.  looking at your Flickr account I know you have train tracks.

[Furt]

I have thought of some horror games set in India myself, considering our large collection for Indostan.

Have you seen Mysteries of the Raj from Chaosium - it may have what you need.

http://catalog.chaosium.com/product_info.php?products_id=5128

[Wirelizard]

Now that sounds bloody good to me.

In fact, I think you have mentioned this before in my British SA thread at some point.
It sounded interesting then and even more so now.

I did, ages ago, and it's been percolating in the back of my mind ever since. I was prepping new Thuggee figures to paint last night and that brought it back to my attention.

I have thought of some horror games set in India myself, considering our large collection for Indostan.

Have you seen Mysteries of the Raj from Chaosium - it may have what you need.

http://catalog.chaosium.com/product_info.php?products_id=5128

Ah, now that sounds like it's worth grabbing, as Chaosium usually produce good stuff. Your link is to the physical book; it's also available as a PDF from DriveThruRPG.

Once I get more Thuggee painted up that'll take care of my regular human figures, but now I'm going to start rummaging around for suitable subcontinent-themed monsters, creatures and gribblies in 28mm.

And of course searching for "28mm tiger" gets me pages about WW2 tanks. To start with the most basic scary subcontinental animal, anyone know who makes a nice Bengal Tiger in 28mm?

[Furt]

Foundry has a nice one in its Tiger hunt set (albeit a little small)



And Northstar has this beauty



http://www.northstarfigures.com/prod.php?prod=2294

[Wirelizard]

That Northstar tiger is indeed gorgeous, as is the tigress they also have. I think there might have to be an order in to NS at some point in the not-to-distant future!

I've got about fourteen or so lovely new Pulp Figures Thugee Cultists on the go right now, some of which will be appearing in a future LPL round. I've also got Pulp Figure's very nice Sergeants Three - 1930s pack to provide the British with some field leadership who have experience in fighting the dread Thuggee. My regular British Army in India infantry are mostly Brigade, with a mix of Brigade and Pulp Figures for officers, NCOs and characters. The civvies are mostly Pulp Figures. I want some "locals" eventually, peasants and such. Might have to go back to some of the Indian Mutiny ranges for Indian civilians.

I also want to do some more ruins and temple bits, probably done without bases so they can appear equally at home in steaming jungles, inhospitable deserts and the mysterious high passes of the great mountain ranges!

Incidentally, this is post #2000 for me at LAF. Slightly over 1 per day in the five years and not-quite-a-month since I joined. This place is a bad habit, and not one I want to quit!

[superflytnt]

I've played "British India" .45 Adventure scenarios and it's fun, especially with the little Pith-hat wearing Britons and little Turbanator Indian footmen.

Good times.

[ink the troll]

No idea of how much (if any) use this will be to you:

The Mara & The Daughters of Mara might be worth having a look at for minis: http://lohwand.blogspot.de/search/label/Garden%20of%20Kama
 
Copplestone has some Tibetans & Yaks

On the Harwood Hobbies site are some preview pics of female Kali cultists: http://www.harwoodhobbies.com/page7.htm

Studio McVey has this limited edition Elephant headed, four armed guy (not small and not cheap though): http://studiomcvey.highwire.com/product/smm31--hathya



Here's some links to books on archive.org- they're all readable online and can be downloaded as well (no need to register or pay fees), there's more to be found on that site as well:
Indian Myth and Legend (1913 ), Donald A. Mackenzie 
http://archive.org/details/IndianMythAndLegendeurAsianNarrative-IncarnationsOfGod-EpicStory

The popular religion and folk-lore of northern India (1896), Crooke, William (part I & II)
http://archive.org/details/popularreligionf01croo
http://archive.org/details/popularreligionf02croo

Indian fairy tales, Jacobs, Joseph
http://archive.org/details/indianfairytales00jaco2

Vikram and the vampire, or, Tales of Hindu devilry (1893), Burton, Richard Francis, Sir
http://archive.org/details/vikramvampireort00burtuoft

South-Indian images of gods and goddesses (1916), Krishna Sastri, H
http://archive.org/details/southindianimage00krisuoft

The religions of India (c1895), Hopkins, Edward Washburn :
http://archive.org/details/religionsofindia00hopkrich

Buddhist art in India (1901), Grünwedel, Albert
http://archive.org/details/buddhistartinind00gruoft

India and its inhabitants [c1854], Wright, Caleb et al.
http://archive.org/details/indianditsinhabi00wrigiala

Illustrations of the history and practices of the Thugs, and notices of some of the proceedings of the government of India, for the suppression of the crime of thuggee (1837), Thornton, Edward
http://archive.org/details/illustrationsofh00thoruoft

Tibet & Nepal (1905), Landor, Arnold Henry Savage
http://archive.org/details/tibetnepal00landiala

In the forbidden land; an account of a journey in Tibet, capture by the Tibetan authorities, imprisonment, torture, and ultimate release. Also including the enquiry and report ([1904]), Landor, Arnold Henry Savage
http://archive.org/details/inforbiddenlanda00land

[Kitsune]

Seen this? Its a pretty good yarn although my old VHS has long been stolen.



Really must catch up with that one.

[Wirelizard]

No idea of how much (if any) use this will be to you:

All of it! You've basically just done the web and Internet Archive searches I was going to do in the next few weeks for me! (LPL7 is sucking up most of my hobby time right now, so this Thuggee project has been back-burnered for now...)

The Mara miniatures are especially cool; I vaguely recalled seeing them here on LAF at some point but couldn't remember the name.

[Mason]

So it is the fault of LPL7 that you have not gotten any further with this yet.
Well, if you ever needed a worthy excuse, that was it.

Of course, once it is over we will expecting progress, you know.
You do realise that, dont you?
 

As for that ink the troll: Very helpful and knowledgable chap, isnt he?
Most helpful indeed.
 

Looking forward to when you do progress with this.
Oh, Yes!

[Wirelizard]

Those of you interested in this project should probably check out my Round Four LPL7 entry. As they say on the internet, it is relevant to your interests!

(the figures are also getting creamed by a magnificently-painted cavalry unit, but that's another matter...)

[Mason]

I had noticed those when they were put up yesterday.
Very nice, Wirelizard, I am looking forward to seeing where this leads.
 


(As for those cavalry: They are rather spiffing. No shame in that. Blue seems to be having a very good LPL and must be a serious contender).