In Her Majesty's Name - Second Edition, Design Note 4

[Craig]

So, the writing is complete. Eighty-five thousand words, which is more than the original three books all together, and fifteen thousand words larger than Thud & Blunder. A truly mammoth task and a labour of love.
However, the work is nowhere near complete.
Next is the Alpha draft, the first time all those words are combined into a single document, ready to be reviewed, word by word, and line by line by the pair of us. Spelling, grammar, cross-references, points calculations and game sense needs to be checked and, where necessary edited. It is a time of blood and woe!
Then the Beta draft, which goes out to our crack team of nit-pickers. Men who shall show no mercy in their quest for perfection. Any mistake and we shall be flayed on the proof-reader's rack.
Back to us to edit once more, creating the Omega draft.
Meanwhile we shall be talking to artists and people who have displayed great IHMN game photos for the graphic content of the book.
Once we have the Omega draft and the graphics, it is off to the far side of the planet for layout by our comrade Millsy of Cobalt Peak Design.
By then it shall be the Christmas holidays.
In the new year we shall receive the first layout copy to be reviewed once more to ensure there have been no faux pas during that process.
When we have approved a final layout, it is off to our printers in their secret bunker in Lithuania.
While they labour at the presses, we shall be working on the launch, and all the free supporting materials we usually supply.
With luck, and a fair wind, the first print run shall land in Nottingham in early spring.

As an appetizer, here is the list of companies we finally decided on and created:

The Black Dragon Tong
The Brick Lane Commune
Brumby's Marauders
The Crescent Moon
The Entourage of Vlad Tepes - Prince of Wallachia
The Hellfire Club
Lady Helen Quatermain's Airship Privateers
The Honourable East India Company
Le Cabinet Noir
The Kentish Men
La Legion Entrangere
Lord Curr's Incorrigibles
The Mounties
Ninja
The Okhrana
The Pathans
The Prince of Wales Extraordinary Company
A Royal Navy Landing Party
Scotland Yard, Q Division
The Servants of Ra
The Society of Thule
The Templars
Tipoo Sultan
The US Secret Service

Many of these now have access to our new and improved armoury, including airships and mechanized walkers.
Further design notes and updates shall be forthcoming over the next weeks and months.

[Plynkes]

Tippoo Sultan?

If he had lived into the Nineteenth Century, he would have been about 140 by the late 1800s.

I know, it's VSF, all things are possible.

[Poiter50]

Son of Tippoo?

Tippoo Sultan?

If he had lived into the Nineteenth Century, he would have been about 140 by the late 1800s.

I know, it's VSF, all things are possible.

[Craig]

Just for you, a short excerpt from the company listing:
"The original Tipu Sultan, also known as the Tiger of Mysore, was slain in battle with the British in 1799. He was regarded by some as a genius and by others as a madman. His title has now been taken up by a new man – and there is no doubt that this one is truly mad. No-one knows who he really is or where he came from but he shares two other characteristics with the original: fabulous riches and a lust for power. Another defining characteristic is his fascination with exotic technologies and Mystical Powers."

[Plynkes]

Ah, now it makes sense. Cool idea.

[Craig]

Wait until you see his steam-powered, mechanized war elephants 

[Keith]

Ok, starting to get a bit excited about this :-)
Best of luck with the Alpha draft.

[syrinx0]

Wait until you see his steam-powered, mechanized war elephants 

Ok.  Now I'm really interested. 

[Paboook]

I have missed this bit of trivia. Very exciting. Steampunk goes often too far for my taste but IHMN offers excellent mix of history and fiction.