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Author Topic: Mbadala Ulimwengo - photos added 1/12/2024 (US style of dates)  (Read 1466 times)

Offline FifteensAway

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Mbadala Ulimwengo - photos added 1/12/2024 (US style of dates)
« on: December 09, 2023, 09:38:42 PM »


A map?  Of course.  Explanations?  Naturally.  But not quite yet.  Need to get back to painting figures to 'populate' the map.  Oh, the big 'blue' corner - that's from a solar tube light overflowing on to image when taking a photo to get to here.  Hope it is not too hard to read.  This is a bit of a test.
« Last Edit: January 13, 2024, 07:16:49 AM by FifteensAway »

Offline FifteensAway

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Re: Mbadala Ulimwengo
« Reply #1 on: December 10, 2023, 04:00:58 PM »
An excerpt from a recent edition of the Kwaanzabari Gazette:

MBADALA ULIMWENGO

Despite the public protestations of bringing progress to the natives and other carefully constructed and sometimes plausible lies, everyone - or nearly so, it is presumed, in this particular region of east Africa now known as Mbadala Ulimwengo is looking for the legendary civilization, or at least its ruins, of Zerostroke, fabled land of fabulous colored gem stones, mines for rubies, sapphires, emeralds, etc.  It is said stones the size of a woman’s fist were often found in the mines. 

Of course, the legend also says the mines are well protected, not only by fierce human warriors but also by Greyrillas, an offshoot breed of gorillas with incredible strength and able to withstand multiple wounds that would kill an elephant. 

No one believes after all the millennia have passed since the beginnings of the legend that the people still exist and, of course, that the Greyrillas don’t exist, part of the legend meant to scare away those who might seek the source of wealth.  But everyone it seems believes, or wants to, that the mines exist and are waiting to be rediscovered.

The most nightmare inducing part of the legend is that when you find the passage that leads into Zerostroke you will be able to walk the entire way on a field of human bones, never stepping on the ground itself. 

And the most enthralling part of the legend is that finding the place will yield the wealth of several rich empires combined. 

Men, women, and nations have all been looking for the place after a man crazed to insanity walked out of a distant western jungle some years ago with a small sack containing an ancient and crumbling rhinoceros leather pouch laden with a rainbow of small gems worth nearly a million English pounds and when he was able to speak from time to time repeating in barely legible German in terrified tone "I followed the river through all the swamps to the great rising and through the gorge and somehow stumbled through it in the dead of night but, upon leaving just at breaking of day, oh, the horror, the horror.”  His body was scarred with terrible wounds poorly healed.

Before he passed on he was given paper and ink and tried to draw a crude map which he labeled ‘Mbadala Ulimwengo’ - and then he convulsed horribly and fell into a coma for a few weeks before he died.  The only other coherent words he spoke indicated it was somewhere on the east coast of Africa in a land unknown to Europeans.

This simple and tragic incident set off the sub-Scramble for Mbadala Ulimwengo and accounts for all the settlements found on the updated accompanying map as it currently stands.  Even after a decade, there is still no reliable indication of where Zerostroke might lie.  Of course, the land has revealed lesser riches to be had and it has been found to be populated by various indigenous peoples, none of whom admit to ever even hearing of the legend of the stones though some of them do speak of an ancient ruined city of gold mines long abandoned and slowly being eaten by the jungle.

That unidentified man’s bag of gems financed the first nation to found a colony in these lands, the Germans, who were soon followed by the British and eventually the French and Italians, somewhat later the Belgians, and most recently an United States enclave supposedly trying to stop a trio of American brothers, the Remingpounds, from dragging that country into having an African colony. 

And, of late, it seems these lands were known to a couple of Europeans even before that unidentified man penetrated into the region - or what is earnestly believed to be the region he spoke of.  No evidence suggests these people encountered the unknown man.  There is the famous recluse, Tarzan and his small clan and his allied friendly natives, the Waziri who relocated into this region.  And then there is Odo the Odd, a true eccentric if ever there was one, a man with a deep affinity for native peoples, a master linguist, a crack shot, a man who women swoon for at his merest sight, a man even the nascent film industry at its best - or worst - could not imagine to be real, yet, indeed, he is real.  Odo is one of the extremely few men ever allowed to travel south of Polistoikos to visit the Mphlophe Iqhawe.  Neither Tarzan, clearly genuinely so, nor Odo, unknown how genuinely, admit any interest in Zerostroke.

And then, perhaps oddest of all, is the thoroughly misplaced tribe of warrior women who academia have been furiously debating as to whether or not they are the true descendants of the Amazons.  The debate is from afar for it is certain death to visit them uninvited - and few indeed are ever, or ever have been, invited.

Then there is the inexplicable tribe of the Daftu people, less odd than simply strange and what some have called ‘other worldly’ which is truly daft for they are quite clearly human peoples though with unusual adaptations - who have recruited white men to join forces with them to protect their lands from encroachment. 

The most remote peoples of the region are the outwardly peaceable and, though very stand-offish, seemingly friendly Kuba people who reside between the three great lakes in the west and the long stretch of impenetrable cliffs that confine any expansions in that direction as do the tangled and dangerous jungles to the north and south.  Their Muvira urges an end to the search for these non-existent gems for fear the search might lead to violence.

One element that has helped to keep relative peace among the still quite small population of non-natives in the region is the thirty-six mile shallow shelf that prevents any deep water warships coming close to the coastal regions, only shallow draft river boats have been able to navigate the waters though such vessels can continue across the shelf and deep into the navigable rivers all the way to the lakes. 

There are unfounded rumors that in recent weeks the various European enclaves have been boosting their numbers of soldiers, sailors, and marines via these boats which is an alarming bit of news.

Common across all of these lands is the native wildlife, animals of all descriptions that distinctly say “This is Africa”.  Perhaps this abundance may be the true wealth of the region one day.

Yes, Mbadala Ulimwengo is a different region of the world but in its brief window of awareness to the Western World, it has become known as a land of a great multitude of adventures, some benign, others much less so.  The editors of this esteemed journal are hopeful that peace will prevail and prosperity follow.

———

The “reason” for it all and circa 1885-ish - the general time frame for a Miniatures Adventure Series of Games - not a Campaign, too much trouble, just linked games - give or take as many years as I feel like, past or future of 1885 but within some limited amount of reason, more or less.

The German colony is Seelen-aus-Eisen - to the south of Sumfigfluss, the main and often swampy river, capital Hufttierpfeffer, port city of Schwachsinnighafen, supported by the imported warriors of the Pahg’runt tribe.  The native peoples on this side of the river are the Ennigizimu Abomdabu, with an eastern and western segment.

The British colony is Waverule - to the north of the river, capital Stifflip, and Port Lyttletette, supported by the imported warriors of the Kudkilewe tribe.  The native peoples on this side of the river are the Waqooyi U Dhashay, also divided into eastern and western segments.

The French colony is Maitresse - west of Waverule, capital Ville-de-Badinage.  There are few natives here, mostly the U Dhashay.

The Italian colony is Salsiccia - west of Seelen-aus-Eisen, capital Citta Domani.  Again few natives, mostly the Abomdabu.

The Belgian colony is Leopoldaken - south of Seelen-aus-Eisen and on the coast, capital Schatdorp.  Only roaming natives make an appearance in this region.

The US ‘mandate’ is Manifestia - north of Waverule and on the coast, capital Avaricious Town.  This land is virtually unpopulated with little sign of natives even moving through the area, it is devoid of much in the way of resources.

There are also the regions of Dalka Hooyu Tarzanadoo, the region where the Remingpounds have been most reported though hardly welcomed, and further west Wazirardhi both to the north of Waverule and inland from Manifestia.

To the south of and inland from Leopoldaken are Iqhawe Mhlophe Owezifazane and further west Daftunchi, betwixt the first two lands is the Dimboobway ruins, right on the north westward flowing stream. 

To the far north and acting as a truly formidable barrier is Waqooyi Kaynta and to the far south and every bit as formidable is the Sudeten Dschungel.  To the west is the imposing Vaste Scoglieri, an unbroken and high wall of cliffs.

There are three lakes east of those cliffs, from north to south Lake Muchattea drained by Horseriver, Lago Fenicottero drained by Oiseu Riviere, and Tiefblausee drained by Krokodilfluss - all flowing into the upper Sumfigfluss, the lower river being more swampy, especially near its multiple mouths.  In the lower section of the great river is the Mamba-Viper Island.

The whole is divided roughly into north and south by that mighty Sumfigluss, a broad river with the northern lands divided east and west by the south flowing North River and the south also divided east and west by the north flowing Sudfluss.  Two streams flow out of the northern jungles to form the North River, Lazy Stream to the east and Hordhac Durdurada to the west.  Similarly, two streams flow out of the southern jungles to form the Sudfluss, Bloedigstroom to the east and Izinhlanzi Umfula to the west.

The east or ocean side is bordered by a 36 mile wide shallow shelf that prevents deep sea vessels from reaching the area.  Off shore and right across from the Sumfigflus is the large island of Kwaanzabar, its largest and only substantial city of the same name and the people known as the Kwaanzabari - you might call Kwaanzabar the closest to a 'cosmopolitan' town in the region.  The island rests within Woede Baii, an offshoot of the Umhedeni Ulwandle.  On the eastern side of the island is Maharamia Mahali Pa Kujifichna, a place to steer clear of and under control of fierce pirates.

All of this ‘background’ is devoutly hoped will lead to many a fun table top game hosted by yours truly who should really be painting figures rather than typing and posting this.  All the figures are already owned though I might add a few here and there from time to time.  A large portion are already painted.  Besides painting figures, there is some terrain to work on before the photos start to flow.  So, with so much still to do, I leave this here for your delectation. 

« Last Edit: January 03, 2024, 04:39:20 PM by FifteensAway »

Offline FifteensAway

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Re: Mbadala Ulimwengo - explanatory post added
« Reply #2 on: December 28, 2023, 06:39:35 PM »
In Tarzanadoo did Bubbly Con
A lately treasure roam degree…

Which is not quite how Coleridge’s Kubla Khan starts but it will work for my purposes.

A minor embarrassment, made worse by the figures being already painted, realized upon my morning walk hereby rectified:

“The local natives of Tarzandoo shall be the Pygmies, with the western portion - the Magharibi Kidogo Watu - on the east bank of Hordhac Durdurada and the eastern portion - the Mashariki Kidogo Watu - on the west bank of Lazy Stream.  Their King, Bubbly Con, shall alternate between the two - or ambulate about upon his, um, ‘nefarious’ (?), business.”

Okay, now I feel better!

Offline JBaumal

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Re: Mbadala Ulimwengo - explanatory post added
« Reply #3 on: January 03, 2024, 04:26:34 PM »
FifteensAway, that is quite the background! You really set the stage for a tremendous and exciting sounding campaign. I look forward to reading your battle reports.

Offline FifteensAway

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Re: Mbadala Ulimwengo - explanatory post added
« Reply #4 on: January 04, 2024, 04:46:34 PM »
Thanks JBaumal, it all really started to come together when I started working on that map, ideas flowed out furiously to bring to fruition what had been a reasonable idea of what I wanted but not in quite so much detail. 

Just in the last couple of days I found a couple of 'out of sight, out of mind' boxes of figures to add in to the already excessive - but fun and well organized and probably over half way painted if counting people and animals - figures.  There are four units unarmed that shall be: missionaries, working folk, animal trade (see below), and floozy sorts more through attire than inappropriate behavior (well, mostly).  And then there were six armed units five of which are what I call fezkari, turbanskari, and fezbanskari based on their headgear, 2, 2, and 1.  And the sixth?  I am calling them Swazimjinga and I have some additional figures that I previously had no plans for but I think I will use to expand this 'new' tribe to add into the mix.  I know where they will be located but I'm keeping that under my hat until they make an appearance in a game.

Now, back to the animal trade, here is the man behind the local establishment:

Rikard Svinhjerte, a Dane, goes by Ricky and runs the local trade in selling animals around the world to zoos, circuses, and menageries.  The sign out front of his establishment reads:

“Tricky Ricky’s” Live Animal Trade
Honest and Dependable

Ricky says the nickname comes from all the tricks he uses to safely capture animals.  Some of his customers might say otherwise, especially those who disagree with his slogan.
« Last Edit: January 16, 2024, 05:44:01 AM by FifteensAway »

Offline CapnJim

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Re: Mbadala Ulimwengo - explanatory post added
« Reply #5 on: January 06, 2024, 05:27:46 PM »
That's quite the backstory. It should provide fodder for many a game... :D
"Remember - Incoming Fire Has the Right-of-Way"

Online carlos marighela

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  • Flamenguista até morrer.
Re: Mbadala Ulimwengo - explanatory post added
« Reply #6 on: January 06, 2024, 09:02:07 PM »
In Tarzanadoo did Bubbly Con
A lately treasure roam degree…

Which is not quite how Coleridge’s Kubla Khan starts but it will work for my purposes.

A minor embarrassment, made worse by the figures being already painted, realized upon my morning walk hereby rectified:

“The local natives of Tarzandoo shall be the Pygmies, with the western portion - the Magharibi Kidogo Watu - on the east bank of Hordhac Durdurada and the eastern portion - the Mashariki Kidogo Watu - on the west bank of Lazy Stream.  Their King, Bubbly Con, shall alternate between the two - or ambulate about upon his, um, ‘nefarious’ (?), business.”

Okay, now I feel better!

Presumably a gentleman from Porlock interrupted you mid stream?

Nice little backstory.
Em dezembro de '81
Botou os ingleses na roda
3 a 0 no Liverpool
Ficou marcado na história
E no Rio não tem outro igual
Só o Flamengo é campeão mundial
E agora seu povo
Pede o mundo de novo

Offline FifteensAway

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Re: Mbadala Ulimwengo - explanatory post added
« Reply #7 on: January 07, 2024, 05:13:34 PM »
"Presumably a gentleman from Porlock interrupted you mid stream?"  Ah, someone knows their Coleridge.  :)

Much more likely the interruption was by a Mchawi Wa Kiume, or what we might call a Warlock in English.

And I can assure you, no kasumba was partaken of.   :o   (No, not the actress, the baseball player, or the hyena!!).
« Last Edit: January 07, 2024, 05:18:08 PM by FifteensAway »

Offline FifteensAway

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Re: Mbadala Ulimwengo - explanatory post added
« Reply #8 on: January 13, 2024, 07:04:27 AM »
Some preliminary photos, mostly of animals but some people.  Photography is rudimentary, lighting basic, just adding some interest and showing an inkling of what is still to come.  Not all painted animals are shown below.  I'm sure I will be posting more soon - or at least I hope so.



This is an image of a mixed herd of wildebeest and zebras.  Wildebeest - or wildy beasties as I like to call them - are sourced from Irregular Miniatures African cattle, Stone Mountain Zulu cattle, and Pendraken's 10 mm wildebeest for the younger animals.  Dead animals were created by carefully removing animals from their bases and then slightly flattening with a handheld sledge hammer.  The zebras were sourced from horses and mules - mostly from Irregular, mules work better, but also 10 mm Pendraken zebras for young animals.  Painting is no great shakes, even a bit toy like.  But I ask the reader to consider the task of painting 194 wildebeest and 134 zebras and doing it in 15 mm.  There is a compromise between quality of paint job and preserving sanity at play.



Probably something you would never see in the wild, a half dozen okapi gathered together.  They are mostly solitary animals except for mating and raising young so far as we know, pretty elusive jungle creatures.  Sourced from Toob animals.



A little fun, two people riding African Cape buffalo - a highly improbable and extraordinarily dangerous undertaking I presume.  Each rider is accompanied by a vervet monkey.  The buffalo were a custom ordered sculpting job - the talented sculptor, Roderick Campbell, added the riders on his own and sells them through his Highlander Studios.  I only have the two riders but I also have the dead animals which he chose not to include in his packs.  The lighter skinned rider will be one of my incarnations of the son of Tarzan.



This image shows a couple of dozen of what I hope are vervet monkeys, pretty small.  These are sourced from what is easily the best source for African - and other animals - in the 15 mm world: Irregular Miniatures.



Just a closer shot of some of the wildebeest.



And here are more zebras - the color on the younger zebras is supported by photographic evidence.  And, yes, a bit toy-like but you try painting stripes on that many sculpts!  Enough to make you cross eyed.





Two shots of the other African Cape buffalo, a herd of 48 females and young and another herd of 48 males - and four dead.



Another closer view, the Cape buffalo.



Yes, there really are 64 giraffes in that photo - 60 for the herd, 2 for the wild animal trade, and 2 dead.  A bit toy-like?  Well, yeah.  Actually, I might go back one day and do a little 'touch up' on these to improve them a bit but that is low on the priority list for now.



The long necks get a close up.  The live adults are all from Irregular, the young are from a few sources, possibly some Pendraken but mostly plastics from a few sources including Toob animals.



You've go to love those pachyderms.  66 of them in that shot, again 60 herd, 3 captive, and three dead - the smallest one I did out of sculpey many, many years ago when no one made dead elephants - well, no one does to this day as far as I know, I used a couple of cheap plastics from a bag that gave me quite a few dead animals.



This resin (?) beast is the one I like to think of as my herd's matriarch.  Sources?  Quite diverse including Irregular's African and Indian elephants (can also use for Indian Mutiny with some creative license - I have several of those, by the way), also Minifigs, and lots from various sources, plastic and metal - including at least one N scale metal item meant for circuses.

Getting towards the end.



The warlike part of one of the two main tribes.



The more peaceable villagers, porters, canoes, some bound captives at the lower right and a few other odd bits, leaders mostly.



The 'other' tribe, warriors - a duplicate of the above but with a different color scheme.  These bases are still short their tufts.



The other peaceables. 

Sources are primarily from two manufacturers: Bluemoon and Irregular with a pretty good side dose of Khurasan for the porters including the banana toting men.  Actually waiting for an order for some more from Irregular to add a female element to the porters.



Pygmies!  Enough said - except that warriors are from Bluemoon's range, the villagers I think are mostly Irregular 10 mm figures.



A slightly closer shot of some of the porters.



And, last, a closer shot of some of the villagers.

Mixed in those human shots are a dozen stands of "Great White Hunters" two of which contain female hunters - all with a gun bearer.  Also, about ten stands of 'native' leaders.

Remember, these are not meant to be 'great art' but to add flavor to games set in East Africa.  For me that means a LOT of animals.  While the largest groups are seen above I will probably end up painting as many more animals as you see here (well, you don't see the 96+ quagga, didn't take photos of those but they are all painted but might get some rework to darken their stripes a bit, that is a wait and see).

« Last Edit: January 13, 2024, 07:25:15 AM by FifteensAway »

Offline MaleGriffin

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Re: Mbadala Ulimwengo - photos added 1/12/2024 (US style of dates)
« Reply #9 on: January 13, 2024, 05:58:17 PM »
OMG!  :o I can now prove to my wife someone has mire African stuff than I do!
Hoc quoque transibit
Sanguinem sistit semper

Offline CapnJim

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Re: Mbadala Ulimwengo - photos added 1/12/2024 (US style of dates)
« Reply #10 on: January 13, 2024, 07:15:34 PM »
Crap, holy, one each!  You can start your own miniature wildlife park.  Well done!

Offline FifteensAway

  • Galactic Brain
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Re: Mbadala Ulimwengo - photos added 1/12/2024 (US style of dates)
« Reply #11 on: January 13, 2024, 09:12:17 PM »
MaleGriffin, if it helps, tell your wife that is only about half of the total animals due - 592 shown plus at least another 112 painted so far - on the table and less than half of the total people (not sure of the count shown but I'm pretty sure north of 500) - and almost everything except some casualty and the recently found figures are already primed and ready for painting with some already partially painted on the animal front and a smaller amount on the human front.

CapnJim, one of the alternate games for all those wild critters is to run a kid and mom friendly African photo safari game where players get prizes for getting photos of the most species of animals - just need some rules.  While only seven species of animals (not counting the human species) are shown above, I have at least thirty that will make it to the table when all done.

Something I did not mention about the figures - in each of those warrior boxes are the imported warriors for the Germans and the British, four groups of 12 plus four dead for each colony.  If you look close enough you should see pretty much one dead figure for every twelve figures, warriors and the non-violent types.  And I recently added in 72 European dead plus a few leftovers from other projects which I hope will give me one dead for every 12 (or more) of the European soldiers and civilians.  Not sure I will have dead for many of the 'character' figures - but they are meant to live on and on through many games, well, unless disaster strikes. 
« Last Edit: January 16, 2024, 05:32:49 AM by FifteensAway »

 

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