A Rough Future Skirmish Project - Another space gnoll 2/8/18

[Scarper]

Hey again all! Time for something a little different - I'm working on my first crew for Rogue Stars! I'm trying to make them very personal and unique, so each model is going to be largely self-sculpted. The crew are merchants flying on the LCS Samara, though they also do a little less-than-legal salvage on the side. The setting I'm working in is Comora, the system in which my old planet of Caitiff is based, and I have some plans for expanding the background of a few more worlds as I play. Lots of world building fun to be had!

First model up is Imogen Bracken, captain of the Samara and leader of the crew. She's my most in depth sculpt to date - everything but her right hand and head was sculpted from scratch, something I've never attempted before. I learned a lot watching youtube videos and reading up on sculpting and armatures, but there are still a few things I think I would change if I could start again. Overall though, I'm very happy with her!



I've also got a few shots of her green:



And a wee gif of the sculpting process:

[Scarper]

I've also got a little background for the group and the character:

Imogen Bracken. Trader, amateur botanist, captain of the LCS Samara, and in her own words, complete fool.
Born the fifth daughter of a middle class family in a relatively affluent system, Imogen grew up with an education, but no expectations. Disappointing her family with drugs and 'unsavoury associations', she was told to straighten herself out or leave. Though she cut the stimulants, Imogen found it harder to cut her ties with her friends, and eventually a decision was made on her behalf.  
With a sudden urgent need for income, a strong sense of adventure and a fairly naïve view of life in the drift, Bracken set out to leave the planet. With funds amassed with friends, sponsorship from local businesses and in debt to some very questionable former associates, Bracken purchased a small ageing cargo lighter and began heavy modifications to the ship. The plan was to outfit her with an array of hydroponics equipment and life support extension to allow for mid-range travel both within and without atmosphere, allowing the transport of crops and medicinal plants that would not survive the journey in a conventional cargo hold. With a skeleton crew of folk she could trust, Bracken dusted off on the newly christened Samara. There was a potentially a good living to be made in the outer systems, where crops and plant supplies were the lifeblood of the new colonists. Unfortunately, Imogen's reception into the world of interplanetary business was lukewarm at best.
Bracken lacked the ruthlessness for large scale trade. She would sell at a loss to struggling colonies, refuse to undercut competitors for whom she had personal respect, and was over-optimistic in her calculations of potential profit. Pursued by debtors and feeling responsible for worsening conditions and the growing distress of her crew, Bracken went against her better judgement and took on a well-paying job off-system with a man named Vane Finner.  Finner introduced himself as an 'Inquisitor', reportedly working for an influential government within the central planets. He required several samples of rare and dangerous toxic plants from a research base on the jungle planet of Amarok, within the Comora system. The payoff for the job was grand, and enough for Bracken to overlook several crew members' serious concerns about the distance, as well as Finner's evasiveness over the purpose of the samples taken. They made the jump mag-locked to the Saragossa, a jump-capable frigate run by Finner's men.
The job was a disaster. Finner had misled them on the dangers involved in the requisition, and they faced hostile wildlife, virile infection and a local militant group. Bracken lost most of her crew to disease in the hostile jungle of Amarok, and the Inquisitor himself died along with all hands of his expedition team fighting cultists on the planet's surface. The Saragossa jumped from the system in the midst of the conflict, leaving Samara, with no jump drive of her own, stranded in foreign space. Panicked and with no defence against incoming hostile forces, Bracken ordered a dust-off before the return of the last stragglers of the expedition. She would tell herself that this had been a required measure to protect her remaining crew. Perhaps this was true.
A few years have passed since the events that stranded the crew of the Samara in the Comora system, and Bracken and her surviving friends have carved themselves a niche among the foreign worlds. The dead have been mourned, and new crew found both among Finner's marooned men and the populace of local spaceports. Bracken has resumed trading as the Broken Tree Salvage Co., with healthy plantlife again a roaring trade on barren worlds like Caitiff or the many moons and satellites of Dullahan. A new line of work has also emerged in salvage and repairs - jump technology is a rarity in a backwater like Comora, but with enough hulls cracked...
Still a touch too trusting, the difficulties of life in an isolated system have hardened Bracken's heart, and her resolve. She is fiercely defensive of her crew, and has developed a skill at inspiring loyalty. The echoes of her actions on Amarok have not left her mind, or those of her shipmates, but Bracken has nonetheless earned a modest respect from many local traders as a fair and reliable captain.

And finally the cards I've made for her character in game. Rogue stars is a fun system, but relies a lot on modifiers and rules that can sometimes be hard to find! Thought that this would be a decent middle ground for additional info in game.



Apologies for the huge dump on a single character, but I'm really excited for this project!

Please let me know what you think. I'd love any encouraging words, ideas or useful criticism, so please fire away!

[vodkafan]

I like the botanist angle on the character. It would be great if one of the crew was actually a sentient moving plant...

[Scarper]

Nice idea! The botanist thing will have a role in the campaign I'm planning, but an all-human crew for now, I'm afraid 

[Ultravanillasmurf]

Nice painting.

Excellent sculpt.

[Scarper]

Thanks very much, UVS! She was fun to make.

[Scarper]

Next member of the crew is Levin Grigg, ship mechanic. Not a scratch sculpt like Bracken, but using legs, torso and face from Victoria Miniatures, GW hellion arms and a fair bit of green stuff. Hope you like him!


An image of the sculpting stuff:


And a little character background:
A born engineer, Levin Grigg has spent most of his life underground. Raised in a  small community deep within a dilapidated region of Skew Spire just before the environmental disaster that poisoned Caitiff, Riggs was well into his teens before even seeing the surface. He started his career maintaining runners for a merchant in the Warrens, the vast network of transportation tunnels that connected the massive hives penetrating the atmosphere. He served with the Jackal cells of Pinepoint, earning a place in the sprawling town by clearing the mine shafts below it. Even when his military role was ended by a decades-old landmine, Riggs threw himself into improving his home town, working on a water filtration system and rudimentary equipment for the developing hospital. As conditions on the surface improved and off-world trade finally began to return to the barren planet, it was Levin who learned to repair and maintain the often battered trade ships that visited.
Riggs was hired to fix Samara's overloaded afterburner a few months after her arrival on Amarok, taking the initiative to improve her ablative heat shielding and recalibrate the engine drive system as he did. Despite his pride in his work, Bracken's offer of longer-term employment took Levin by surprise. Though he would be leaving behind good friends and good memories, Riggs felt that he had had his fill of life in Pinepoint. It was time to see the sky.
Affable, good humoured, and with a darker sense of humour than his manner would suggest, Levin quickly fell in with the crew of the Samara. His main role on board is the maintenance of the mechanical systems of the ship, but he is also called on for away expeditions where his mechanical expertise may prove useful. Afflicted with a new wanderlust, Levin thrives on novel experiences and new cultures. Fond of cheap alcohol, exotic food and any excuse to explore with his two dogs, Sasha and Bo, Riggs needs little encouragement to join an excursion planet-side.

And finally, the cards for using him in game:


For folks who play Rogue Stars, what do you think of the homebrew rules for his crap prosthetic? Gives the same effect as a crippled limb, but with the added bonus to armour of a bionic. I've valued it at -2XP. Does that sound reasonable?

As before, I'd really appreciate any comments or criticism on the model, the painting or the background. I'm also open to ideas for the crew or the campaign background. Thanks for reading!

[Suber]

Wow, the GS work is stunning

[Scarper]

Thanks very much, scurv and suber! Big learning curve, but im really enjoying being a bit more ambitious with the putty. Hoping to have something new up tomorrow 

[Scarper]

Hey again all - two for one today with the next two crew members aboard the Samara.

First up is Willow Teague, another scratch sculpt, with the exception of a Victoria Minis head. Again, quite a few things I'd like to change if I did it all again, but I'm satisfied with how she came out.


A little background for her:
Willow Teague, shuttle pilot and technician onboard the Samara, is more comfortable aboard a ship than off it. Without the gentle hum of the motor, the whirring of the life support and the creaking of metal, the world seems cold and quiet. Willow was voidborn, with no state or planet, on an ancient Ark ship travelling between worlds.
   Creations of the Thainian religion over five centuries ago, the vast Ark ships were at the time the largest vessels ever built in a human shipyard. Home to several hundred families, the massive craft were sent out into the void with no navigational equipment, leaving the fate of the hundreds of chosen to their creator. Their religion had taught them that the planet on which they landed would be a holy and promised land, where everything they could ever want would be provided for them.
   550 years later, life on Ark 7 was less idyllic. The Ark, though well built, was never designed to fly unmaintained for as long as it had. Over time, circuits failed and cables corroded, and technical problems became more and more commonplace. With localised hull breaches, life-support failures and even rumours of savage creatures in the oldest parts of the hold, death on the Ark was brutal and random. Few remembered the religious teachings of their forefathers, but a new superstition developed among the surviving nomads, passing from generation to generation.
   Willow met Imogen Bracken as a young woman in her home city of Tavi, having been placed there as a refugee following her eventual rescue from the Ark. Close friends and drinking buddies, the Samara was a shared dream between them -  a freedom to choose their own destiny and escape the enforced paths of life that they had found themselves in.
   Notably skilled with technology from a lifetime of fudged and desperate repairs on the Ark, Willow is invaluable to the running of Samara. Her character is odd - she has an optimistic nihilism that some find disturbing, coupled with a few tics and routines that she could not shed on leaving the Ark. Despite this, Willow has an exceptional gift for bringing out the best in others. New crew members initially tend to give the strange tattooed girl a wide berth, but to those who get to know her, she is a loyal and supportive friend. Willow has a fascination with plants both comestible and recreational, having eaten only nutrient slurry for her formative years. Bracken has allowed her a reserved area of the hydroponics bay for growing whatever she can find, and Willow is well known for sharing both delicious foodstuffs and potent drugs.

And finally her cards for the game:


In addition, I have a little buddy for her, DP714, a maintenance droid. First robot I've made from scratch, and a lot of fun to do!


Here's an image of his green:


A little background for him:
  Never far from Willow is her companion and sort-of-pet DP714, known among the crew as 'Dipper'. A maintenance droid originally serving upon Ark 7, Dipper was found in a state of disrepair by Willow as a teenager. Over time she has fixed him up and gradually augmented him with new features and programming routines. Capable of on-the-fly repairs aboard the ship and a fair degree of autonomy in combat with rudimentary AI, DP714 has become a valued member of the crew.

And finally, his cards as well:


Hope you like them, and please let me know what you think. Any input is much appreciated!

[Ultravanillasmurf]

Wonderful sculpts and painting.

[chromedog]

salute of the jugger came up at the pub yesterday and to my surprise one of the guys I drink with knows the brisbane jugger guys who have most of the jugger costume props from the movie. It really is a cult thing that film. I am looking forward to seeing Scarpers ones with jugger weapons.

I know the guy who sculpted the dog skull props for the Jugger games.  He also worked on "The Time Guardian" and has a Jen-diki warrior in his garage.

[Ragsta]

Brilliant work on these latest pieces, the painting and sculpts come together wonderfully. Your fluff, as ever, is a pleasure to read (I went through it all again last night). I really need to up my game re. Rogue Stars - yet another wedding this weekend then I can devote some real time towards some games!!

[vodkafan]

Again, a great little backstory  and nice unique mini.

[Scarper]

Thanks very much for the kind words, folks!

@Scurv - Thank you. I like the rusty, lived in and cheap look for droids owned by regular people, rather than new and shiny.
@UVS - Thanks a lot! I'm really glad you like them.
@chromedog - That's really cool! I had actually kind of assumed they would just use the real thing - maybe from a dog that died of natural causes? Less of a biohazard this way, for sure!
@Ragsta - Thanks, man. As I've said, the fact that you like all the fluff stuff is a big motivator, so I'll try to do some more. I've got big plans for our campaign!
@Vodkafan - Thanks very much! I'm way more self conscious about the writing than the painting stuff, so it's really good to hear that you like it.

Up today is the FINAL MEMBER of the Samara crew (who will appear in campaigns, at least) - Ronan Decker. He's an old soldier, and acts as expedition security for the crew.


He's another scratch sculpt, with only a GW cadian helmet and a head from Victoria Minis (with sculpted hair and goggles). The bionics are wire and plasticard. I wanted to do some slightly different bionics to the usual terminator-style stuff you see, so these are more of an exoskeleton affair. I was inspired by stuff like recent advances in treatment of folks with paraplegia and running stilts


He's a big fella with the prosthetics in place, around a head taller that other folks in his group. I tried to keep his proportions in check for a reasonably sized human with the exception of the bionic additions. I was going for something a bit 'other', and I'm hoping I haven't overdone it.


As always, here's some backstory:
Ronan Decker has survived a lifetime of conflict. Drafted into the PDF on Osciae II as a child, he has served over 15 standard years in the armed forces, and a further 15 as a mercenary. He has fought for governmental forces maintaining order against radical rebel elements in distant colonies. He has fought alongside freedom fighters oppressed by distant and tyrannical regimes in the central planets. Ronan has assisted in the purge of alien threats as well as the protection of persecuted alien refugees, and been on both sides of an orbital bombardment. For what felt like longer than any other task, he has stood endless nights of guard duty for self-important arseholes who never bothered to learn his name.
As all his years in hellish warzones have blended into one, Ronan realised that he had learned only two things -

- Fate is a bastard.
- Few of the folks on the ground deserve what's coming to them

Decker learned early that the most well prepared soldier in the world can still be the poor bastard to step on a landmine, and that stray shots don't care about rank or training. He has no grand notions regarding the reason for his survival above that of endless colleagues, but he is grateful for every day that he sees ceiling when he opens his eyes.
Ronan has fought alongside a great many different people, and seen a lot of the things folks will fight for. He has seen people driven by love and loyalty, by the need to protect their homes or the people they care about. He has seen many more of these men through the sights of his rifle. He has seen men driven by hatred and revenge (also having once fallen into that camp himself), has seen thousands of those who would give their lives for an idea fed to them by someone with no care for their well-being. Decker has seen many things, and they have made him - tired. When he was young, he was sure of himself, and of the decisions he had to make. Some people lived, some people died, and that was how it had to be to keep order. Lately though, whatever side of a conflict he finds himself on, Decker sees the men and women from his past, both friends and foes. Taking a life seems – bigger, and no longer a choice that is his to make.
In the last few years, the cocktail contained in the darts loaded into Decker's rifle has changed. There was no specific turning point, but the toxins that Ronan mixes have been less and less potent, more sedative than poison. Ronan is no doctor, mind, and some of his targets will still experience the long sleep. Despite his new leaning towards pacifism, Decker is not naïve to the dangers of life in the outer reaches, or the fact that some people will only respond to violence. He values his own life and the lives of his friends, and his sidearm remains as deadly as the day it was issued.

Decker was hired with a large contingent to fight alongside Inquisitor Finner on Amarok, and is one of the few mercs who returned to the ship. Stranded with the crew of the Samara in foreign space, he initially took on Bracken's contract with a view to making enough credits to buy passage elsewhere. It did not take long, however, for Ronan to feel at home among the civilian crew of the Samara, and his credits have now found more short-term use. Decker is quiet, but friendly, and has developed a reputation as an understanding ear amongst the crew.
His cybernetics are attached via ports in his spine, a process both painful and draining - At any opportunity Decker disables the artificial gravity in his quarters, preferring the freedom of flight unrestrained by his exoskeleton. Though he talks little of his injuries and his past, Decker cannot stand crowds, and becomes sullen and unpleasant in such situations.

And the character cards I'll be playing with:

Non-lethal rounds and the combat helmet are homebrew, but I feel fit with his character.

I really hope you like him, as he was the model I was most unsure of when sculpting. I'd love to know what you think, so please let me know, good or bad. Thanks for looking!