Trial By Fire (update for March 2015, page 7)

[joroas]

Upstairs, Downstairs?  Takes me back a long time.....

[Mad Lord Snapcase]

A schoolboy crush on Miss Georgina like me?

[Prof. Dinglebat. Phd.]

I don't know, actually. I've had mine since they were first produced, but I believe that Prof. Dinglebat. Phd. is one of our Antipodean cousins? Perhaps they are hard to find in Australasia, Prof.?

Not sure these days. haven't been into a McDonalds errr I mean Game's Workshop shop since the invention of Ebay and the internet. I haven't seen one on Aussie Ebay for yonks. 

[Mad Lord Snapcase]

There's a few on the UK eBay but they are quite pricey.

[Vagabond]

Spiffing good read old man, keep it coming.

PS

Sunshine is good light for painting, much better than gardening

[Mad Lord Snapcase]

Thanks. Yes, I do like to paint in the sunshine, not that we've had much of it recently! But duty calls in the garden every so often.

[Mad Lord Snapcase]

Talking of sunshine, we had some yesterday! It was so nice I went out in the garden and started carving the centre piece for this game, my sacrificial temple.

I was quite pleased with the initial stages.

As I was outside, I decided to spray it rather than paint the first coat. Bugger me, as I watched the paint drying the foam started to melt!!

I am now trying to persuade myself that I like the effect this unintended modification has made.

It sort of looks like stone melted by fire, so I'm going to carry on with it.

Phantom Ace arrived and I've started painting him for this game. There is some lovely detail on this miniature, right down to a perfect belt buckle and wrist straps on the jacket. I only hope I can do this lovely sculpt justice!

Still, on with the melted foam now!

[FramFramson]

Looks like you got lucky - that stone just looks seriously weathered, which should be perfect for an old jungle temple.

[Mad Lord Snapcase]

Yes, I think it's going to come out all right, I was lucky it didn't melt completely!  

A bit more done now.

[Mad Lord Snapcase]

Chapter IV

It had been a busy three weeks for Snapcase since the visit of the Colonial Secretary on Christmas Eve. He’d put Old Scrotum in the kennels, Chulmleigh, his faithful bulldog was lodged at Snapcase Hall in Devon as his old bones were not up to a prolonged trip to the tropics. Thinking back, he may have got something wrong but there was no time now to go back and sort it out. His portmanteau was packed, regimentals, Broomhandle Mauser, plenty of port and champagne (medicinal purposes only) and naughty postcards (for trade purposes of course). In his wallet, tickets for the boat train to Paris and his passport.

Chimneys

So here he was at Chimneys, the Marquis of Caterham’s place. Sir Oswald Coote was renting the place and a house party was taking place when Snapcase had arrived late the night before. Battle had insisted Gerry Wade accompany Snapcase to British Somaliland and Gerry Wade was one of the house party which comprised of seven bright young things and Sir Oswald and Lady Coote. So Snapcase had toddled on down to Chimneys to collect young Wade en route to the boat train.

Superintendent Battle had concluded their meeting on Christmas Eve with some facts that Snapcase had felt were rather ominous at the time. Battle thought that if Georgina Worsley had been taken to British Somaliland then the Mad Mullah had to have a hand in it somewhere. Obviously someone had employed the Mad Mullah to find the secret formula that Dr. Phibes had discovered. The Superintendent would telegraph ahead to British Somaliland and arrange for someone to meet him off the boat in Berbera.

Breakfast at Chimneys

Snapcase had taken a leisurely breakfast from the buffet provided in the dining room that morning. Kedgeree, followed by bacon, sausage, kidneys, eggs, tomatoes and mushrooms had all gone down rather well followed by toast and marmalade and coffee. Fortified by this, Snapcase was dozing by the fireplace in the library, awaiting his first glimpse of Gerry Wade, his boon companion in this mysterious adventure.

Snapcase felt that young Wade shouldn’t be long in rising, although he had never met the fellow. The reasoning behind this, as one of the bright young things (one Nancy Mitford) had revealed, was that during his sojourn at Chimneys, Gerry had acquired a reputation for sleeping in and had caused some offence to Lady Coote with his late awakenings. Consequently, the bright young things had hit upon an amusing jape. They had purchased eight alarm clocks in Okehampton the day before and when Gerry was asleep, Nancy had crept into his room with the clocks and arranged them on the mantelpiece, set to go off all at the same time. If Snapcase’s pocket watch was right, they should have gone off some time ago.

“Help, murder, he’s dead, oh God, quick, help me, murder, bloody murder!”

Then there came a blood-curdling scream from upstairs. “Help, murder, he’s dead, oh God, quick, help me, murder, bloody murder!”

To be continued……………………………….

[Amalric]

Another excellent episode!
And the temple looks smashing!
Can't wait to see it painted up.

[Mad Lord Snapcase]

Getting off subject a tad with this, (Or maybe not) I note you have a 'Games Workshop Mighty Fortress' !!! Good God Sir, where in the dickens in all the empire did you manage to score such a sweet and glorious victory? 

Prof. I just got another complete set off eBay for quite a reasonable price. I managed to buy a few parts as well, so one of my future games now takes place in a massive desert fortress! It's definitely going to have a Beau Geste theme! 

[Schwartz is shouting at the legionnaires to mutiny against Markoff]

Michael 'Beau' Geste: Wait a minute. I don't know much about mutinies, but I do know it isn't good form to plan them at the top of your voice.

Lt. Martin: I just witnessed that little exhibition of yours, Markoff. I don't like it!

Markoff: You have to be strict with scum like that, sir.

Lt. Martin: They're men. They have their rights, guaranteed within the regulations.

Markoff: I'll keep within the regulations, sir.

Lt. Martin: You're a good soldier, Markoff, but I doubt if you're a good sergeant. If you're not, you won't last long in the Legion. Watch your step, or I'll break you!

[d phipps]

Smashing stuff, Ol'Snappy! 

My keen detective senses and eye for detail are telling me that there may be murder most-foul afoot!...

Oh! There's bacon and eggly-wegs in the dining room?, "Can we pleeeze do something about that dashed screaming??"

[Mad Lord Snapcase]

Smashing stuff, Ol'Snappy! 

My keen detective senses and eye for detail are telling me that there may be murder most-foul afoot!...

Indeed there is something sinister occurring here!

Oh! There's bacon and eggly-wegs in the dining room?, "Can we pleeeze do something about that dashed screaming??"

"Yus, straight away mi'Lord, it's probably the under-chambermaid, she's always getting parts of her anatomy stuck in the mangle."

But no, this is something much worse, murder most-foul in this charming country location...........

[Mad Lord Snapcase]

I have managed to get some more work done on my sacrificial temple for this game. It's not glued together yet, just trying it out.