A Cyclopean Temple

When I bought the terrain set used in the underground city post I also asked about one of the components of a different set. Said component was duly ordered and arrived a few days ago...

Said component was a 28mm or so ruined jungle temple complex - seen here with some Elheim 20mm cultists...

As the back view shows it's a ruined temple!

The temple itself lifts off to show an interesting underground chamber.

This includes some neat 'occupants'.

No idea yet what I want to use it for but shouldn't be that far in the future.

Falkenstein Castle

 I've sort of been on the lookout for a ready made Faller/Kibri/Vollmer castle for quite a while - most I saw were unmade kits or hailed from Germany'

So when this one came up I grabbed it...

Scale 1/86th or so, works with 20mm or 1/76th figures, no good for 28mm.

Only thing that needs doing before it could be used is to do something about that bridge hanging in mid air - need to do a connecting piece!

The latest G3s

 Trouble with these, takes a long time to paint a full size unit...

Also, tetrion ran out for bases - got another pot but ran out of paint to colour it... so will simply not base these until I get some more.

Looks like the officers plume still has a bit of bronze paint on it - not noticeable on the table so I'll not worry about it.

Went for a geometric pattern that is based on one of my earliest designs. Actually, was originally going to do that design, reached this stage and decided it looked better!

This is the pattern they were based on - the figures at the front are 'S' Range survivors of my first Greek hoplite unit painted around 1970 -1971 in my then University colours! The unit at the back is a unit of Garrison G18 I painted a few years ago.

A couple of Ellies

 These were originally cast to join my Atlantean army using Minifigs S Range crews. However, only one got finished and after a bit of time the crews were given other duties...

So I've decided to recrew them with their original Garrison crews and use them - somewhere...

Went for a plain and simple wargames unit rather than anything fancy.

Did make an attempt at painting the eyes on one of the pikemen... decided not up to it any more...

Meanwhile, working through another full size G3 unit and have cast up enough figures for one each of G3 and late hoplite (becoming a priority: start going through 'mass' produced conversions and start assigning codes to them!)

An Antarctic expedition Epilogue

Radios were down and the expedition hadn't signed since the message that they had found the site... It was decided to send a plane there to find out if there was a problem...

The location was accurate and the rescue plane soon found the expedition camp.

The camp looked deserted...

So the crew checked it out...

There was no sign of any of the men or the dogs. But it looked like a lot of something like blood around together with patches of translucent slime and strange marks in the snow...

A clear trail of what looked like blood led towards the opening in the ice wall. It was as if a bloody something had been dragged there... two of the rescue party headed towards the opening to investigate...

An Antarctic expedition - the underground city

 

As Carmody and Pilbury entered the crack it opened up into what seemed to be a city of  deserted and desolate buildings. The ice above didn't cut off all the light - they found that, after their eyes had adjusted for the dimmer light, they could still see.

As they walked down the corridors (roadway?) they found themselves being surrounded by the apparent source of the previous night's noise. Dozens of large white penguins... the creatures advanced on the explorers in a disorderly sqawking mass...

They fired on the hapless birds, two of which fell as the rest rushed away in a panic.

They continued along the dank, moss covered passageways looking inside various buildings as they went - some of these seemed to have been decorated with pictures of strange, unearthly creatures...

Finally they found what looked like a central courtyard containing a raised pool. The worrying thing was... two flaming fire pits that were still burning... not something penguins would make...

 

And the sounds, whirring and unearthly, they could hear suggested that the fire lighters were still around and getting closer... Discretion caused them to start back for the entrance, but then they found a large greenish... creature... blocking their way...

As they backed away they could feel headachy tendrils of pain wrapping around their brains as the creature tried to take control of their minds... Rapidly pumping bullets into it the pain went as the creature keeled over.

Fleeing in panic they raced back towards the entrance, listening for any sounds of pursuit...

 

The dead penguins had gone! In their place a number of gelationous protoplasmic amoeba-like blobs... which started a slow advance towards the two scientists...

Bullets had no effect! They just went straight through! The crreatures swarmed over Pilbury as Carmody fled...

As more of the monsters arrived Carmody was forced back into the room containing the dead alien... More of the gelatinous creatures swarmed in, surrounding Carmody as others started to dissolve the body of the alien creature...

A few notes about the city itself...

Modular terrain I came across on ebay... most things made when ordered so about a 3 week wait, but frankly worth the wait. Those pieces left front foreground can have pieces like those on the right front foreground added to make a very flexible way of creating turn offs or cross roads.... bought from here. The set also came with an S&A desert terrain cloth to stand on... should be a useful supplement to my current 6x4 one!

An Antarctic expedition - arrival

The Boeing charted by Carmody headed for the coordinates described in the bound notes...

 

Flying along the snowbound wastes they found a strangely uniform mountain range. In the middle of the range, a crack in the ice...

They were lucky - a suitable landing site was found close to the crack.

Tents were quickly erected. Carmody and his staff, Pilbury from the University and the pilot, offloaded supplies, etc, and as the crack was close enough to the plane the dogs wouldn't be needed and they were tied up outside the plane. It was starting to get dark so operations were suspended for the short night.

 

But the Antarctic night was far from quiet... the dogs were pulling at their leashes as they tried to get to the source of eery noises in the dark...

Carmody and Pilsbury looked around to try and find the source of the racket as the pilot calmed the dogs.

Next morning Carmody, Pilsbury and the pilot headed towards the crack. Evidence of large bird-like tracks heading towards the crack suggested the cause of the noise.

 

Reaching the crack it was obvious that it led deep inside the strange mountain. It was decided that the pilot would head back to the Boeing while Carmody and Pilsbury explored the crack.

An Antarctic expedition - the book

The University was in a bad way after the Terror. Many of the faculty and students dead, others left for  new 'challenges'... the parent site in Arkham sent a few of its' faculty to Newhaven to see what could be saved.

Enter Dr Carmody. His main interest was finding the works of an ancestor, a famous occultist and noted explorer, whose collection was rumoured to be in Newhaven.

The attic of the main building held many treasures...

Including the bound notebook of his ancestor!

The notes were in code... but it was the family code! Carmody had no problems there!

But some of the writings... references to the bible and other religious works woven in amongst tales of forgotten cities...  of Kadesh in the Cold Wastes and of a city on the frozen continent of Antarctica! Further, the text gave the location of the lost city...

Carmody lost no time. He gained the support and finances to mount an expedition...

 

 

Note: The book is pretty much genuine. I like old books and one day bought a box of the things at an auction... Titled 'Notes on the Old Testament', signed Edmund Kell, 1821, York...

I'm bored

So managing to get some casting done.

Few ellies and Vanha on the first day.

Plus a load more hoplites on the second day.

At which point Sandra appeared. 'I'm bored'.
 

So time to try one of the games Sandra bought at Partizan a while back - Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell. Games are usually for when Steven comes for a visit, but that hasn't happened for over a year now...

 

Games go well with alcohol - in this case brandy and Advocaat - oh, yes, and a bit of lemonade.

 

Brandy seems to be getting a bit low.

 

Still got plenty of lemonade though.

 And the game? Bit complicated, basically got to setting things up and starting to go through the rules.

Casting? I intend to get just about everything I need done cast over the next week or so.

 

A Sparabara levy unit.

Last of the units prepped before Christmas.

Nice simple uniform pattern...

And painted scarlet. Which is not red. I mean, it might look a bit like red. But it's scarlet.

Not sure if this late style of costume is 'correct' for a spara unit, but looks good so....