Figures of Christmas Past: Father Christmas

A Victorian Father Christmas from Wargames Foundry.

Figures of Christmas Past: Scrooge

Remember that, and charge their doings on themselves, not us.” “And it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God bless Us, Every One!”

These are from the  Brigade Games Victorian Age set consisting of those famous characters from Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol.

According to Dickens' novel, the Ghost of Christmas Past appears to Scrooge as a white-robed, androgynous figure of indeterminate age. It has on its head a blazing light, reminiscent of a candle flame, and carries a metal cap, made in the shape of a candle extinguisher. Since I decided to experiment with some blue and blue shading, I did not go exactly for the novel's description plus the figure is more of the Hollywood version anyway.

"These are the shadows of things that have been. That they are what they are, do not blame me!"

According to Dickens' novel, the Ghost of Christmas Present appears to Scrooge as "a jolly giant" with dark brown curls. He wears a fur-lined green robe and on his head a holly wreath set with shining icicles. He carries a large torch, made to resemble a cornucopia, and appears accompanied by a great feast.

"The spirit then takes Scrooge to a rundown churchyard and shows the repentant miser his own grave; Scrooge then realizes that the dead man of whom the others spoke ill was himself.

Horrified, Scrooge begs the ghost for another chance to redeem his life and "sponge away the writing on this stone".

Thanksgiving Blessings

Surely this was a blessed year.  God never failed to provide.  I am most thankful for the sacrifice of my lord Jesus Christ and the cleansing of my sins. I've been blessed with my Beautiful Bride, Honorable Sons #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, and my three daughters-in-law.

Give thanks to the Lord!

Psalm 138

Of David.

¹ I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart;
    before the “gods” I will sing your praise.
² I will bow down toward your holy temple
    and will praise your name
    for your unfailing love and your faithfulness,
for you have so exalted your solemn decree
    that it surpasses your fame.
³ When I called, you answered me;
    you greatly emboldened me.

⁴ May all the kings of the earth praise you, Lord,
    when they hear what you have decreed.
⁵ May they sing of the ways of the Lord,
    for the glory of the Lord is great.

⁶ Though the Lord is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly;
    though lofty, he sees them from afar.
⁷ Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
    you preserve my life.
You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes;
    with your right hand you save me.
⁸ The Lord will vindicate me;
    your love, Lord, endures forever—
    do not abandon the works of your hands.

Happy Tanksgiving!

As we get ready to celebrate Thanksgiving in the USA I thought I would share some tanks that myself and my Honorable Sons have painted:

The Creature: Monster or Man?

“I do know that for the sympathy of one living being, I would make peace with all. I have love in me the likes of which you can scarcely imagine and rage the likes of which you would not believe. If I cannot satisfy the one, I will indulge the other.” 

I purchased the Pulp Alley miniatures Zdenko Cerny and Rook mainly because Zdenko is the splitting image of Professor Calculus. Rook, on the other hand, seems to be your typical street brawler. As always, they came with cards for the game Pulp Alley. I already had some street brawlers for my skirmish games so I decided to do something different: Use Rook as the Creature from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Most Hollywood and TV versions of the Creature or Monster have little resemblance to the description Miss Shelley described Frankenstein's monster as an 8 foot tall (2.4 m) creature of hideous contrasts:

His limbs were in proportion, and I had selected his features as beautiful. Beautiful! Great God! His yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath; his hair was of a lustrous black, and flowing; his teeth of a pearly whiteness; but these luxuriances only formed a more horrid contrast with his watery eyes, that seemed almost of the same colour as the dun-white sockets in which they were set, his shrivelled complexion and straight black lips.

 Not the best looking guy on the block.

 I decided to go with a mix of the two, to have my Creature more human looking but use the "traditional" green tint to the skin. Needless to say, this figure is not in proportion as an 8 foot tall monster, but he looks tough enough.

For the game In Her Majesty's Name I am using the game stats provided by their Gothic supplement with the addition of the Talent Numb for a point cost of 61.

 The Creature takes on the minions of Professor Moriarty.

"Hateful day when I received life!' I exclaimed in agony. 'Accursed creator! Why did you form a monster so hideous that even you turned from me in disgust? God, in pity, made man beautiful and alluring, after his own image; but my form is a filthy type of yours, more horrid even from the very resemblance. Satan had his companions, fellow-devils, to admire and encourage him; but I am solitary and abhorred."

For In Her Majesty's Name I may just use the Creature as a wild card - showing up and being the hero or villain depending on the circumstances.

 Werewolf? There wolf.