The Anglo-Russian War: The Secret War of Cloaks and Shadows

"All India is full of holy men stammering gospels in strange tongues; shaken and consumed in the fires of their own zeal; dreamers, babblers, and visionaries; as it has been from the beginning and will continue to the end." from the novel Kim by Rudyard Kipling.

"What do you mean the Mad Guru is alive and in hiding?" asked Mycroft Holmes (The Government) to Colonel Dugald Armstrong, VC, KCIE, DSO, etc., the head of Department H (there is no Department H).

"Both Subedar Bikram Singh, IOM and Sergeant MacChesney of the Royal Engineers verified that he had been shot and killed - but his body was never recovered", replied Colonel Armstrong.

Sergeant "Mac" MacChesney shoots the Mad Guru dead . . . or did he?

"We are just too spread thin. The war with Russia, the Boers, China . . . too many hot spots and not enough resources. Department H (there is no Department H) must get him in India before the Russians do. They would use him and revive his cult of thugees!"

"We too are spread thin", replied the Colonel, "but may I make a suggestion of a contractor we have used before?"

"You don't mean . . . her?"

"Yes."

Enter Lady Helen Quartermain.

When I first came up with the thought of a fictional, what if, war between the British and Russian Empires in Indian, I decided I was going to do small skirmish action using the Second Edition of In Her Majesty's Name. IHMN2, in my opinion, is the best set of Victorian Science Fiction (VSF)  rules that allows you to build your own framework. HG Wells, Jules Verne, Edgar Rice Burroughs, H. Rider Haggard; you name it, you can use IHMN2 to play it.

With the Anglo-Russian War I wanted to add the VSF element behind the scenes of the "historical" big actions - plus the secret world of VSF may influence what happens in the next battle. One of my favorite poems and movies is Gunga Din and since my colonial actions have a Hollywood flavor, the Mad Guru is on the loose again.

Eduardo Ciannelli as the Guru: "You seem to think warfare an English invention. Have you never heard of Chandragupta Maurya? He slaughtered all the armies left in India by Alexander the Great. India was a mighty nation then while Englishmen still dwelt in caves and painted themselves blue."

India is about as bio-diverse as you can get, and the fictional Princely State of Chaimbellistan is no exception. Rough mountainous areas, fertile valleys, cities and off course the jungle. India in the 19th Century is a land of mystery (thank you Mr. Kipling) and who knows what may happen in the deep jungle with old, mysterious temples?

The Princely State of Chaimbellistan.

The Imperial Russian Secret Service (the Okhrana Branch) has devised a plan to start an insurrection in the British Raj by "rescuing" the Mad Guru and "assisting" him in reviving his following of murderous thugees. This would tie down British Indian forces at the same time the Russians launch their next offensive into Chaimbellistan.

From left to right: Kavik Vetrov (slimy Siberian Shaman), Agent Natasha Fatale, Count Vladimir Zabatov AKA Fearless Leader, and Agent Boris Badenov of the Imperial Russian Secret                Service review the map to determine their route to where the Mad Guru is hiding.

The Company Chart for the Okhrana (if you are not using Sir Tim Thompson's Company Enumerator - tut, tut. For shame. It makes designing your company a snap).

The Abandoned Ruins where the Mad Guru is hiding.

Her Imperial Majesty's Government (yes, and Mycroft too) are relying on Lady Quartermain to stop them and bring the Mad Guru to justice.

"Never send a man to do a woman's job."

Left to Right: Lady Helen Quartermain, Cajun Cate and The Black Dragon.

Next: To Grab a Guru.