The Unraveling of the Riddle

“B, B, O, O, C, T, A, P, W, E, R, Y, twelve letters in all”

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The residents of Redwall sat together and tried to make sense of the random twelve letters. The prize for coming up with a likely answer would win one of Father Abbot’s pink iced woodland plum and spice cake.

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Some of the words and phrases that the woodlanders came-up with:

• “Baby power to be.”
• “Coop Water Byb”
• “Cot Abbey prow”

And the winner is;” Abbey top crow.”

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The creatures of Redwaller had cracked the cipher. The answer alluded to a stone crow that stood on the roof of the Abbey. There are more clues to come.

Mattimeo

Characters of the Case of the Green Elephant Scenario

Here are the characters of Ace Goodknight and Penny Dreadfull for a quick intermediate level skirmish game.

Good Guys
Ace Goodknight	QILS Hero
Tuesday Wednesday	Aces girl Friday
Penny Dreadfull	Aces right-hand-woman
Drew Nancy	Penny's assistant
Bad Guys
Yu Noh Hu	The Doctor of Destruction
Lo Fat	Yu Noh Hu bodyguard
Tan Kyu	Yu Noh Hu's concubine
Carnies & Freaks Carnie Strong Man Fireeater Rubber Man Fat Lady	Regular civilians that either pack or provide a punch as needed
Flunkies and Flatfoots	Generic minions of Yu Noh Hu
Extras	Generic civilians that you find sprinkled around

Star Wars Droid B-U4D Viewer

I obtained my Star Wars Droid B-U4D viewer while on an expedition to the grocery store where I was tasked in making some purchases for our household. Having to pass through the cereal aisle I happened to notice the last two boxes of a specially marked General Mills cereal. I typically would not eat this type of cereal, but seeing what seemed to be an end to this promotion I purchased two boxes of cereal in hopes of obtaining two different Star Wars Droid viewers. However, upon returning home I realized that both boxes contained the same viewer. Atlas, now I have one for my collection and one to sell on EBay someday.

There are six different viewers and depict six different droids that are featured in the new Star Wars: The Force Awakens movie. Hold the viewer to a light (not directly at the sun) and look through the view finder on the other end to view an image of a droid within a scene of the movie.

The Red Flag Fleet, a Formidable Foe

The Red Fleet, the largest plying the South China Sea, was a force to be reckoned with. Not only was the fleet larger than most navies of the day, but they were also well armed and manned.

The oceangoing junks were equipped with between twenty and thirty cannon and could carry up to four hundred men. The coastal junks usually carried anywhere from twelve to twenty five cannon and two hundred men. Imagine watching swarms of pirates coming over your bulkheads

And, although the smaller river junks may not have carried too much in the way ordinance there were dozens of these craft each carrying between twenty and thirty men. The Red Fleet was a formidable force indeed.

Under the Black Flag, David Cordingly

An English Proverb 2

“He that shipped with the devil must sail with the devil.”

The Life, Adventures, and Piracies of the Famous Captain Singleton, Daniel Defoe

The Miniatures of Gear World

Sometime last year Plastic Soldier Review reviewed the miniatures from 35 board games. The author did not review the miniatures from Gear World, so I have taken it upon myself to review these miniatures.

Gear World contains 100 soft plastic miniatures. They come in red, green, blue, and white and measure 20mm from the bottom of their base to the tip of their bayonet. The base measures 3mm, so the miniature itself is 17mm. These miniatures are used only for markers to mark territories and other possessions of each player.

Although there isn’t too much in the way of facial details there are some details on the rest of the miniature such as rucksack and ammo pouches. There is only one pose.

Blasted Planets 25mm Miniatures

As I have mentioned in an earlier post Blasted Planets Special Figures is just one collection of miniatures from the larger Blasted Planets line.  There so many different variations of miniatures. Some with humanoid bodies, some a mix of an animal and human forms, while other sub-collections of strictly human forms. Blasted Planets has an interesting collection of miniatures here for use with the Blasted Planet game rules or some pulp scenario.

Animal Guys
Asti
Beasts
Bolotomi
Combat Chicks
Dwarf Space Pirates
Gator Guys
Heavy Gravity Aliens
Honkers
Human Infantry in Greatcoats
Human Heavy Infantry
Human Light Infantry
Pachydon
Quack Heads
Satyrs
Skraeling
Super Devil
Special Figures

A Riddle of Loamscript

Along with the inscription found on the abbey foundation stone, the residents of the Abbey, found this riddle. The riddle was written in a long forgotten script called Loamscript, a script used by residents of the now defunct Loamhedge Abbey.

The script was primarily used to communicate with those who were in leadership, namely among the Abbess Germaine and her cohorts. Abbess Germaine had long since passed on and there were only a few that could still decipher this script. Most notably was John Churchmouse who was still in residence at the Redwall Abbey.

Not having used the script for some time, and after a few false starts, John Church mouse was able to decipher the script into the following riddle.

A Riddle in Loamscript

“Through the seasons here I lie,
‘neath this Redwall that we made.
Solve the mystery, you must try,
Graven deep in will not fade.
Somewhere ‘twixt our earth and sky,
Birds and gentle breezes roam.
There a key you might espy,
To that place I once called home.
Take this graven page and seek
What my words in stone mean.
What can’t fly, yet has a beak,
Mixed up letters evergreen.
Two Bees, two Ohs
One Sea, one tap,
And weary with A.
Leave me now to my long rest,
Good fortune on y our way.”

(Mattimeo, Chapter 22, pg. 158)

Blasted Planet’s 25mm Special Figures

Listed Left to Right: The Brotherhood: Assassin, Brain Siphon (aka N'ood), The Monk, Space Vampire w/Needle Gun, The Brotherhood: Arsonist

As I have mentioned in an earlier post, I recently acquired a few additional Blasted Planets Special Figures. Blasted Planets is a line of products from Histroifigs. There are nine miniatures in this collection. I made a post on three Blasted Planet miniatures sometime back, which included two Chickasaurus, also from the Blasted Planet line and Agent Annya Nova from the Special Figure collection. At the time Agent Nova was the only woman in my collection.

BP-001 Agent Annya Nova
BP-002 Brain Siphon (aka N'ood)
BP-003 The Monk
BP-004 The Brotherhood: Assassin
BP-005 The Brotherhood: Arsonist
BP-006 The Guide (aka Lederhosen Guy)
BP-007 Space Vampire w/Needle Gun
BP-008 Digger Dan w/Shovel
BP-009 MP w/Pistol

My Latest Digital Media Downloads

I will be making more detailed reviews of these titles as time permits. These titles include game rules, a short story and print and play games.

A Magical Society Guide to Mapping

This was a freebie that I downloaded from Steve Jackson’s Games Warehouse 23. A Magical Society Guide to Mapping gives you a thorough understanding of what goes into mapping of your own worlds. What I have read so far has been very interesting and informative.

Astounding Tales 2nd Ed.

I haven’t read this text yet, but Astounding Tales gives you some background into the Pulp genre and provides characteristics and properties for your Pulp miniatures.

Dead Things (The Zombie Board game) 1st Edition

Dead Things is a free board game that is offered as a preview game.

Shootin Iron: Davestown's Most Wanted

Davestown's Most Wanted is a supplement to Shootin Iron: Davestown Cock N Bull.

To Rescue General Gordon

To Rescue General Gordon is a free steampunk short story.

Dead Man's Island

Another print and play game. This one features pirates and zombies.

The Little People

The little people are the ants of Redwall. The little people as they are called by the residents of the Redwall Abbey were watched as they made their way through a long disused tunnel. The tunnel led to a room that has long been forgotten. In the room was laid the foundation stone. The residents of the Abbey were one step closer to solving the riddle.

Inscription Found the Abbey Foundation Stone

“Upon this stone rests all our hopes and efforts. Let Redwall Abbey stand for ever as a home for peaceful and a haven for woodlanders. In the spring of the Late Snowdrops this stone was laid in its place by our Champion, Martin the Warrior, and our Founder, Abbess Germaine. May our winters be short, the spring-times green, our summers long and the autumn’s fruitful.”

(Mattimeo, Chapter 18, pg. 135)

My Goals for 2016

For the New Year 2016, I will keep my list of goals to minimum.

Games, Game Rules, and Miniatures

I have already taken in two new games in which I will be making posts very soon. One of the games features Zombies. The game contains a set of paper zombies and defenders.

I need to create properties and characteristics to my Hobbit and the monster miniatures I am in the process of completing.

More Images

In the past I have been accused of not providing enough images with my posts. I would like to answer this complaint and provide more media, of all types, to my posts.

Pirate, Pulp, and Zombie Miniatures

Some of the game rules that I have obtained or plan to obtain make use of such characters. I do have a few Pulp figures, but would like to add rocket-men to my collection for I like the characteristics they may bring into game play. I would also like to take in some pirate and perhaps a few Wild/Weird West miniatures.

The Zombie game mentioned above is supplied with paper zombies and survivors that could be replaced with miniatures of the same type.

Supplies

I am in much need supplies, like a set of paint brushes and color ink for my Ink Jet Printer.

More Scenes

Take the miniatures I already have on hand and combine them into interesting scenes.

Toy Monsters

Start to collect a few small plastic toys as they make come available. I am especially interested in small monster toys.

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New Post Idea-Create a Series

I have thought of running a series of posts on a particular topic or subject before, but haven’t been able to implement this in a fashion I am happy with. One topic would be covered exclusively over the course of a month. Material for the month would have to be completed a month in advance. That would mean a good 15 to 20 posts on one topic and would need to be ready to go before the start of the month or at least the majority of the months material would have to be ready to post.

I don’t know when I might get to implement a month long series, but I could conceivable sun short sets of series over the course of a few days or even a week. My first attempt will take place during the second week of January.

Primed and Ready for Paint

I have the following miniatures primed and ready to receive paint, so why don’t I get on the ball? One reason is I forget about the miniatures or I get side-tracked with other projects. The biggest problem though is that I seem to get more out of the procurement than preparation of the procured.

This post will replace my customary “Projects For…” for some time to come. You can aspect a few additions to the list as I acquire new miniatures. In addition, my workbench is still cluttered with half complete projects that need my attention.

Qty	Size of Miniature	Manufacturer	Description
1	23mm	Bombshell Miniatures	Eye Slug
1	17mm	“	Gremlin
1	11mm	“	Squidman
2	12mm	“	Tazjh Raptor Hatchlings
1	8mm	“	Monkey First Mate
1	20mm	“	Buckshot the Jack-a-lope
1	23mm	Games Workshop	Powder Monkey
1	25mm	Blasted Planets	Brain Siphon (aka N'ood)
1	25mm	“	The Monk
1	25mm	“	The Brotherhood: Assassin
1	25mm	“	The Brotherhood: Arsonist
1	25mm	“	Space Vampire w/Needle Gun
1	28mm	Artizan Designs	Sky Pirates w/rifles (3)
1	28mm	Brigade Games	Alpha Unit w/pistol
17 total

I need a paradigm shift, a new reason for my purchases. Perhaps I should make it a goal that every miniature I purchase must have proposed purpose. For instance, these miniatures will be used in game play, or on some diorama. Collecting a particular miniature just because of its type or size or because of its aesthetic should become an nonviable proposition.

You have been Warned!

“It is absolutely necessary, for the peace and safety of mankind, that some of earths’ dark, dead corners and unplumbed depths be let alone; lest sleeping abnormalities wake to resurgent life, and blasphemously surviving nightmares squirm and splash out of their black lairs to newer and wider conquests.”

Chapter 12, At the Mountain of Madness, H.P. Lovecraft

At the Mountain of Madness will be my last Lovecraft novel for a while. Although there are a few of his texts that have been left unread, I need time to regain my equilibrium. I would like to do a fact checking study sometime soon on Lovecraft’s mention of ancient texts, places, and purported experts.