Tuesday, June 28, 2016

What is a Troll Other than That?

There is a poem within the Skáldskaparmál describes an encounter between a female troll and one Bragi Boddason.

'Trolls call me
moon of dwelling-Rungnir,
giant's wealth-sucker,
storm-sun's bale,
seeress's friendly companion,
guardian of corpse-fiord,
swallower of heaven-wheel;
what is a troll other than that?'

Translation by Anthony Faulkes

Thursday, June 23, 2016

Reaper Cave Troll

“Troll sat alone on his seat of stone,
And munched and mumbled a bare old bone;
For many a year he had gnawed it near,
For meat was hard to come by.
Done by! Gum by!
In a cave in the hills he dwelt alone,
And meat was hard to come by.”

Stone Troll Poem, Sam Gamgee

This is my first Reaper Dark Heavens Bones miniature. The Dark Heaven Bones line has the following properties and characteristics:

  • 25mm
  • Integral Base
  • Unpainted polymer

Although Bones miniatures are advertised as being 25mm tall, my specimen stands a full 60mm tall from the bottom of its base to the tips of its fingers on its uplifted arms.




Other Resources

The Complete Stone Troll Poem
Bones: Frequently Asked Questions - Unofficial!

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Bomber Torch Troll Runt

The following is an excerpt is from the Danish Ballad of Eline of Villenskov. The ballad goes on to describe a troll from Scandinavian mythology.

"Out then spake the tinyest Troll,
No bigger than an emmet was he,
Hither is come a Christian man,
And manage him will I surelie."

Read the complete song here:

Not much in the name, except that the miniature is small, he measures ¾” long. The carry’s a torch and assume a bomb. Because of the way that the miniature molded I am still trying to figure out what this miniature is all about, however, I believe I have a pretty good idea how to proceed now.

I can’t say whether this miniature will end up in some game or on a display shelf.

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

A Feral Troll

This hard plastic miniature is one of 42 plastic heroes and monsters that accompany the D&D Legend of Drizzt board game. The Feral Troll miniature stands approximately 2.5 inches (63.5mm) high and is about the same broad. The miniature has the following inscription on its base: "Wizards, 2011". As you will take note from the accompanied photographs this fellow is full of detail.

The Lord of the Rings Wiki does not make a mention of Feral trolls, so the Feral Troll must be unique to D&D Legend of Drizzt. The Heroscape Wiki offers the following statistics for this character:

  • Life: 8
  • Move: 5
  • Range: 1
  • Attack: 3
  • Defense: 1
  • Point Value: 90

He is interesting character and excellent piece to have at your disposal.


Painting D & D Legend of Drizzt miniatures

Monday, June 20, 2016

The Preamble to the Raid on Spurhaven RPG and Board Game

Last month I made a post on the Draken Games Catalogue # 8 and the two free mini-games that were included in this issue. I have read through the Raid on Spurhaven rules and have found what you might call the back story of the game. Here are some excerpts:


"Many years ago, during the Second Orc War, a renowned local magic user called Abramor poured much of his powers into a magical artefact to help halt the Malthian invasion: a spyglass that allowed him to direct battle magic. Using it from atop his tower on the heights, he helped the Free Peoples defeat the invaders. Abramor was left drained: his School of Magic broke up and his last act was to create six runes that would allow a magic user to recreate his battle magic, so long as they have his spyglass.

Abramor told people of his legacy, but by then his mind was failing and few took him seriously. He died alone in his tower in poverty. Though the heights do at least bear his name, the tower is now in ruin. His spyglass and runes were remembered only as folklore, repeated as a rhyme by local children:

‘If orcish evil comes to pass
Then find again the eye of glass,
That’s hidden in Abramor’s Tower
Along with words of magic power,
Magic user heed this verse
To stop orcs with a deadly curse’


‘Aldus,

The orcs have found proof that the old rhyme about Abramor is true. You must stop them finding what they seek! We shall march south at double speed to try and assist in the defense of Spurhaven against the main war party.’ “


Raid on Spurhaven

Saturday, June 18, 2016

Life Like Dear in 1/87

There is one doe missing from the picture. It seems she was a bit shy about being shot at. These figures are from Life Like and as you can see, if used in the forefront of one’s layout, will need a little paint to accent their details, otherwise if used further back they will work well without any extra work. Judging from a recent survey on online sources, Life Like figures are getting to be a little hard to find. These figures are made of hard type of plastic.

Walter Merten 1/87 Scale Dogs and Cats

These highly detailed 1/87 scale miniatures of dogs and cats are from Walter Merten, a German company. I don’t know if they are still producing. The newest online catalog is dated 2010. Although their line is quite extensive this is the only set of Walter Merten figures I currently own. They are manufactured using some type of hard plastic.

Friday, June 17, 2016

Three Trolls from the Age of Mythology Board Game

The three hard plastic Trolls stand 30mm and are from the Norse collection of figures included in the Age of Mythology board game. Trolls are from Scandinavian and Nordic tradition and mythology. Trolls are very large creatures and stand between 8 to 10 feet tall. Although not very intelligent they are unscrupulous when it comes to something they want and have no problem, taking, stealing, fighting, or shedding blood for what they desire.

Thursday, June 16, 2016

On what the Structure of our Sublime Order Rests

"The common black scorpion of Southern India," he said softly. "Its venom is the basis of the priceless formula, F. Katalepsis, upon which the structure of our Sublime Order rests, Dr. Stuart; hence the adoption of a scorpion as our device."

He took up a long slender flask.

"This virus prepared from a glandular secretion of the Chinese swamp-adder is also beyond price. Again-the case upon the pedestal yonder contains five perfect bulbs, three already in flower, as you observe, of an orchid discovered by our chief chemist in certain forests of Burma. It only occurs at extremely rare intervals—eighty years or more—and under highly special conditions. If the other two bulbs flower, I shall be enabled to obtain from the blooms a minimum quantity of an essential oil for which the nations of the earth, if they knew its properties, would gladly empty their treasuries."

The Golden Scorpion, Sax Rohmer

Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Another Set of Four

This is my forth set of four random plastic game miniatures.



Pharaoh
Source: Age of Mythology, Egyptian
Size: 30mm




Heroic Greek Hero
Source: Age of Mythology, Greek
Size: 30mm





Classical Norse Hero
Source: Age of Mythology, Norse
Size: approx. 30mm





Warrior, Red
Source: Risk, GodStorm Edition
Size: approx. 30mm

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

A Host of Characters-The Scorpion

" The new-comer wore a cowled garment of some dark blue material which enveloped him from head to feet. It possessed oval eye-holes, and through these apertures gleamed two eyes which looked scarcely like the eyes of a human being. They were of that brilliant yellow color sometimes seen in the eyes of tigers, and their most marked and awful peculiarity was their unblinking regard. They seemed always to be open to their fullest extent, and Stuart realized with anger that it was impossible to sustain for long the piercing gaze of Fo-Hi … for he knew that he was in the presence of "The Scorpion"!'

Monday, June 13, 2016

In the Opium Den

A voice from a bunk had commenced to sing monotonously.

"Peyala peah," it sang, weird above the murmured accompaniment of the other dreaming smokers and the wash-wash of the tide—"To myn-na-peah-Phir Kysee ko kyah …"

"He is speaking from an opium-trance," said Stuart softly. "A native song: 'If a cup of wine is drunk, and I have drunk it, what of that?'"




The Buddhist Formula

" Again there was a weird interruption. A Chinaman lying in one of the bunks began to chant in a monotonous far-away voice:

"Chong-liou-chouay
Om mani padme hum."

"The Buddhist formula," whispered Stuart. "He is a real smoker." '




The Voice Moaning

'A moaning voice from one of the bunks came.

"Cheal kegur-men, mas ka dheer!"

"A native adage," whispered Stuart. "He is dreaming. 'There is always meat in a kite's nest.'"

"Eh bien! very true—and I think the kite is at home!" '

The Golden Scorpion

Saturday, June 11, 2016

Chunda Confides in Miska

Through the use of coercion and deception Chunda and Miska were both slaves to their master the The Golden Scorpion. Chunda and Miska, although they feigned allegiance to their master, both had thoughts and plans for better days.

"Those!" said the Hindu contemptuously—"the poor slaves of the black smoke! Ah! they are floating in their dream paradise; they have no ears to hear, no eyes to see!" He grasped her wrist again. "They contest for shadow smiles and dream kisses, but Chunda Lal have eyes to see and ears to hear. He dream, too but of lips more sweet than honey, of a voice like the Song of the Daood! Inshalla!"

The Golden Scorpion

Friday, June 10, 2016

A Host of Characters-Fo-Hi

"He wore a plain yellow robe and had a little black cap on his head. His face, his wonderful evil face I can never forget, and his eyes—I fear you will think I exaggerate—but his eyes were green as emeralds!"

The Golden Scorpion