Projects in Progress [ooc]

Another out of character posting, just to keep everyone abreast of developments...

Mostly, I am waiting on an order to arrive. While waiting, I have started to develop a 15mm British aerial gunboat. Which will require an additional order. I'll be looking for 15mm guns on naval mountings and ship fittings. Let me know if you have any sources!

The gunboat is based on the old Space 1889 Aphid-class, like so many other designs have been. I am planning on constructing it using some sheet styrene and foamcore, with a few odds and ends thrown in for masts, etc. It will have a smokestack, even though handwavium reactors don't require one.

So. I have been busy... it just doesn't look like it! I painted a great little robot at the OwlCon Reaper Paint-n-Take. I have nine more on order for that, too. They'll make a great unit of automatons. I have several minis almost done, including the first ten of the re-re-painted 15mm Germans (to make them more like the 25mm scheme) and some more deathrays (ran out of leather lacing for the saddles, among other things).

Also on the deathray front, I have figured a simple way to put them on flight stands using magnets that I am liking a lot. Essentially, I glue a thin metal base to the belly of the deathray, and a rare earth magnet (small one!) to the end of a clear plastic flight stand. Pop it on, the cavalry is in flight. Take it off, the cavalry is grounded and ready to dismount. Which reminds me, I suppose I need to make a dismounted cavalry group as well. Great - I needed another project.

Gah! Very late now. Must go to bed.

Birth Announcement

Texican Consul Has a Son!

Mister Andrew Jackson Houston, son of the late President Samuel Houston of the Republic of Texas and presently Consul for the Republic of Texas here in Victoria Landing, announces the birth of his first child, Samuel Jackson Houston.

Mrs. Aleta Houston was delivered of a healthy baby boy in the consular apartments at the Texican Consulate last evening. Doctor George Williams attended the first-time mother during the delivery. Both child and mother are doing well.

[Editor's Note: Sam Houston did have a son named Andrew Jackson Houston, born 1854, and obviously named after Sam's old friend and political mentor, President Andrew Jackson. At 27 years old, he would be young for an important consulate, but with his impeccable familial political connections, the idea is not totally ludicrous. Besides, its fun.]

Fantastic Minerals Explained [ooc]

Okay, for those of you who are starting to scratch your heads and say "what's up with all the fake minerals?" I have written this post to explain how I see everything meshing together in my little VSF universe.

Hydrium

Firstup: good old hydrium. I may need to change the name, as it was originally created by an author named Kenneth Oppel. I took the name because I liked it, and have credited him several times for it, but it is still technically a copyright infringement if I ever publish any of this. At this point, I think I am safe under the realm of amateur fanfic. So look for a name change to something like helios, or monoionic hydrogen, or something, in the relatively near future. Anyway, what it is, is a lifting gas, several times more efficient than hydrogen and non-flammable. So, way better than hydrogen, and responsible for the motley assortment of Zeppelins and other lighter-than-air vehicles floating in the skies of my games.

IMVU (In My Victorian Universe), hydrium is produced biologically. It can be found on all three of the inhabited planets. On Earth, only certain subterranean fungi produce it, so it is found in underground deposits. On Mars, large flying creatures produce hydrium and store it in bladders within their bodies, allowing them to fly. As yet, I have made no specific mention of hydrium on Venus, though I intend it to exist there.

I posted on hydrium last year a few times, especially in regards to the deathrays. I also mentioned it as appearing in plants, causing floating trees. This is an idea I have discarded as too similar to Space 1889's liftwood trees.

Handwavium

Handwavium is the energy soure that has opened the aether to Earthly explorations. By bathing handwavium crystals in an alkaline solution, a rather intense heat is created chemically, without using oxygen. The handwavium gives off a green glow as the reaction takes place. The handwavium acts as a catalyst, and is not consumed in the reaction.

Handwavium reactors boil water to steam for use in steam engines, turbines and generators. The process is remarkably similar to a nuclear power plant: large pipes with water in them pass through the reactor vessel, heating the water via conduction (if I remember my heat transfer types correctly). The resultant steam is then put to work. Large reactors can provide sufficient power for generating electricity for entire small towns or factories.

Handwavium is rare and widely scattered on Earth. Deposits of the green crystals have been found in England, Ireland, Egypt, Nevada, South Africa, Siberia, Manchuria, and the Andes mountains, among other places. It can also be found on both Mars and Venus in similar deposits. There is an apparent correlation to ancient civilizations' ruins and handwavium deposits. I will probably develop more along those lines in the future.

Unobtainite

IMVU, there are two methods of generating better lighter-than-air lift than is actually possible in our known universe: hydrium and unobtainite.

Unobtainite is a blue, slightly translucent crystal. It is entirely unremarkable until an electric charge is passed through it. Once it is exposed to 'galvanic forces,' unobtainite begins to rise upward. The more voltage is passed through, the stronger the anti-gravitational force becomes. Thus, by increasing or decreasing the voltage by a simple rheostat, a vessel equipped with unobtainite lift will gain or lose altitude.

Unobtainite has several advantages over hydrium. The most important is that it takes far less volume of unobtanite to generate the same lift, given sufficient electrical current. It can thus be carried inside a vesssel, behind protective shielding, whereas hydrium requires a large gasbag which, for all intents and purposes, is unarmored. Unobtainite vessels are swifter, with far less drag than hydrium zeppelins. Also, piloting an unobtainite vessel is much easier to do, and requires fewer crewmembers.

Unobtainite is found on Earth in small quantities. The largest deposit so far has been located in the central African highlands. It is much more common on Mars, where Martian scientists discovered its amazing properties millenia ago, at the height of the Martian civilization. To date, no unobtainite has been found on Venus at all.

Copyright Notice:

Please note that, other than the name hydrium, as explained above, I do claim copyright on the ideas outlined above. Feel free to use the ideas in your own personal and private games, so long as you grant credit appropriately. Please do not print or publish these ideas in any form or format without my permission.

Royal Xenological Society, Vol. 3

Martian Sand Tiger

Pictured above, for the first time, is the rampaging h'lee'rael, or Martian Sand Tiger. Johnny Martian may call it by some heathen name, but its proper scientific designation is Panthera marsticus tigris harenosus (P. m. tigris harenosus). Note the large claws on it's broad and powerful paws and multitude of needle-sharp teeth in the wide mouth. Also, the extra set of eyes, which allow it to see in the dark by way of the heat of a living body. Their striped bodies provide ideal camouflage in the sandy wastes of the Martian outback, and their lightning fast charge can overwhelm prey many times their own size.

Anyone in his right mind would think twice about venturing into the territory of one of these solitary killers. Thankfully, they are incredibly territorial, and adults only tolerate each other's presence during the mating season. Females will allow their young to remain in the den for the first year after birth. In times of poor hunting, the female will devour her own young without hesitation.

All in all, jolly good sport. I recommend a Holland & Holland .670 Express double rifle and a large number of bearers/drivers. It would be best to hunt from the vantage point of a low-flying vessel.

[Editor's note: The miniature in question is a Star Wars Miniatures game Nexu. I think I will buy one or two, just to put something rather ferocious on the ground in random events. I'll probably re-paint it.]

The Caravan Arrives!

Overdue Caravan from Hiling Arrives at Last!

The merchant caravan from Hiling has arrived, days later than expected. Naturally, the fierce dust storms of the last week severely slowed Caravan Master Golu Wakkadi's trek across the desert. Those same storms prevented aerial observation of the caravan, causing a great deal of worry amongst those merchants expecting trade goods to arrive from Hiling. Common gossip held that the caravan had fallen prey to either a band of High Martian bandits or a troop of German raiders - so carefully not in the Kaiser's uniform, but conveniently armed with the latest in weaponry from the secret laboratories of the Hun Warmachine.

With the caravan's arrival, we can at last reveal the photostats from HMAS Osprey, taken by our onboard press representative. The finest of the pictures of the oasis at Kem Shia is below.

Cousin Jonathan Celebrates President's Day

Today is also the day our American cousins celebrate their presidents. Curious habit, honoring elected officials this way. I mean, they are politicians, after all. Not like it was Her Majesty the Queen's birthday or something important. I gather that the date was chosen as it falls between the birthdates of that rascal Washington and the late Mister Lincoln.

However, in the sake of international relations between the English speaking nations of the worlds, let us wish a Happy President's Day to our American readers. One does wonder if the Texicans or the Confederates celebrate the day as well?