Convention Coming...

Historicon, I am there!

Didn't think I was gonna get to go this year, but my wonderful bride essentially said: "Just buy the damned tickets and stop asking if we can afford it, already! You're making me nuts!" Or something to that effect.

I love my wife.

I'll be in at least one VSF game, as well, on Saturday night, 8PM, with Bob Charette. He's running his Skyrunners game, which just released a couple of months back. I love the photos of the ships, and want to see them in action!

Even though my spending money's less than I would want it to be for the convention, I'm looking forward to the games! Plus, there's the flea market. Love that. And I can still window shop the convention booths to order stuff later - I like to see something before I buy it online. I'm odd that way.

Also, I'll be going by myself, so no kids wanting to drag me away from interesting booths, games, or whatever so they can eat or something... pfah! Wimps.

Anyway, look me up. I'll be the slightly overweight short guy with no hair and a goatee. No, not that one. No, not that one either. Hint: I shower regularly and change clothes everyday. Does that help? :D

Aethergraph Issue 1 Now Available

XCIV Publishing (yours truly, editor) is proud to announce the release of the premiere issue of The Aethergraph, an electronic fanzine dedicated to Victorian Science Fiction. It includes items both in character (setting fluff) and out (rules, fiction, etc.).

You may find it located in the sidebar at the top on the left of your screen. Enjoy, and please leave me comments and contributions at aethergraph@gmail.com.

[EDIT 6/13: By "contributions", I do not mean cash contributions. I mean submissions to be included in the next issues. Just to be clear.]

Aethergraph Approaching... Really!

We are pending release of the newest electrographic and telegraphically distributed magazine dedicated to Victorian Science Fiction: The Aethergraph, edited by none other than yours truly.

I know it's running later than I hoped. Sadly, other duties interfered with production. I have only one full page left to fill, and I believe I have the material ready to go for that.

Speaking of material, I want to thank Bob Charrette, who makes the wonderful Parroom Station miniatures, for kindly allowing me to use a photo of one of his Skyrunner Scudders in this issue. Also, the gentlemen at Quantum Gothic, who allowed me to use their Communication Dish picture to tart up this issue. I really do need to buy one of these - does anyone in the US carry them? Lovely stuff. Award winning, even.

Expect to see the first edition out in a few days. And naturally, I will announce it here, there and everywhere.

Royal Xenological Society, Issue #6

Crotalus venusica giganticus

(Photo lifted from Four-Color Figures - w/o permission)

The Venusian Giant Rattlesnake is a rightly-feared predator of the Venusian highlands. Named by Texian marines for their superficial similarity to common terrestrial vipers (they are serpentine, and venomous), the Venusian Rattlesnake is much more aggressive than its namesake. A bite from this enormous beast will kill a human in a matter of seconds as the hemotoxin bursts blood cells throughout the entire body. The Giant Rattlesnake appears very fond of horseflesh, and responds quickly to the sound of hoofbeats they can feel through the ground.

Notice the lack of an obvious eye structure. The Deathrattler is, in fact, blind. However, it is still able to hunt by means of vibratory location.The spines protruding from the scaled skin can detect very faint vibrations in the air - sound, essentially - at close range, acting similarly to a bat's echolocation but without using a shrill cry. The same organs also detect ground impacts from a great distance, leading the serpent to its prey.

[Editor's Note: This is a Razorspine Rattler from Wyrd Miniatures' Malifaux line. Beauty, ain't it? I have not bought one yet, because other than an interesting and dangerous random encounter, I can't justify it for wargaming. I keep trying to make it work for Vardu's biological monstrosities, but... it just doesn't seem as if it could possibly be controlled well enough. Still, it is a beautiful figure and may make its way into my collection regardless of utility.]

Upcoming Game [TSATF]

Scale: 15mm.

Rules: The Sword and the Flame/20th Anniversary

Figures: Mix of OG and Stone Mountain

Scenario: Not much story here. Lieutenant Hiram Bigg-Botham is leading a platoon of infantry through the savannah of Zululand. A supply wagon is along. And a troop of lancers, for protection. Suddenly, a hundred Zulus appear from nowhere. Stand and fire or die at the end of an assegai (iklwa)!

Okay, so the question I have is this: do you think this will give a decent game for two to three players plus a referee? Some of the guys down here in Clear Lake and I are looking at getting a colonial game together for our June gathering. I've never set up a TSATF game, though I have played in a few. I have twenty British infantry, twelve lancers, a supply wagon and a field gun (if needed) ready to play, and forty Zulus done, with (hopefully) sixty more to be done by game time. I would like to have one British player and one or two Zulus. All Zulus are spear-armed (no rifles).