A Sword for Ireland

(Image from:  Warfare History Network)

Most mornings I can’t remember any dreams from the previous night.  But once in a while, something so vivid and coherent will unfold, that it becomes hard-wired to my brain’s memory core.  

I had one such evocative vision when I was still on active-duty and stationed in Asia, over 25 years ago.

It’s stuck with me ever since.

I’m finally writing about it now because, I’ve been dabbling with AI to create art.

Now, through the use of Perchance.org, I’ve generated enough images to illustrate what my mind conjured up so long ago:

It’s sometime in the early 11th Century, and I’m standing near cliffs on the east coast of Ireland.  A striking, red-headed woman sits on a rock in front of me, with the breathtaking view of the cliffs and the sea to my right.  She’s wearing an elegant, full-length, green velvet dress, with a sword encased in a scabbard upon her lap.

She says,  “I’ve taught you everything I know.”  (This was regarding swordsmanship).

I reply,  “Thank you.  I finally feel ready.” 

“What do plan to do now?”

“I intend to join Brian Boru’s army and drive the Norsemen out of Ireland, once and for all.”

She rises from the rock, walks forward, and presents me with the sword and scabbard.

(Image created by author via Perchance.org)

“Here then.  I offer you my family's sword.  I pray it serves you well." She draws nearer and drops her voice to a whisper.  "And brings you safely home--back to me."

Her eyes close, she parts her lips, leans closer, and…

(Image created by author via Perchance.org)

...I wake up.

<Exasperated sigh>.  Another dream cut short, just when the situation becomes romantic or erotic.

Normally, this frustrates me every time.  However, on this particular night, I had a more pressing issue to deal with.  I couldn’t spare time moping about a curtailed kiss from my dream girl.

(Image created by author via Perchance.org)

I sat up, got to the edge of my bed, let out another sigh, and asked out loud:

“What the hell was that all about?  Norsemen? Brian Boru? Who the f*ck is Brian Boru!? And yet, why does this feel familiar to me?”

Fortunately, I lived in a private room, so I wouldn’t disturb anyone with my whispered ravings, and my immediate need to conduct some midnight research.   

(Image created by author via Perchance.org)

I was compelled to find an answer that very night.  Fortunately, it didn’t take long.  I turned on a light, and grabbed a book from my bookshelf, then sat down in my lounge chair.  (The internet was in its infancy back then). 

The book I chose was, The Harper Encyclopedia of Military History (4th ed).

I found who I was looking for in the General Index.  There, on page 1590, was the following entry:

Brian Boru, King of Munster, 270, 315.

Okay then.  This guy was real and not a figment of my overactive imagination.  I wasn’t sure if this was a relief or not.

I turned to page 270, part of which read:

976 [A.D.]. Rise of Brian Boru…He steadily increased his power and domains at the expense of Irish and Norse rivals. 

Then on page 315, I found this:

As the 11th Century opened, Brian Boru was consolidating his position as the leading king of the several Irish kingdoms…One further Danish effort to reestablish themselves in Ireland was smashed by Brian at the Battle of Clontarf (23 April 1014).

(Image from:  Celtic Wedding Rings--History)

Well then.  Finding the answers I needed only deepened the mystery.  The additional research I’ve conducted afterwards improved my knowledge of Medieval Irish History, but of course, offered nothing in the way of a dream interpretation. 

(Image created by author via Perchance.org)

True, I may have read something in-passing about High King Brian Boru, and then forgot about it.  However, I’ve studied plenty of military history since then.  And still, this moment has been the only time I’ve dreamt of an historical figure, or event.

So my questions remain:  How did I know who Brian Boru was?  How did I know that he was instrumental in driving out the Norsemen?  Is there some ancestral connection?

(Image created by author via Perchance.org)

Some years ago, one of my siblings had a DNA test done.  Just over 40% of our family’s genetic origin comes from Scotland, Ireland and Wales.

Maybe, if my siblings and I pitch-in, we can conduct an extensive genealogy search to discover more about our family’s Irish ancestry.

And who was kissing whom on the shores of Ireland. 

 

Warhammer 40K Webcomic

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Author's Notes:

I got the idea for this silly, gender-bender story while rummaging through my miniature collection in preparation for the Chaos Cultists Pass in Review post.

I thought:  What would be the "worst" that could happen to a bunch of evil, vengeful fighters?

While their fate may not be as horrible as their previous lot in the "...grim darkness of the far future..." the story was fun to write.

As to the "behind the scenes" of this webcomic's imagery:

About half of the female figures were from an older line of D&D Miniatures from Wizards of the Coast.  The other half, including the male bartender were another set of pre-painted figures that I can't remember who manufactured them.  Googling the images hasn't helped.

I was also frustrated at attempting to find the source of the "Inquisitor Faustina" images.  I downloaded it from Tumblr years ago, but am unable to relocate it, even when I typed-in the HTML, my search came up with zilch.

Here's what I can tell you about the other products used during the creation of Suitable Servants--

--The badlands scenery is a terrarium backdrop I purchased from PetSmart.
--The ground is represented by Cigar Box Battle Store's Arid Lands Terrain Mat.
--The mysterious Chaos Temple is the Altar of Evil by Pegasus Hobbies, I purchased years ago.

The planet Kalf does exist in the WH40K 'verse.  It's listed as a frontier world in the Calixis Sector that can be found on the inside cover of  Fantasy Flight Games "Only War" WH40K RPG (2012).

A more readable map can be found on the WH40K Fandom Wiki:

I picked this location for a few reasons.  First, the idea of a frontier world brings to mind a planet that's not the usual toxic waste dump, war-torn hell that WH40K games and stories take place on.  Second it's one of the border worlds, so it's close enough to main fighting that was portrayed in Fantasy Flight Games' (FFG) Only War series, without being on the front lines.  But at the same time, close enough for raids and incursions by xenos and heretics.  Finally, it's location fits in with both FFG's WH40K RPG and WH40k/Wrath & Glory's Imperium Nihilus or the Age of the Dark Imperium.

I hope you enjoyed Suitable Servants along with the background material that went into creating it.

Thanks!

Cubicle 7's Call for Freelancers

(Image:  Wrath & Glory logo by Cubicle 7 Games)

Last year, I went all-in for the Wrath & Glory Warhammer 40,000 (WH40K) roleplaying game (RPG).

In addition to the core rulebook, I bought the starter kit, the gamemaster's screen, a battle map, deluxe wrath & glory tokens, along with all six of the specialized card decks.

(Image:  Cover art from the Ulisses North America version)

Several months ago, I logged on to Ulisses North America's website to see if there were any new products.  Not only were there no new products--but there was no Wrath & Glory at all.

But the new WH40K RPG didn't die, instead Ulisses transferred the license to Cubicle 7 Entertainment.

This company currently produces five other games including the Warhammer Fantasy RPG, so they have experience with the Warhammer 'verse.

Now fast-forward to this past Friday night and I catch this notice, initially on the Wrath & Glory Facebook page:

So I decided to heed the call.

The deadline is 20 September 2019, but I noticed fans already responded by sending in their CV/Resume and writing sample.  So I'm behind the power curve already.

I must admit, I had to look up what a CV--Curriculum Vitae was.

I just finished padding updating my resume.  And as Fate would have it, I'm currently working on a WH40K webcomic based on my last post about my Chaos Cultists.

My cunning plan is to submit it as my writing sample and submit my package by the end of this week, early next week.

The competition is stiff, but I like the idea of earning some cool points and geek cred by saying:  "Yeah, I applied for that gig."

(Image:  Cubicle 7's proposed cover art)

Stern Rake Studio Website

Well, I finally launched an actual Stern Rake Studio website yesterday. 

I've been tinkering with it for over a year now. I'm not 100% satisfied with it, but I'm not sure what else to do with it. 

So instead of letting it continue to lay dormant, I thought I'd launch it. 

I'll continue to work on it when I figure out how to improve it.

In the meantime, I hope you like it:

SternRakeStudio.com 

Cosplay-Inspired Webcomic Posted

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Here is another webcomic I've written based on my experience at the Jet City Comic Show (JCCS).

Dealing with Deadpool was inspired by the photo shoot I did at the Comic Book Characters For Causes booth.  The group's "volunt-heroes" help raise money for charitable causes in the Seattle area.  According to their 19 November Facebook post, they've changed their name to Costumed Characters for Causes (CC4C), and more importantly, they've been invited to next year's Emerald City Comicon.

I have to admit that even though I dressed like the Punisher, I'm certainly not an expert on him.  Not only that, but I know next to nothing about Deadpool.  I haven't even seen the Deadpool movie yet.

What I do know, is that Frank Castle is a dour vigilante with a tragic backstory, and Wade Wilson is a smart aleck mercenary.  While there's no official pairing by Marvel of these two diametrically opposed characters; artists, like Oliver Kidsley, think they'd make quite a team--if they don't kill each other first.

(Image:  Concept Movie Poster by Oliver Kidsley)

With similar thoughts in mind, I decided to have a photo shoot with CC4C's Deadpool cosplayer, which I learned later was Eugene Capon.

The plot I concocted was based on our poses in relation to each other.  Since these photos weren't enough to provide an introduction and ending, I wanted to include an image of the Seattle skyline to fill in these gaps.

I found M.R. Wells' picture fit the bill perfectly.

(Image:  Seattle Night by M.R. Wells)

Before writing the story, I used Paint.NET's ink-sketch program to make it look like I drew the images by hand, and then  Comic Life 3 to create the actual webcomic.

The hardest part for me to do was writing the introduction.  I wanted to explain why The Punisher was in Seattle, and was willing to team-up with Deadpool.

I'll add a separate tab for this story in a couple days.  Click on any of the images for a larger view.
I hope you enjoy Dealing with Deadpool.

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(Page 3: Introduction)

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(Page 10: Ending Page)

(Page 11: Closing Credits Page)

Another New Tool of the Trade

(Image from Amazon.com)

Back in February, I announced I got a new camera, which I'm still trying to figure out all the functions.

If that wasn't enough, I thought I'd use the funds in my tax return to buy a new laptop.

The influx of funds wasn't the only factor in this decision.

For years I've been using a Toshiba Satellite a305-s6905, which actually got a decent review on CNET--back in 2009.

But it wasn't the age of my laptop that was bothering me.  Starting about a month ago, anytime I logged on to the internet, I'd get a message along my toolbar notifying me that Google Chrome won't be supporting Windows Vista.

So I was presented with choice to either upgrade my laptop to Windows 10, or buy a new laptop.  (Later I found out my old Satellite doesn't seem compatible with Windows 10).

When I began my search for the best laptop for my needs,  (or as any computer illiterate like me could fully fathom what I need), I discovered that every laptop, along with just about every other techno-gadget on the market, were better than my current model.

Based on the performance statistics--and the price discount Amazon.com offered--I decided to buy an HP Pavilion Flagship with a 15.6" screen.  I was thinking about buying the version with a 17.3" screen, but I liked the handiness of the 15.6" screen my Satellite has and thought the larger one would be too big.

My New Tool of the Trade was hand-delivered to me two days after Easter.  Seriously.  The UPS guy arrived just as I was heading to the gym that afternoon.

Since then I've been transferring files and learning the ins & outs (mostly outs) of my Flagship.  While I'm certainly experiencing "growing pains," I'm happy with my purchase because even if I don't learn everything there is to know about my Flagship, I can at least tell it's a better model than my Satellite.

Webcomic Chapter 15 Posted

Chapter 15 (pages 438-479) of Breakout from Bongolaan is now available.

For this chapter's theme song I chose Love & Loss, by Two Steps from Hell.

I thought this song, which I found rather quickly, fit the "big reveal" made my one of the characters in this story.

The way I have the rest of the story plotted-out, there's eight chapters left.  However, it seems like nearly all my previous chapters end up multiplying into two or three scenes.  So for now, let's just say there's eight more plot-points to go.

I'm still in the process of learning about my new Nikon CoolPix P530 camera.  I hope to start using it by the time I start taking pictures for Chapter 16.

In the meantime, I  hope you enjoy the latest chapter.

New Tool of the Trade

(My Nikon CoolPix P530 camera, accessories, and of course, the multi-lingual owner's manual)

Other than my Valentine's Day and President's Day greetings, it's been almost a month since I posted anything of substance.

The reason for this literary lull is that I'm finally getting around to figuring out the new camera I bought early last month.  And yes, this includes reading the owner's manual.

For nearly eight years now, I've been taking pictures for my blog, YouTube videos, and webcomics with my trusty Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX01 camera.

I love the Lumix's handiness and ease of use, although I certainly haven't mastered it.

My biggest problem has been adjusting the light setting (natural daylight, overcast, or indoor lighting) for the environment I'm shooting in.  Once I've taken a batch of pictures I'd use the Windows Paint Program in my laptop, and/or the Paint.Net program I downloaded to adjust the color and brightness of each picture.

I certainly haven't mastered this technique either.

I hardly use the built-in flash because it seems like the subject, usually one or more miniature figures, would be in an over-bright "spot light,"  while the areas outside the "blast zone" would be darker than normal.

Despite my questionable skills with a camera, for the past year I've been wondering if it was time to "up my game."

When I finally decided to take the plunge, the choice was fairly easy:  The Nikon CoolPix P530 was one of the least expensive cameras available at the Base Exchange (BX) I usually shop at.

Getting a camera with a built-in lens is the proverbial double-edge sword.  On the one hand, it's convenient to have a permanently attached lens, but the flip side means that I'm limited to what this lens can do.

Right now, I don't see myself needing a myriad of separate lenses.  For the work do, I think one lens will suffice.

Besides, the learning curve on this camera is long, and steep enough as it is.

(Image from:  English Language & Usage--The Meaning of a Steep Learning Curve)

A Short "Off Topic" Webcomic

(Click on images for a larger view)

I'm taking a small break from my long-form webcomic Breakout from Bongolaan.  This short "intermission comic" was inspired by a story one of my friends told me.

A detailed account of the comic's origin is explained below in the Author's Notes.

Author's Notes (i.e. Methods To My Madness):

During my anonymous friend's tour in Afghanistan, he told me how much he and his soldiers loved Afghan Bread.  So much so, that one day when his squad was suppose to go out on patrol, he asked his interpreter-guide to take them to a village where they could buy some.

This isn't hard to imagine, especially after being on a steady diet of MREs.  Nor is "going off mission" in a quest for Afghan Bread an isolated incident.  Throughout history soldiers have shown a tendency of venturing out, not to engage the enemy, but to search for food, booze, war souvenirs, etc.

Since I only have four US Marine figures suitable for Iraq or Afghanistan theater of operations, I decided to set this story elsewhere.  I have plenty of micro-scale Arab-Israeli War figures, and I recently posted about my new village model, Khaliat Min Bus.  So I blended my friend's story with my miniatures pictures to conjure up this timeless tale.  I also substituted Afghan Bread with Falafel.

All but one of the pictures used in this comic are mine.  I needed a picture of Israeli micro-armor to evoke an image of a sweeping advance.  Thanks to Wargames: Soldiers & Strategy, I found a suitable one for Page One's top picture on Eric Lauterbach's "Fate of the Nation" After-Action Review (AAR).

To give Going Off Mission some semblance of historical accuracy, I scrolled through Wikipedia's entry on the Yom Kippur War, and rummaged through the playing pieces of my game Golan: The Last Syrian Offensive.  I chose the 6th Armored Reconnaissance Battalion counter as the story's military organization, because I assumed soldiers from a recon unit would have the best opportunity to gallivanting off on their own agenda.  I also figured guys in intelligence organizations, like Israel's Military Intelligence Directorate ("Aman"), would also know where to find the best "commodities" for soldiers to "liberate."

Despite such assumptions on my part, I hope you enjoy the story, which can also be found under the Studio Pages Sidebar, at the top right-hand corner of this blog.