GLoGtober 23: Treasure Routes, Dwarves, Paper Minis
Image: Artist unknown, drawing of a 10th-12th century hogback stone depicting four dwarves holding up the sky from Transactions of the Lancanshire and Chester Antiquarian Society, 1892.
Challenge #5: Treasure routes and vessels.
Challenge #6: Paper minis.
Challenge #7: Dwarves.
The combination of being sick and being deep into midterm season have stalled my GLoGtober to a crawl. Still, I want to get something on the books for every challenge, so here are my final three submissions rolled into one.
Dwarven Treasure Caravans
The dwarven holds of the old world have burrowed in the earth for centuries, some say since the first dwarves were cast in molten slag by the Creators. The caches of ore run deep beneath these ancient sites, but even the thickest vein runs dry eventually.
When the mines run dry, younger dwarves are quick to form expeditions (though others might call them raiding parties) set on finding new claims, staking them, and clawing them away from all comers. Such expeditions can be found in the most unlikely places, often braving inhospitable environments in search of untapped mineral deposits.
Once an encampment is established, these expeditions begin churning out a steady supply of artifacts - graven weapons, jewelry, ornamental ewers. These luxury items are intended not only for trade, but as a display of constancy. "Look!" they say. "We're here, we've wealth to spare, and we shan't be pried off it." This obstinate spirit can be observed in the craftsmanship of such objects. It doesn't hurt that a tastefully decorative helm might be enough to sway an aged dwarven grognard in the homeland into establishing a more permanent trade relationship with the upstart settlement.
Naturally, these trade routes are closely monitored not only by bandits but by any resistance groups that are opposed to dwarven colonization. Disrupting the trade not only would cut the occupiers off from their supply chain, but also deal a grievous blow to their morale. Fully aware of this, dwarven treasure caravans are heavily guarded and their wagons thoroughly reinforced, sometimes even with cannon. They aren't fast, but rumor has it they never stop moving outside of city walls, even to rest or shelter from the harshest weather.
Assembly Instructions
Figures
- Print out the sheet on normal printer paper.
- Cut each figure out from their sheet, leaving about a quarter inch of white space around the edge and a tab of about .5 inches on the bottom. The silhouette can be rough here.
- Glue each figure onto a playing card (I keep beat up, old decks that are missing cards for just this reason).
- Cut the playing card to match the contours of the figure, leaving about a quarter inch of white around the edge.
- Fold the half inch tab to use as a base or insert into a standee base of your choosing.
Cart
- Cut out and glue as above, but onto a piece of thin card- or chipboard. The boxes soda cans come in work great for this.
- Fold the tabs back, and fold the skull bit at the two middle lines.
- Glue the tabs onto the inside of the sides of the wagon, making sure to apply even pressure for about 30 second at each tab.
- Fill the cart with treasure! Coins, candies, what-have-you!