Victoria Seacrette

I mentioned in an earlier post my sudden fascination with the business of dungeoneering.

Now I can't rightly say where this predilection originated, but it certainly has been fueled by a few forum and blog photos that I've been admiring over the last few months. I'm not even really sure about a rule set for dungeoneering yet - all I know is that I want to be able to do it if the opportunity arises.

And chief among the requirements for dungeoneering is the Adventuring Party. That is, a party comprised exclusively of adventurers.

Fantasy adventuring parties are often stereotypical - their constituents easily categorised. We all know that fantasy ladies are swimsuit models and even though their save is 2+ (or they have AC 3, or however you want to represent a very good armour save), they appear to only wear a chainmail bikini, and some sort of belt upon which to hang their sword.

Often, there is a barbarian. If present, he must have a two handed sword, otherwise he will turn into a pumpkin at midnight.

Dwarves are always doughty and dependable, staying away from wizardry and sticking to the honest business of chopping things up manually. Their honesty stretches even further - we don't often come across dwarf thieves or assassins in the adventuring line.

Elves flounce about the place with daggers and longbows, slaying their enemy from afar whilst flickign their hair in the wind.

Heading up the party is always a fighter. Heaven forbid that the smartest chap (stereotypically the wizard, one supposes) would lead the party - we need the biggest, meanest one to do that.

Recognise this party? So do I.

So I thought my adventuring party would try and change that around. Where possible, of course - in some cases, I couldn't find figures available for what I wanted to do, in other cases, breaking the stereotype meant invoking an even worse stereotype, so I've avoided that.

And also, I still had to like my party. No point just doing it to break moulds, you know.

Anyway, enough chit chat, lets have a look at the figures. Today I present to you the young Victoria Seacrette, adventuress extraordinaire:

As you can see, she is fully clothed. Its all very well and good to go prancing about in your bikini whilst practicing at home, but nobody remembers adventuresses who couldn't proceed because they couldn't get through the stinging nettles hiding the entrance to the dungeon.

Also, she's...er...big boned. Shops at specialist stores, if you know what I mean. She may still be a swim suit model, but we're thinking about plus size catalogues here. Still, plenty of muscle helps adventuresses carry all the gold for that all important gym membership!

Victoria is clearly a fighter. In this case, I've allowed her (as if I had a choice!) to be the party leader, because I quite like the idea of a practical, homely, maternal sort of character mothering the rest of the party around. She's always right and she always knows what to do.

Victoria is a Hasslefree miniature known as Liberty. It's tricky to find a plus size adventuress out there - as is required by the stereotype, fantasy females are traditionally naked, but even those that aren't are in pretty good shape. I love the Hasslefree range and they do have plenty of glamour models to choose from too, but they have a super selection of bulky ladies too.

I've been exploring other figure manufacturers simply out of the awareness that Citadel classic figures are going to become rarer and rarer. I'm fine for a few years, but much like carbon fuels - the sooner we start thinking about alternatives, the easier it will be later.

Some action shots, seeing as how I've set up the stage:

Victoria dares the goblin to come closer...

Victoria inspires a man to hold firm against a rampaging troll...

Story wise, I haven't thought about it much, but I think that Victoria is the oldest child of the Seacrette family. The family is middle class - well off, but not titled or holders of much political sway. Her sisters are all small, delicate ladies, far easier to marry off than she ever was. She is headstrong and capable, two things that terrify so many men of the old world. Instead, she has elected to explore a life of adventuring, keeping options open on any 'real' men she happens to meet on the way.

Finally, if you look at the pictures closely, you'll see that poor Victoria doesn't actually have an amazing paint job. This is a combination of trying to paint quickly, a ragequit and the fact that I think I'm going to need glasses as I just can't bloody make out what the hell it is I'm painting anymore. The ragequit happened as a result of trying to paint the same bloody line five or six times before I realised there was a raised 'rim' on the shield that was confounding me.

*sigh*

Anyway, she'll do. I'll only varnish once the whole party is complete, so there is time to go back and neaten up.