The World Of Twilight

Here he is, my first foray into resin models! ;D

Ian at Fenris has done the honours with the casting - I've now realised I took photos of his first rough casting so it's got a couple of air bubbles, but that won't be the case for the actual ones.

I hope you like him. He will be available at Salute for £15, including a 60mm resin base (chosen from either a plain base or from a variety of different designs). If you want more than one belan then I'll probably sort out a deal.

I'm currently loading one up with baggage for the demo game, and I'll eventually do a proper one. I'm going to have 20 at Salute and I'm not sure how/if this will be available afterwards...

(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh269/Xrgut/Belan-1.jpg)
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh269/Xrgut/HerderTrain.jpg)

thats one big hunk of animal!

only 20 you say?

I best check the trader layout to get there quick.

Nifty, I'll be after one of those then.

Nice!

Love the beastie, but seems to be about to topple forwards?

I'll be taking advance orders if you want to make sure you get one  :)

The belan has a lot of mass around the haunches, so looks more imbalanced than it is. It leans forward a little bit though.

Nice

Looks like he's taking a step to me

Now get some baggage on him!

I've covered one in baggage, but that one won't be castable. Hoping to slap some paint on him this weekend...

yes please, I'll nab one off you tomorrow

Another characterful beastie for Twilight. Is the belan just a package beast or does it carry any kind of howdah?

HN

I always imagined it as a beast of burden for the Fubarnii, generally with bags on its back. Absolutely nothing stopping an enterprising Fubarnii from strapping a howdah onto a Belan's back though.
I've not go any plans to do a howdah at the moment, but I could possibly be convinced...

I have a plan to do Larigal's corpulent and rather useless mayor on a howdah, not sure whether to use a baruk or belan though. Thoughts?

Me too  ;D


Now there's an idea for the herders... hmmm...

I wasn't aware I had even given you one... Have you been talking to Ian, or should I not get my hopes up?

Mark was wanting to build something on the back of the belan to go with his herders... Must remember to save one of the belan for him!

I like the sound of Larigal's mayor. I want to do the same with a corpulent trader. I could see it working on either a belan or a baruk, but not sure which would work better!

A Belan. I'd love a crpulent trader on Belan howdah as a large centrepiece for the Traders/Herders. Since I'm combining those 2 groups, a lazy leader on massive beast directing a load of peasants to do his biddings is quite appealing.

Oops, sorry. Was just wishful thinking on my part (I had meant to delete the words "this weekend" from the quote but forgot)

As for the mayor in howdah idea, please consider this as a third vote for the Belan

Now you have to do ti

Three votes

'Tis the rules

Well, looks like I'm ordering a Belan then... though you'll have to wait for someone else's version to see what it should look like ideally, on account of my dexterity being equivalent to, well... a Belan.  :-\

Im up for doing either or both type of howdah. A few slingers in one would have a good hight advantage giving better range and line of sight.
A fancy one with gilded finery and a very well to do and portly clan leader would also be fun to do.

Even though, I'd like to see, and really hope you will make a castable laden Belan - would love a such in my caravan.

What about a traveling engineer with random mechanical doo-hickeys and some sort of tent.

HN

It's still very much WIP, and this version will not be cast, but I thought you might like to see how my belan is progressing for the big game. He's photographed next to a trader painted by my friend Tony.

(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh269/Xrgut/BelanWIP3.jpg)
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh269/Xrgut/BelanWIP2-1.jpg)
(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh269/Xrgut/BelanWIP1-1.jpg)

He's looking really good, I like the subtle colouring you have going on.

Are you planning on making a bagged version for sale? and are these kept by the Fubarnii just for carrying or are they kept for food too?

HN

There will be a fully laden belan at some point, and he'll be in a similar style to this one (but more carefully sculpted). I'm not sure how long he'll take to arrive though!

The belan is considered a bit like we would consider an elephant - I suppose they might be eaten occasionally, but generally they are more valuable as beasts of burden. Fubarnii aren't great meat eaters either, although they will eat it on special occasions.

There will certainly be more creatures with unusual loads - some will be based on the belan, but some will be completely new.

That belan looks like a plodder, and the demo board is very long! It's going to take a while to get to safety!

Don't worry, I won't make it plod the whole length of the board! I'm also going to let him move 6" per turn, so that should mean things move a bit more quickly...

Looks fantastic. 

I was thinking that the trader is no way going to be able to handle/take care of one of these things on his own.  It is so massive that when a trader travels with a Belan, he is going to need to bring a pair of Fubarnii herders with him to help control/help feed this massive thing.

I could imagine him being led by a mounted trader, possibly with the assistance of a couple of mounted herders.

HN

The apprentice with the proddy spear-stick might give a hand perhaps?

The plan for the trade caravan currently consists of:

Elderly head trader
Trader on hoof
Mounted trader
2 assistants (the jenta)
2 Skerrats (useful for rounding up beasts that wander off)
1 Belan
3 or 4 Baruk
3 Laden Enuk

They'll be protected by something like 6 herders, a couple of units of militia and 6 herder light cavalry.

I'm sure that's more than enough to put off all but the most determined of Devanu attackers. :)

sounds like a sizeable force

are you planning on having anything sally forth from the fort? you know the big custom made specially deisgned to be sallied-forth-from fort at the other end of the board?

You might have noticed a picture of some knights on another thread... They would be perfect for sallying forth, on the off chance anything were to attack the caravan  ;D

tally hoooooooooooo

It looks wonderful - and glad that you a planing to do a commercial one. I know how to sculpt, but don't have the courage trying anything like this.

Wow...just wow.

Hopefully they wil be around when I can afford to get one.

Thats a lovely paintjob on the big guy.

Mike,

How about a Belan with a Howda with a big Bolt thrower or a rock-thrower machine to deal with those hated Devanu hunting packs. What do you think?

Edwin

Or a large Derek? Evil.

HN

A herd of unladen belan have just been spotted making their way towards salute...

(http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh269/Xrgut/EOS006.jpg)

Now that's what you call a herd.  :)

I especially like the shy one hiding behind the flower, lol

 ;D  ;D  ;D

And really like that new funky green Ian is using for his casts, too - almost no need for using paints :)

a howda would look cool on this beast ive bought one and painted it already, though i was thinking perhaps when the ferals get done, use the belan like an elephant with a mahout behind the head and two riders on a fur pelt or something. you could do a metal add on set so you could have multiple varients depending on the faction

As soon as Mike sends me a belan model Im going to have a brainstorm on exactly this subject. Im thinking some kind of generic platform then different options to go on top. If the options are also kept pretty generic then when new large similar beasts come along then all they would need is their own platform sculpting to conform to the existing options.

Have you got any left at all?  ???
I picked up the starter set at Salute and am now hooked :P

Han.

I think Mike had 8 or 9 left at the end of Salute, but not sure when he is going to restock. If you want one PM him an order and he'll get back to you pretty quick.

Yup, 9 left after Salute. 1 has gone already and I want to keep a few for myself/friends, so I think there are probably about 5 left.

If you have any mis-casts then Im happy to play around on the back of one. As long as the area where a platform would go is intact its good for me.  ;D

Yeah I was thinking of something like that as well (great minds)  :P
I might just make one, and possibly use some of the bits from the house kit that they do??? Not sure, I'd have to check the size of each of them.

(I sent an email for a request for a few of them, I may actually need 3 instead of 2, I hope that's ok?!?

Han :D

Three? You are going to have quite a herd! :)

Brandlin's house kits could work for adding details. I'll try to take a pic of them together at some point.

Ha ha yeah :P
I was thinking of having one plain, then I'll get my boyfriend to sculpt loads of little bags/stuff on the back of one of them, and then on an other attempt to create a howdah, so I can have three different scenario's :D

Han.

I'd just like to commend you again for this scuplt. I was wondering what I was reminded of by it when I came across some models which I might one day justify buying. (http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/Warhammer-40000/Tau/KROOT?filter_reset=1)

Judging by those pics, the Belan, imo, is better.

The laden one is amazing! Such character in a single sculpt! I get paid soon and when i do...BAM! at least one Belan for me :D

The laden Belan, if that's what you are talking about, was a one off conversion of the unladen Belan, for the Salute games, and as such has not been produced. I understand the intention is to sell the Belan, laden, but the progress is all behind closed doors for now!

Not much progress, but it is on my sculpting desk... Dhogu first, then the belan might get a look in.

I was aware of that, that's why I said "one Belan for me" not one Laden Belan ;D
Both are pretty cool though

You can count on me buying two when they're ready....