German and French Cruisers of the East Asiatic Squadrons at anchor in Port Arthur, Liaodong Peninsula, Manchuria

The Paradox of Austria-Hungary, A constitutional history of the Danubian Monarchy

Excerpts from the 1889 Public Lectures of Professor Jonathan T. H. Amberley-Prescott, Senior Chair of Historical, Political and Economic Studies, the Lushington Academy, the City of London, Great Britain.

Professor Amberley-Prescott, mounted the podium that stood above the horse shoe shaped galleries of tiered seats and benches that occupied the large lecture hall in the Academy. Amberley-Prescott was popular with the student body, both for his lively, often humourous and interesting lectures and study courses and for his encouragement of the students in their studies and aspirations. He tapped the control boards on the lectern to make sure their were active and dialed up his files for the current historical study he was planning to teach today. The Massive screen behind him flickered to life and then dissolved into images of pure static as it tried to display both the text of his lecture and assorted images that he had programmed to showcase what he was going to discuss.

The dark haired albeit slightly graying, dark eyed and ever so slightly stooped professor, noted the puzzled expressions of the assembled students in the galleries and realized something was awry. The professor half turned in the podium to see what the viewing screen was likely up too... again. With a bemused snort, he observed the sizzling images of green and black static, he turned back to the lectern and touched several of the controls to resolve the static. When that did not work, he hefted his beautifully carved, dark wood walking stick, with its ornate metal handle (a birthday gift from last year, from the undergraduates, that pleased both them to present it and for him to accept it.) and slammed it violently into the lectern panel.

The static vanished in the blink of an eye and the great view panel began to resolve into neatly printed text and the images of three colourful flags. Amberley-Prescott, nodded to himself satisfied that things were going the way they should be, he turned back to his students. Adjusted his reading glasses, absently smoothed his long moustaches and beard and he began by addressing himself to his expectant listeners, who he noted had recorders, note books and data slates to hand to keep whatever notes they thought necessary.

Austria-Hungary, is by all rights one of the most complicated and perplexing countries to exist upon this planet from a perspective of history, constitutional developments and political affairs. It is very much a unique and curious creation and: like all it's internal institutions, government and society; a product of time, space, history and ethnic and religious diversity.

The Holy Roman Empire 800 A.D.  - 1804 A.D.

 For much of it's history, Austria-Hungary, was effectively a part of other states with many of it's present constituent territories having been intimately linked in one way or the other with several of Europe's historic or present kingdoms or empires but most particularly with the development, rise and eventual decline of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation, which to use Voltaire's famous and rather sarcastic phrase, was "neither Holy, nor Roman, nor an empire". Be that as it may, it also has to be said, that the Holy Roman Empire managed to effectively hold itself together despite it's internal conflicts of all sorts social, economic and religious and it's own particular constitutional compromises and even to prosper after it's own fashion for slightly over a thousand years and had it's banner fly over a considerable portion of this world's surface, which is in it self an accomplishment.

The Revolutionary Wars (the First and Second Wars of the Coalitions) between France and it's neighbouring nation states were to bring this state of affairs to an end forever. Repeated military disasters and losses of territory caused the Holy Roman Empire to begin to break up, as it's constituent states began to look increasingly to their own survival and make accommodations with France.

The Austrian Empire 1804 A.D. - 1848 A.D.

The future Austro-Hungarian Empire's foundation as an economic, military and political reality in our world's history really begins in the year 1804, when Napoleon Bonaparte declared himself Emperor of the French, and though his success in both the political and military spheres began rearranging the then established order of continental Europe to suit his own preconceptions, as well as France's then current political and military needs. Emperor Francis II, became effectively the last Holy Roman Emperor regnant in that year (although in point of fact, the Habsburgs have never or even official abdicated their claim to that title), and proclaimed himself the first Emperor of Austria, when he established that title around the Habsburg family's oldest traditional dynastic holdings and estates and became Emperor Francis I of Austria in consequence.

The Napoleonic Wars (the Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth and Seventh Wars of the Coalitions) were not overall successes for the Habsburgs, in point of fact, many of these wars were downright disasterous, although not with out a few bright moments, and even triumphs of Austrian military skill or diplomacy. Both Francis I and his empire, managed to both endure these trials and rebuild, sometimes from the very foundations up and outlast the Napoleonic Empire, which tried to dominate it. By the period of 1814-21, Austria was from a military, political and economical standing point, at the height of it's powers both physically and from a point of the ability of influencing world or at least continental events. The Metternich Era, named for the Habsburg's chief minister Klemens, Prince von Metternich-Winneburg zu Beilstein, and architect of the Metternich System: two decades of ultra-conservative reaction, reorganization and re-entrenchment had begun.

Emperor Francis II of the Holy Roman Empire 1792 - 1806 A.D. and  Francis I of the Empire of Austria 1804 - 1835 A.D.

The Austrian Empire was itself to last for some forty-four years under Emperor Francis I and his successor from 1835, Emperor Ferdinand I, until the fateful year of 1848 A.D.. This singular date is now remembered as the Year of Revolutions in which many of the monarchical thrones of Europe were either overthrown or shaken to their very foundations. What was also shaken all to pieces was the existing sense of international order that had been established and built upon by the Congresses of Vienna in 1814, 1815 and 1821 and largely maintained by the efforts of the conservative interventionist Holy Alliance of Russia, Austria and Prussia and the power balancing arrangements of the Pentarchy of Great Britain, France, Prussia, Austria and Russia.

The Austrian Empire however was in trouble from the 1820s on, as various areas under it's control, particularly in Italy, were wracked by revolutionary disturbances, most in the long run unsuccessful. 1830 saw revolutions uprisings or intense civil unrest breakout across Europe, starting in France, and spreading eastward through the Kingdom of the United Netherlands, Switzerland, the Italian States: Parma, Modena, and Romagna (Papal States), the German States: Prussia, Hesse-Kassel, Frankfurt-am-Main and Saxony. Revolts also rocked the Austrian province of Venetia-Lombardy. Poland was the last country within Europe affected by this period of instability. In many ways, 1830, was a precursory or dress rehearsal of what was to happen in 1848, but the warnings were largely ignored by many in various governments.

Austrian Galicia was hit by two revolts in rapid succession in 1846, first a revolt by the Polish nobles, followed by a similar revolt by the Galician peasantry. Both revolts were firmly put down, but public dissatisfaction with the circumstances in which the Austrian Empire found itself continued to simmer on. A severe economic recession struck the Empire in 1846-57, causing considerable economic dislocation and inflation, which only exacerbated the political problems, that faced the Austrian government.

1848, smashed all previous diplomatic arrangements, all institutional counterbalances and all governmental and societal obstructions that had protected and nurtured the Old Order of Europe. Revolutionary activity, revolts, riots and civil disturbances of all sorts shot across Europe, governments wobbled or toppled in it's wake. The Metternich System and the Holy Alliance fractured apart from the pressures placed upon it. The Habsburgs faced a serious crisis both militarily and politically. The crisis required both an immediate change of government and policy but a fundamental change of both leadership and the principals that governed the empire. These changes altered both the nature and character of the then existing Austrian Empire, into the current Austro-Hungarian Empire that it then became. Emperor Ferdinand I, who was in many ways an admirable and kindly man but not up to the rigors of being an absolute ruler, that Austria required due to serious health and mental defects, abdicated that year. He was succeeded by his eighteen year old nephew, who became Emperor Franz Josef I.

Emperor Ferdinand I of the Austrian Empire, 1835-1848 A.D.

Emperor Franz Joseph I of the Austrian Empire 1848 - 1849 A.D. and Austro-Hungarian Empire 1848 - to the present date.

Franz Josef, the eldest son of Archduke Franz Karl and the Archduchess Sophie, was faced with an impossible situation: The revolutions and revolts staked the empire, in Italy both in the independent Italian states over which Austria exercised a large degree of political hegemony and in the Italian provinces over which Austria had direct control. Then revolutionary outbreaks occurred in Austrian provinces of Bohemia, Upper and Lower Austria, Styria, Croatia-Slavonia, Hungary and Galicia At all events, Franz Josef grasped the stinging nettle firmly before him and tried to put all the shattering pieces back together again.

To add to the turmoil that was already complicating everything, two wars broke out on the borders of the German Confederation and the Austrian Empire, the 1st Schleswig-Holstein war between the Danes, Schleswig-Holsteiners and the German States. While the Italian Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont declared war against Austria in support of the revolts in the Italian provinces in what was to become the 1st Italian War of Independence. 1848-49, initially saw the Austrian government and military forces frequently wrong footed and on the defensive, although extensive Russian military and economic assistance helped the Austrian government to stabilize the situation and take the offensive against the various rebel movements and external enemies.

Emperor Franz Josef issued a steady stream of imperial, royal and apostolic patents and diplomas throughout 1848-49, reorganizing the Empire's civil administration, economy and military and security forces while working to address many of the underlining issues which had brought the Austrian Empire to the edge of ruin. Pursuing a policy of Austro-Maygarism and Austro-Slavism, a new model of government was evolved and put into practice.

While maintaining a system of heavily centralized, neo-absolute government, a great deal of administrative and some legislative powers were devolved upon the individual states or crown lands within the renamed Austro-Hungarian Empire. There were now nearly forty crown lands within the Empire according to the reorganization known as the 1848-49 Compromise or Ausgleich. Within the

In the 'German' half of the combined empire i.e. the Empire of Austria, there were some twenty-six crown lands: Liechtenstein, Voralberg, Tyrol, Salzburg, Carinthia, Carniola, Gorizia & Gradisca, Istria, Upper Austria, Lower Austria, Bohemia, Moravia, Austrian Silesia, Galicia-Lodomeria, Bukovina, Dalmatia, Bosnia-Herzogovinia, Croatia-Slavonia, Serbia and Montenegro, the Italian states of Modena, Parma, Corsica, Tuscany, and Venetia and Lombardy were included as intregal parts of this total. These lands were designated as Imperial-Royal, or Kaiserliche-Königliche (k.k.). Within the 'Hungarian' half of the new empire, the Royal and Apostolic Kingdom of Hungary, there were now some eight crown lands: Pannoia, Neutra, Bihar, Upper Hungary, Lower Hungary, Siebenbürgen (Transylvania), Banat-Vojvodina, and Ruthenia. These lands were accordingly designated as Royal Hungarian or Königliche Ungarn (k. or k.u.). The Austrian Empire's four overseas colonial possessions: Austrian North Borneo, the Nicobar Islands, the Austrian Virgin Islands and the Diu island enclave, were now designated as Imperial and Royal, or Kaiserliche und Königliche (k.u.k) under the new system.

The Austro-Hungarian Empire 1848 A.D. to the present date 1889 A.D.

Vienna, was designated the Imperial and Royal capital of the new Empire, and contained all the senior or common ministries and administrative offices of the Empire and was the seat of both the Emperor-King and the Common Parliament, called the Imperial and Royal Council. The Parliament was divided into three branches with both legislative and executive powers, the k.u.k. House of Lords and Magnates (representing both the members of the Habsburg dynasty, and the higher titled peers and the ecclesiastical lords of the various religious sects within Austria-Hungary), the k.u.k. House of Representatives and Deputies (which represented the common people of the municipalities and rural communes in at first four, later five estates or curia) and the Imperial and Royal Senate. The Senate acted to represent both the individual crown lands and ethnic groups within the Empire.  Government and civil administration and appointments throughout the Austro-Hungarian Empire were now determined by one of four levels: the Imperial and Royal Court, State, Municipal and Commune. The Empire was official trilingual as regards languages: Latin, German and Hungarian and were required for service and/or advancement in the Armed Forces, the Imperial and Royal government, administration and court circles. All other of the recognized languages used by the various ethnic groups within the Empire were protected by a series of special constitutional laws and authorized for use at local or crown land levels for either administration, education or instruction as might be required on ethnic and linguistic composition of the inhabitants.

Each Crown land had it's own Assembly, headed by a Statthalter or State Holder, who was typically a member of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine or one of it's cadet branches such as Habsburg-Este (Modena) or Habsburg-Toskana (Tuscany) or Habsburg-Bonaparte (Corsica). In the cases of Parma and Liechtenstein, the State Holder was a member of the House of Bourbon-Parma, and the House of Liechtenstein respectively. Each Assembly had an executive branch headed by a Prime minister and a cabinet council who were nominated to their positions by the Statthalter and confirmed or denied by the Emperor-King. Each Assembly's legislative branch war formed by a Chamber of Lords, and a Chamber of Deputies, which represented the local minor titled peers and the untitled landowners and the local urban and rural populations.

Graz in Styria was designated as the capital of the Imperial-Royal (k.k.) administration within the Common Empire, while Budapest in Hungary was designated as the capital of the Royal (k.u.)administration. In point of fact, the common government in Vienna subsumed these two bodies role in governmental details, administration and appointments. The Chancellor of the k.u.k. Cabinet Council was automatically also the Minister-President of Austria and Prime Minister of Hungary. The separate foreign ministries of Austria and Hungary, were effectively abolished, only the Common Foreign Affairs Ministry functioned after 1848-49. Thus both these administrations only existed as an Austrian and Hungarian Defense Ministries and concerned themselves almost exclusively with organizing and administering to their respective territorial defense forces, the k.k. Landwehr and k.k. Landsturm and the k.u. Honved and k.u. Landsturm and the Standschutzen and Volunteer Schutzen in the respective crown lands under their jurisdiction. The Justice and Police functions were overseen by a k.u.k. Justice ministry and police establishment although a k.k and k.u. Gendarmerie and Landsgendarmerie were organized in the two halves of the empire for regular every day police duties and security in the urban and rural areas of the empire. The foreign colonies were covered by their own k.u.k. Gendarmerie and Landsgendarmerie, as was the capital city and its environs.  Border security was handled only by a k.u.k. frontier and customs ministry which handled the Grenzpolizei and Grenzschutzen units.

Ironically, much of Emperor Franz Josef's reign which started in one conflict, was to be involved in numerous further internal and external conflicts. Which despite everything, the Austro-Hungarian Empire has endured and even managed to prosper from.

1852-53, 1st Austro-Ottoman War

1853-56, Crimean War

1859 - Austro-Franco-Sardinian War (2nd Italian War of Independence)

1861 - Dalmatian Revolt

1861-62, 2nd Austro-Ottoman War

1864 - Austro-German-Danish War (2nd Schleswig-Holstein War)

1866 - Austro-Prussian War (3rd Italian War of Independence)

1876-78 - 3rd Austro-Ottoman War

1878 - Bosnia-Herzegovinia Revolt 

1882 - South Dalmatian Rebellion

1885 - Austro-Bulgarian-Ottoman War

The Austro-Hungarian Empire was in consequent of these wars to see both an expansion of its borders particularing with regard to those crown lands in the Balkans but also the permanent loss of several of it's crown lands. the Italian crown lands of Parma, Modena, Corsica, and Tuscany were lost to the Kingdom of Italy through the 1859 and 1866 wars. However due to the large number of émigré nobles and peoples from these former crown lands, who resettled largely in adjacent k.k crown lands, they are still represented in the Austro-Hungarian Common Parliament, particularly the House of Lords & Magnates and k.u.k Senate.

Fog in Victorian Times

"This is a London particular... A Fog, Miss" -- Charles Dickens [Bleak House, 3]

 

Art by Joana Kruse

Memories of Past Conventions 2018 - Continued

Cosplayers of Aszurvael Armory, Fan Expo Toronto.

 

 

Professional Cosplayer Joanie Brosas with Sir Leo and the Red Hood, Fan Expo Toronto.

 

Professional Cosplayer Vamptress LeeAnna Vamp with the Red Hood and Sir Leo, Fan Expo Toronto.

 

 

 The Red Hood and a cosplaying member of the Sean Ward Show, Fan Expo Toronto.

 

 

Professional Cosplayer Ashley Du and Sir Leo, Fan Expo Toronto. 

 

 

Professional Cosplayer Ashley Du and my brother Adam as the Red Hood (or as he prefers to be know in keeping with his Victorian/steampunk background, Lord Hood), Fan Expo Toronto.

 

 

 Group Pic of Ashley, Adam and Myself, Fan Expo Toronto.

 

 

Professional Cosplayer Jessica Nigri with Red Hood, Fan Expo Toronto.

 

 

Professional Cosplayer Violet Love, with Red Hood, Fan Expo Toronto.

 

Second group pic of Sir Leo, Ashley Du and Red Hood, Fan Expo Toronto.

 

Professional Cosplayer Vera Bambi, Red Hood and Sir Leo, Fan Expo Toronto.

 

Professional Cosplayer Candy Cosplay and Sir Leo, Hamilton Comic Con.

 

 

Professional Cosplayer Candy Cosplay and Lord Hood, Hamilton Comic Con.

 

The Man in the Red Mask (Part V)

City of London, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, January 1889.

In the adjoining waiting room, the two guest waited for their audience with Lord Hood. Sixer stood stiff and absolutely still next to a couch decorated in woodwork and plush cloth, which held the only other occupant of the beautiful appointed and decorated room. Only the deep, steady amber glow of it's eyes within the deep, dark slot that was the only feature of what might be called it's face, and the soft click of gears and hiss of pistons revealed that the construct was active. The girl on the couch was about sixteen years of age, wore much patched and threadbare clothing which had clearly seen better days but the very fastidious care shown in keeping the garments in some state of respectability showed they were probably the best clothes she owned.

"Sixer... do you really think he will see us...?" The girl asked softly, her tone was a mixture of hope and creeping doubt. She clutched a battered, badly discoloured tin box, held fast by two sturdy leather buckle straps and a heavy if crude pad lock, in both her arms. It rattled and clinked when she moved as if jammed full of a great many loose objects.

The towering automata, he stood easily seven feet from his metal boot soles to the top of his head, turned his great bucket like head to look at her. One arm extended and came to rest on her  shoulder. The massive metallic fingers touched her now slumping shoulders with surprising gentleness.

"We have come this far, let us see how far our luck carries us."

"That Mister Cassidy, did not seem to pleased with us turning up, Sixer." The Girl said after a moment. Sixer shrugged his great metal shoulders as he responded.

"I suspect he regards us both of us as a nuisance and whatever errand we are on as being of no consequence. Then again it may just be because, Mister Cassidy, and I do not get along, never have. I am a construct and he is a Irishman and a Luddite."

"So, he hates you."

"Yes." Sixer said simply, although the truth of the matter was more complicated then that. The widespread usage of constructs during the late seventeen, the eighteenth and the beginning of the nineteenth century had created both widespread profits for corporations and equally widespread economic dislocation in various places not just with working jobs but in the communities that typically supported working folk but which constructs did not require. Things had begun to settled down in the last few decades and a balance of sorts had been established which worked to most peoples benefit. The Irish had been one of the traditional British labour pools hardest hit by the initial changes and upheavals, a great many of them lost either their situations or their long term job prospects to constructs and not unnaturally resented it. Many Irish as a result had joined anti-construct and anti-machine political groups and caused all sorts of trouble for constructs like Sixer.

"That's not fair, Sixer. You are nicer and a better person, to me and the gang, then a lot of humans I know."

"Life is seldom fair for any of us, machine or human, but thank you for the accolade, young lady."

The girl smiled at Sixer's last words, then looked down at the tin box in her arms, doubt crept back into her expression.

"Do you think, I -- the gang and I, can afford, Lord Hood's services. I heard he is expensive..."

Sixer considered the question for a moment. Quite frankly, a pack of street children, Street Arabs in popular parlance,  did not have the resources to pay for a private detective let alone a criminal mastermind. Still, Lord Hood could be engaged if one knew how to get his interest, Sixer felt that the prize in question would appeal to him. If they asked carefully enough, although Mister Cassidy would be a problem though, Sixer thought glumly.

The Man in the Red Mask (Part IV)

City of London, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, January 1889.

Lord Hood, leaned back in his chair at this bald statement as he considered Cassidy's response. He was all attention, as Sixer was not in the habit of just ambling over for an evening visit, even though he was a welcome visitor at any time as far as Lord Hood was concerned, certainly not at 3 am in the morning. It also explained Cassidy's vile expression and mood at the moment. Cassidy absolutely, positively loathed any and all constructs.

"Where is Sixer?"

"In the next room. He brought someone with him to see you, a girl."

Even more interesting. Lord Hood, thought absently to himself. In the past if Sixer came to see him, he always came alone. That he had brought someone with him was both out of character and extremely unusual.

"Did Sixer, say why?"

"No, the blasted oversized tin can, declined to discuss it with me, said it was a matter of business." Cassidy's rich tenor voice became tight with a mixture of both disgust and baffled frustration. His dark scowl deepened as he spoke.

Lord Hood was suddenly and inordinately pleased that he always wore a mask when dealing with people even his own underlings. The amused grin on his hidden face at that moment would have done absolutely nothing for Cassidy's mood.

Sixer was an industrial construct, a load lifter and general labour automaton who worked on the dockyards along the Thames, particularly those alongside the East End. Few people realized the old automaton was sentient, then again so few of his type of automata were, being of the oldest generation of such working machines. Few of them were even truly intelligent, let allow semi-sentient, but Sixer was and behind his dented, rusted and utterly non-descript exterior was a surprisingly keen mind.

Sixer's knowledge of the dockyards was invaluable to Lord Hood, he had after all been there for decades and knew all the movers and shakers within the riverside communities both legal and illegal of London. As everyone assumed Sixer was a dumb, mute piece of machinery, they often said a surprising amount of useful and confidential information in his hearing without them even realizing they were doing it. Information which, Sixer was prepared to sell for a price to those who might have a use for it and knew how to contact him.

Both men turned when a maid entered the room, through the study's main door.

"Yes, Arabella, what is it?" Lord Hood, asked as he swiveled his chair to look at the maid. His mask arched fractionally to one side in silent question. Cassidy he noticed looked away from the woman in barely disguised disgust, the fact that she was a servant had nothing to do with it. The fact that Arabella was a flesh construct did however.

"I have your guests, or perhaps clients would be more apt in the circumstances, comfortable and awaiting your convenience in the waiting lounge, My Lord. Are there any special instructions?"

Arabella Heterochromia had come into his service, pretty much on a whim, when he first established himself in London, some ten years ago. Lord Hood had never had the slightest reason to regret that decision, no matter the trouble it had caused him at the time. Arabella was a first rate domestic servant and an agreeable companion as well as a competent operative and a keen observer of people when needed, qualities Lord Hood rated very highly.

"Very good, Arabella." He paused a moment before continuing. "Neither are causing you any trouble, I trust?"

"Not at all, My Lord. Cora is keeping an eye on them, just in case. Though I do not think they are here to cause you problems, although I think it is very possible they are here to see if you can solve a particular problem for them."

"Interesting, I wonder what it is they could want? Sixer is not one to ask for favours, he does not like owning people anything if he can help it. The girl... do we know her?"

"I do not believe she is known to us, My Lord, at least I do not think she has ever asked for your services. Point of fact, I do not think she could even afford your normal fees, just by looking at her."

"In that case, I had better see them." Lord Hood said quietly after glancing at his watch, it was extremely late, and both Sixer and his young companion likely had business of their own to attend to.

"Your, not serious?!" Cassidy snapped, his disapprove and disbelief all too clearly written on his handsome features.

"I am not in the habit of turning down a potential client until after I hear what it is they want me to do for them, Liam - you should know that by now."

The Man in the Red Mask (Part III)

City of London, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, January 1889.

Most gentlemen would have reacted with scorn or anger at watching Hachett count the money he had just been given, considering it a slur upon their professional integrity or personal honour. Lord Hood, however took no umbrage at this practical action. Like Hachett, he had been on occasion in his career subjected to the all too frequent caprice of clients or partners. Hachett nodded his thanks, and quietly left the room. Lord Hood meanwhile picked up the packet again from the table and turned out the lamp, plunging the room into complete darkness. His business concluded for the evening, he left the derelict building as secretly as he had entered it and proceeded back to one of the many buildings spread throughout the East End of London, that served him as residences, storehouse, and archives.

Liam Cassidy one of his trusted lieutenants met him at the door, when he entered the old urban mansion that stood like a towering sentry above the sprawling walled park that surrounded it and isolated it from the rest of the city. One look at the handsome Irishman's scowling face told him something had come up, a something that he did not approve of.  Lord Hood, motioned silently for Cassidy to follow, and made his way to the spacious, luxuriously appointed room that served as his personal study and business office.

"What is it, Mister Cassidy?" He finally remarked when he had seated himself in the large, comfortably stuffed chair behind a huge desk that wrapped around it like a horseshoe. He arched his masked head and looked at his man with a hidden but obviously quizzical expression, as he steepled his hands together just below his jaw. "You, appear to you have swallowed something particularly sour this evening."

Cassidy, standing before the desk, grunted in acknowledgement of his employer's arch and bantering remark. The soot black haired and bearded, sparkling blue eyed and powerfully built Irishman mulled over how to voice the subject which was clearly on his mind. Then shrugged expressively and decided to express himself bluntly as was his usual custom.

"That rust bucket, Sixer, is here to see you."

The Man in the Red Mask (Part II)

City of London, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, January 1889.

This particular night in London, was nothing so grand a caper but never the less was something important as far as Lord Hood was concerned. In point of fact he had two commissions to concern himself with this evening, once professional and one personal. He stood alone in a darkened room, save for a single lamp, which stood alone on a table beside him. Lord Hood drew a valuable gold pocket watch from the right hand pocket of his red brocade vest and examined it critically for several moments after popping it's decorative lid. The man he was waiting for was late, not surprising considering the man, but most unfortunate for the man in question. His masked face turned abruptly towards the door. A doubt knock announced his visitor, as the automaton on the other side of the door opened it to admit his visitor.

A smallish, ruffled gentleman with a halted shuffle entered the nearly blackened room. Tom Hachett was his name and he was an informant for hire by trade. The man was not much to look at, eyes pale blue and red rimmed from too much opium smoke, his sandy blond hair, unkempt as was his short beard and mustache. His face was a pale, wasted oval marred further by a weak mouth and a great beak of a nose which was a bright mottled red from a life time of drinking too much cheap gin. He had a slouching carriage that spoke of a lazy disposition and his soiled, much patched clothes said much both about his standards of personal cleanliness and the alarming state of his finances. That said Hachett had a brain in his head and kept his ears and eyes open and knew quite a lot that was going on at street level in the city of London and the surrounding boroughs. In that regard he was most useful to Lord Hood, although not regarded as an altogether reliable or trustworthy agent come to that. Hackett had a number of vices, expensive vices, when one considered he often spent as much as five times his annul income on them. He was frequently broke as a result and would sell his carefully garnered information, street gossip and rumour to whomever paid his next bar tab as often as not.

Lord Hood looked wordlessly at Hachett, who practically cringing when he saw the red mask and red brocade waist coat seemingly floating in black darkness before him, picked out by the dim illumination of the lamp. The pocket watch lid clamping smartly shut made Hachett jump in barely suppressed alarm. The black, reflective and completely soulless eyes of the red mask gazed balefully at Hachett, who just managed to not swallow reflexively in fear. The gold pocket watch, slipped back into his vest pocket and Lord Hood's hands dropped behind his back as he gazed at Hachett for several long moments.

"You are late, Mister Hachett." Lord Hood's voice was a flat, distinctly mechanical and almost a perpetual sarcastic monotone. Hachett reflectively tugged at his tall shirt collar, and swallowed several times before responding.

"Yes, Your...um... Lordship. Me 'pologies for being behind my... appointment." Hachett stammered. He rummaged around in his coat for the packet he had for his employer. He placed it on the table, where Lord Hood could clearly see it in the lamp light. A black gloved hand picked the packet up, and broke the seal with a knife. For several moments he did nothing but read the various written reports contained in the packet. Lord Hood suddenly nodded to himself, carefully replaced the documents in the packet and placed it back down on the table.

"Very Good, Hachett, I commend your diligence." Lord Hood remarked before withdrawing a large envelope stuffed with British bank notes. He placed it at the edge of the table facing, Hachett. Hachett cautiously picked up the envelope, opened it and make a quick count of it's contents. Sighing softly when it tallied with his previously agreed fee. Lord Hood, watched Hachett's red rimmed eyes carefully saw the look of relief mixed with avarice.

"You may go, Hachett."

The Man in the Red Mask (Part I)

City of London, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, January 1889.

To know a man, you must know his background, his family, his vices and virtues. To destroy a man you need to know his name, his abode, his habits, his place of work or occupation. What does one do, when the man in question has none of these? All about him is wrapped in silence, shadows and secrecy. He volunteers nothing and nobody who knows anything will speak of him. In a certain section of London, there was one such man, a gentleman by his dress and manners and possessed of both means, educations and more then average intelligence. He had many accomplices, spies and informants spread throughout the great city, he heard all the whispers and goings on in the London Underworld and little that went on escaped his notice. This man operated and did business in the twilight between law abiding society and it's polar opposite the world of crimes and criminality.

He, if he was indeed such as no one had ever seen his face beneath the mask he habitually wore or heard his real voice, went by various names in that society of that twilight world.  The Red Mask or  the Red Hood were amoung the more popular and printable names given to him by other criminals. He was known as Lord Hood by his own preference to those who worked directly for or alongside him on a given commission.

Lord Hood was something unique in the criminal underworld, he was what was beginning to be called a 'mastermind'. His occupation, if one could call it that, was the planning of crimes, sometimes he involved himself directly in their execution at other times he stayed on the sidelines as an advisor or acted from the shadows in a supporting role as the need arose. He worked for a set commission of seven percent of the take, though he would sometimes demand a higher fee if he had to become involved directly or the degree of risk in the attempting the crime was higher then what he regarded as usual. Lord Hood as a matter of habit and professional interest frequently took jobs that other criminal gangs or individual masterminds would not touch, either through a perfectly natural but unspoken fear of failure or because they thought the said crime was beneath their notice or reputation to involve themselves in.

Another quirk of his, was that he would never work with the same individual, group or gang of criminals, more then three times in a given year. On reflection most of the professional criminals in London, saw the sense in it. Some of the jobs Lord Hood's name was attached to over the years had been both notorious or sensational in the extreme and an interval to let the 'official' heat to blow over was not a bad idea in their opinion.

Lord Hood had first appeared as far as the London Underworld was concerned in 1880, and it was whispered though no one could confirm it, that he had been an apprentice of an American mastermind of some notoriety, in some New England port city or other, called the Red Hood. Whatever the truth of the matter, Lord Hood had evidently learned his trade well and begun work in the city offering his services as a consulting criminal to the smaller gangs and criminal outfits. His first commission according to popular rumor had been planning the Great Cliffton & Downs Bullion Train robbery, some Fifty thousand pounds sterling had been stolen by the Stafford Reubens gang, a relatively minor not to say at the time insignificant criminal gang of robbers, muggers and occasional safe crackers. Lord Hood was paid some three thousand and five hundred pounds for the affair, while the members of the Reubens gang had each received nearly five thousand pounds a piece!

School Of Sharks (Part I)

Pearl Harbor, the Island of Oahu, the Kingdom of Hawai'i, January, 1889.

The golden red light of the rising sun was just beginning to drive away the darkness of night, tinting the horizon with colour. The freshing morning breeze swept out from the Pacific across the crystal waters of the Wai Momi. The palms scattered along the shores of the bay swayed gently as the sun brightened their slender leaves. People in the towns and villages dotting the bay shore began to wake up and go about their morning observances for the start of their respective work day and breakfeasts.

The warships of the Royal Hawaiian Navy stood lined up along the North Channel of the Moku'ume 'ume island, began to come alive as their respective crews themselves awoke and began their daily regime to the shrill blasts of boatswain whistles. Ten turret ships rested at anchor in two rows alongside each other. Four centre battery ironclads lay in a single row alongside the docking posts in the South Channel.  Each of these ships had the King's cypher at their stern and the royal crest of the kingdom at their bow in elaborate gold work. Their hulls were painted a stark white and their upper works and masts were painted in buff paint. Scattered around the various bays and channels of the harbour stood the station ships of some eleven foreign nations, Great Britain, France, Japan, Russia, Germany, Austria-Hungary, the United States of America, the Independent States of America, the Confederate States of America, Spain and Portugal, all of whom had a vested interest in Hawaii and in particular this bay.

The captain of the Austro-Hungarian station ship, the centre-battery ironclad SMS Kaiser watched the sunrise from his stern walk. He lifted the fine china cup balanced on it's saucer in his hand as he listened to the ironclad wake up and begin it's daily routine, governed by the needs of the service and strict maritime traditions. The first blast of the whistle roused the crew, both common sailors and officers alike, from their bunks and hammocks at 5:00 am, by 5:05 the hammocks in which the men slept were to be lashed up or bunks tided up and everything stowed away.  Between 5:10 and 5: 40 all the crew had to be washed and dressed, followed by cleaning the ship, this was a general tidy-up, which was carried out barefoot in summer or tropical conditions. Mess duty followed at 6:50, when the mess hands who had been detailed to mess duty for the day set up the tables and benches and fetched coffee from the galley. 7:00 until 7:40 would be occupied by the breakfast break, followed by clearing the deck and the colours parade at 8:00 exactly on the ship's upper deck.  At 8:10, cleaning the ship's guns began, at 8:45 cleaning of all the ship's small-arms commenced. At 9:00 preparation for inspection followed by the daily inspection, which served the same role as roll-call did for the army at 9:10. General drill took place between 9:30 and 11:30, at which time the signal "Clear the Decks" was blown on the whistle. The deck was then swept and tidied up. At 11:45 mess duty commenced again for those detailed and at 12:00 the crew was summoned by the call "All Hands to Lunch."

While in port tradesmen selling provisions and other requisites were allowed on board during the midday break, but had to disembark again at 13:45. Between 14:00 and 16:00 "Division Duty" commenced, this typically consisted of instruction, uniform inspection, rifle, bayonet and sword practice and so on. At 16:00 the signal "Clear the Decks" was sounded again and there was a short break, followed at 16:30 by another hour's duties. Then the final "Clear the Decks" was sounded at the end of the day's duties at 17:30 and the last "Mess-room Duty" was sounded at 17:50 and the evening meal was served at 18:00. During the ensuing free period food preparation for the next day was organized and carried out, the decks were also swept again at 20:50. At this point the signal "Pipes and Matches Out" in the lower living quarters, as at night smoking was allowed only on the deck. At 21:00, after the bandsman had beaten or blown the retreat, the whistle for "All Quiet in the Ship" was sounded.

The captain took a sip and frowned, he needed to ready his ship to go to sea before noon, a convoy was due into Pearl Harbour all the way from the Adriatic in Europe for the Hawaiian government. It would be escorted all the way by warships and auxiliaries of k.u.k. Kriegsmarine, a cable concerning it from the consulate in Manila, in the Spanish Philippines had reached him yesterday via the Austro-Hungarian Minister to the Royal Court of Kalākaua.

Notes: (1) Wai Momi (Waters of the Pearl) or Pu'uloa (the Long Hill) are the native Hawaiian names for the embayment (2) Moku'ume'ume (Island of Attraction) also sometimes called Poka 'Ailana in Hawaiian is Ford Island.

Attendence at the Kendal Ball (Part XII)

Kendal Palace, Grosvenor Square, London, Great Britain: January 1886

Regis Augustus Crossley, 11th Baron of Landseer sat fixedly in his seat as his carriage moved through the great gates of the Kendal Palace. On the face of it, he seemed both unhurried and unconcerned, in point of fact he was just a bit nervous and apprehensive about this evening's ball. His younger brother Roderick Octavius Crossley sat across from him looking as was all too usual for him, distinctly bored and vacant eyed. Neither spoke for some minutes as the carriage slowly crossed the courtyard and moved to a parking space at the direction of one of the Kendal Palace uniformed servants. Regis regarded his silent, indolent younger brother carefully for several long moments before he finally spoke.

"I trust you will behave yourself, Roderick, and not embarrass yourself as usual."

Roderick, jerked out the silent reverie that had enveloped him for much of the carriage's journey, shook himself to clear his thoughts before responding to his older brother's non too subtle dig.

"I never embarrass myself, Regis, although I suppose I do sometimes embarrass you." Roderick responded lightly and languidly. Regis regarded him with a skeptical, jaded air. Roderick was all too capable of making a complete fool of himself on any and all social occasions to both his family's and his own personal discomfort. At least he had so, with astonishing and cringe worthy regularity over the last few years. Mother and Father, really had coddled, spoiled and indulged Roderick, whom they regarded as their golden boy far too much both as a child and as a young man. It showed in every way he acted, conversed and moved through life.

Regis bit back on the caustic remark that immediately presented itself to his brain, and lapsed into a resigned silence. Roderick responded to that with a slight but irritating smirk. Regis was devoted to his younger brother and his numerous sisters but that did not mean he was impressed or happy with their occasional antics or equally ocassional scandals. Regis broke off this line of thought as the carriage rolled to an abrupt stop. Two Wraithdale postillions  appeared at the carriage door, opening it and letting down the moveable steps.

While Regis expected this evening to be generally pleasant, he had a sneaking suspicion that Roderick would commit some gaff or faux pas before the evening was out. Oh well what will be, will be He supposed. I just hope it is something I can easily smooth over or dispel easily, he thought mildly as he nimbly exited the carriage and made for the palace doors, Roderick trailing behind him.

The two gentlemen, went through the paces as they had their outer garments taken by the cloak room pages and waited at the top of the stairs to be announced to the assembled throng of guests and the hostess of the gathering. They were amoung the last arrivals, Lord Landseer noted, some five hundred people packed the hall and side galleries everywhere one looked it seemed. This was not unexpected, the Wraithdales had a lot of friends in various stations of society and had been generous patrons of numerous causes. Regis felt his mood lighten a bit as he was announced and walked down the stairs and followed the people ahead of him to pay his respects to the ball's hostess, the Duchess of Kendal.

Ursula, observed the Baron Landseer as he slowly, gracefully walked down the stairs. He looked very splendid in his black and gold embroidered diplomatic uniform. His not inconsiderable height, broad shoulders and very trim figure and pleasing light blonde hair and sparkling grey eyes did not hurt his looks either, Ursula thought mildly. Ursula sensed Thomas stiffen at her side, she shifted her gaze to follow his, and saw Roderick.

State of the A.A.S.S.I. Blog as of June, 2018

Today, between the founding of this project in Oct, 2016 and the present June, 2018; the An Age of Steam, Steel and Iron page has received nearly seven hundred page views which to be perfectly honest was a lot more then I ever expected when I began this. The relative wide selection of countries the page views originated from has also been both surprising to me and interesting.

I again want to thank those people who have expressed an interest in my page, and hope the project will continue forward circumstances permitting. My writing time or rather my posting time is sometimes curtailed by commitments to family, work and other personal projects but I hope to reach 100 story or related posts within the next few months and perhaps reach the benchmark of one thousand page views for the An Age of Steam, Steel and Iron Blog before the end of the 2018.

Countries and page views as they rank to date (based on a running log I keep).

Canada - 230

Russia - 145

United States - 97

Brazil - 96

Portugal - 66

United Kingdom - 13

United Arab Emirates - 10

Cambodia - 8

Ukraine - 4

Netherlands - 4

Spain - 2

Austria - 2

Australia - 2

Switzerland - 2

Mexico - 2

Indonesia - 1

Czechia - 1

Germany - 1

Pakistan - 1

France - 1

Thailand - 1

Croatia - 1

Latvia - 1

Lithuania - 1

Finland - 1

India - 1

Peru - 1

Poland - 1

Turkmenistan - 1

Romania - 1

Total Page views to date: 698+ from 30 countries across the globe. Although I have noted an error in my calculations, as the counter notes 703 pageviews to date. So I'm probably missing a few in my paper log.

The Well Dressed Adventurer

the Lady Annabel

 Art by Sergey Gurskiy

In the Hall of the Iron King (Part II)

Imperial and Royal Army Special Ordnance Testing Facility No.3, the Crownland of Styria, Austria-Hungary, 1889.

Feldzeugmeister Alvinzci's thoughtful reverie was abruptly disturbed by a colossal series of bangs, as something inside the hanger suddenly began crashing about. A bright flash lite the hanger a few heartbeats later, followed by a mass of oily clouds of black smoke and bright flashed of flames issuing from the hanger doorway and several of the narrow windows, the thunderous sound of the explosion reverberated throughout the hanger and into the surrounding hills. Broken glass and other debris fell to the tarmac and concrete, fire engines trundled over to the hanger and teams of fire men and rescue medics scrambled in through the doorway to assess the damage and possible casualties.

Alvinzci noticed how they moved with speed and a sense of urgency but at the same time with cool, practiced ease; for them this was just another day at Special Ordnance Testing Facility No.3, there was always an explosion big or small, another accident or mishap or something running amok on the testing grounds. There had been five such blasts in the first day he'd arrived so he too was no longer surprised or alarmed by them, it was just part of the routine for everyone here.

Some, fifteen minutes later, an engineer walked over to report. His pike-grey uniform with black and steel-green collar patches was covered in soot and smoke grim, and even a few scorch marks from either steam or flames marked it. The man came to a smart parade rest in front of the general and saluted calmly and crisply as was too be expected of a soldier of the House of Austria.

"Beg to report, Herr Feldzeugmeister."

"What happened?" Alvinzci asked, after returning the man's salute, he watched the man closely. He looked alright despite the state of his uniform and his begrimed face and hair. The man abruptly coughed several puffs of smoke from his lungs several times before he could continue his report.

"The new test pilot, put Gigant into full reverse instead of forward gear, while it was in the servicing gantry and managed to destroy a major portion of said servicing gantries. Gigant's all right though, Herr Feldzeugmeister."

"Anyone hurt?"

"A few casualties, Feldzeugmeister, several people got thrown off the gantry or where hit by flying debris but the medics have them in hand and on the way to the hospital. No fatalities. The Medics will have a fuller report for you within the hour, so they tell me."

"Good." Alvinzci responded with some relief, the new safety protocals that he had insisted on seemed to be working then. The previous director of the facility, that Alvinzci had just replaced, had been both unworried and uninterested by his people being killed or injured on a regular basis. The man had been both loathed and hated in equal measure by everyone here in consequence.

"The test pilot?" Alvinzci asked with some asperity.

"On his way to the infirmary with a concussion and a broken arm."

"The engineering assistant is also on their way to the infirmary. Broke both legs and an arm jumping from the emergency hatch screaming blue murder. The idiot! He would have been fine if he had just stayed in his chair harness." The engineer muttered with some exasperation and disgust edging his voice and expression.

Alvinzci gave a brief but amused snort of agreement, at the engineer's derisive remark. Peter Tanz, the Gigant's assistant engineer had struck the general as a worrisome and nervy individual, competent in his field to give him his due, but too highly strung for field or practical work.

My Blog and Cosplay Business Card, first printing.

My first batch of business cards for both my cosplaying and blogging needs, they turned out rather well and have been well received. I have given out about a dozen so far, the majority at the first convention of my season, Toronto Comic Con 2018.

 

Cards done by VistaPrint

My Own Family Connection to the Victorian Era: Lieutenant-Commander H.F. Carter, M.V.O., RN

Lieutenant-Commander H.F. Carter, M.V.O., R.N. (Ret.), joined the British Royal Navy in 1886 and served in H.M.S Frobisher as an acting gunner and subsequently served in several other vessels, eventually becoming Gunner of the H.M.S. Thrush (colonial gunboat of the Redbreast-class, laid down 1889), who's first officer was His Royal Highness Prince George, the Duke of York*. Subsequently he was transferred to H.M.S. Crescent (1st-class protected cruiser of the Edgar-class, laid down 1890), who's commanding officer was again his Royal Highness the Duke of York. Carter later served aboard the H.M. Yacht Victoria and Albert for eight years and was promoted to Lieutenant and honoured with membership in the Royal Victorian Order.

 

H.F. Carter had retired in May 1914 but was recalled to active duties in July 1914 and served until the end of World War One. He was honourable demobilized at the end Great War and received a final promotion to Lieutenant-Commander sometime in March, 1919. He died in retirement at the age of 74 at his home in North End, Portsmouth.

 

He received at least three medals during his Royal Navy service, the Royal Victorian Order's Member of the 4th or 5th-class, and two other medals which from his photographs I have not yet positively identified. Though I suspect the center decoration and the one on the side closest to the shoulder are service medals of some sort.

 

 

* Prince George, the Duke of York, later became His Royal and Imperial Majesty King George V of Great Britain and Ireland, and Emperor of India in 1910.

The 1887 Merovingian Program

In 1887, the French Ministry of the Marine and Colonies, allowed itself to be talking into and embark on one of the most bizzare projects in it's history, the design, contruction and outfitting of three Forteresses navales mobiles (mobile naval fortresses). The project was of mammoth proportions, stupefying budgetary recklessness and epic megalomania. Dubbed the Merovingian-class (in both Naval Staff and Popular Press circles), the three vessels that would emerge from the naval dockyards at Brest (Merovech), Toulon (Childeric I) and Cherbourg (Clovis I) to a common design specification, which changed frequently during each vessels long construction, determined by the Marine Ministry's Naval Technical Department. The ships, their design, purpose and expense have been the subject of considerable and ongoing infighting and bureaucratic wrangles between the Naval General Staff, the Ministry of the Marine, the Chamber of Deputies and the Traditionalist and Jeune Ecole fractions of the Marine Nationale.

The mobile naval fortresses, were in many ways the ultimate development of the French naval coastal defense turret ships and battleships which had been a standard part of both Traditionalist and Jeune Ecole ship building programs for decades for harbor and coastal defense. They bore a more then passing similarity to the landships monolithic cousins, the Land Fortresses, being massive, heavily armoured and heavily armed but  being extremely ponderous and slow moving.

Each vessel took some three protracted years to build and absorbed a great deal of effort and resources in their respective dock yards. New fabrication facilities and new slips ways and dry docks had to be constructed at each naval port to tackle the job. When each ship finally emerged through the first months of 1889, they were found to be massively overbuilt, hideously over budget and the Naval General Staff had not the slightest operational role in mind or practical use for them. The class of nautical giants quickly were nicknamed the "Ne fais rien les rois" or the "Do Nothing Kings" a mocking reference to the later Merovingians kings of the old Frankish kingdom of France.

Each of the three vessels was visually distinguished by massively tumblehome hulls with long plough bows and sloping sterns, and equally massive superstructures. Derrick hoists located near the bow and stern allowed each vessel to carry up to eight 2nd-class torpedoboats or submersibles into action with it. Numerous ships boats and steam launches were carried aboard ship for ferrying crew, supplies and troops both too and from the huge vessels. Armaments varied somewhat between vessels and no two ships in the class carried exactly the same weapons or had them arranged in the same way. The ships are rumoured to displace well over 50,000 tons and carry 18-inch or 20-inch naval guns as their main armament supported by numerous smaller weapons for anti-aircraft, anti-boarding party and anti-ship duties. Exact details of the ships are at present regarded as state secrets by the French Government.

Each vessel was designed to carry a full mixed brigade of troops over long distances, and even a full infantry division could be carried over most transoceanic distances. Working together the three vessels could carry, transport and deploy an infantry corps of two divisions, a cavalry brigade, the Corps Headquarters and all the corps military support units and logistical elements.

An Image of Mars, an ancient planet where the dust of ages covers many civilizations.

Art by Jeff Carlisle

Memories of Past Conventions 2018

A steampunk Catwoman by cosplayer Pretty_Nerdy_Crystal and my brother's Victorian Red Hood, Toronto Comic Con.

 

 

Professional cosplayer Holly Wolf and Adam, Toronto Comic Con.

 

Professional cosplayers, the Cosplay Sisters (Marisa, Stefanie, Katrina) with Adam, Toronto Comic Con.

 

Professional cosplayer Violet Love with Adam, Toronto Comic Con.

 

 

Professional cosplayers and members of the Sean Ward Show with Adam, Toronto Comic Con.

 

 

Professional Cosplayer Karli Woods with Adam, Toronto Comic Con.