Jhamjar Rising: Revenge of the Branchidae

Having read through Will B's background on his Jhamjar Rising alternate history campaign I've been running through my own limited 28mm collection to see what would fit. It was a stretch to see what could conceivably work, but I think I hit on something that would add colour to the campaign.

The Roman historian Quintus Curtius Rufus relates that during Alexander the Great's campaign in Afghanistan he came across a Greek people named the Branchidae, who were the descendants of some Greek mercenaries that had fought for the Persians. They welcomed Alexander and their fellow Greeks with open arms, but Alexander considered them the sons of traitors and massacred them out of hand.

I've got six dozen ancient Gauls who could pass for the long lost descendants of the survivors of the above massacre. They found refuge deep in the hidden valleys of the Hindu Kush where they lived for generations, retaining their ancient ways. They eschew firearms, of course. Led forth by a contemporary adventurer, they seek to redress ancient wrongs.

That adventurer is Colonel Butlin Utterly-Barking (6th Rajputs, ret.), of the Utterly-Barkings of Little Rollright, Oxon.

Upon retirement from the Indian Army the Colonel decided to pursue his hobby: the anthropology and ethnography of the Himalayas. He came upon above Branchidae and lived with them for many months, thus establishing an affinity with those peoples. It was while there that he heard of the traitorous outrages committed by the current Djelli of Jhamjar.

Unable to constrain himself, Utterly-Barking has led the Branchidae out of their mountainous fastnesses against the Djelli. In this he is aided by the Greek translator and mystic Costa Logikí, and by an assortment of fellow-travelers: for example, the ex-patriot American freebooters, the 'Friends of Blanco Posnet' (who are probably just in it for the cash).

Below are some pictures of their march southwards. These were captured by a wary photojournalist (who is something of an free-booting adventurer in his own right!). They are the only evidence we have to date of the Colonel's activities.

The Branchidae on the march. Left to right: Friends of Blanco Posnet, the Branchidae, a mountain gun section.

 

The Greek translator and mystic Costa Logoki. Like the other leaders of this undertaking, his sanity is in question.

 This blurry image is the only recent one we have of Utterly-Barking. He appears to sense that something is up, which lead to our photographer abandoning his efforts.

 An Indian Army mountain gun, manned by devoted followers of the Colonel.

Utterly-Barking at the head of his Host.