Hi to all on PF ,

Its a lovely sunny morning here where I live and no better weather to show you what I purchased from Aureadomus Miniatures along with my Highlander which I reviewed recently ....why do it in the sun ..simple really the subject wasn't too keen on it and preferred the darkness of night and the setting of the sun .....thats if you believe the films ...the man I am talking about is ofcourse:

Vlad Tepes or Vlad the Impaler better known as "Dracula" ...cue the scary music

Before we start to look at the model lets have some background on this truely amazing and horrible character.

Most authorities believe the character of Dracula in Bram Stoker’s novel was based upon the historical figure Vlad Tepes (pronounced tse-pesh), who intermittently ruled an area of the Balkans called Wallachia in the mid 15th century. He was also called by the names Vlad III, Vlad Dracula and Vlad the Impaler. The word Tepes stands for "impaler" and was so coined because of Vlad’s propensity to punish victims by impaling them on stakes, then displaying them publicly to frighten his enemies and to warn would-be transgressors of his strict moral code. He is credited with killing between 40,000 to 100,000 people in this fashion.


Warning :This is quite graphic
Impalement:


Vlad usually had a horse attached to each of the victim’s legs and a sharpened stake was gradually forced into the body. The end of the stake was usually oiled and care was taken that the stake not be too sharp, else the victim might die too rapidly from shock. Normally the stake was inserted into the body through the buttocks and was often forced through the body until it emerged from the mouth. However, there were many instances where victims were impaled through other body orifices or through the abdomen or chest. Infants were sometimes impaled on the stake forced through their mother’s chests. The records indicate that victims were sometimes impaled so that they hung upside down on the stake.
Vlad Tepes often had the stakes arranged in various geometric patterns. The most common pattern was a ring of concentric circles in the outskirts of a city that was his target. The height of the spear indicated the rank of the victim. The decaying corpses were often left up for months. It was once reported that an invading Turkish army turned back in fright when it encountered thousands of rotting corpses impaled on the banks of the Danube. In 1461 Mohammed II, the conqueror of Constantinople, a man not noted for his squeamishness, returned to Constantinople after being sickened by the sight of twenty thousand impaled Turkish prisoners outside of the city of Tirgoviste. This gruesome sight is remembered in history as "the Forest of the Impaled."
Thousands were often impaled at a single time. Ten thousand were impaled in the Transylvanian city of Sibiu in 1460. In 1459, on St. Bartholomew’s Day, Vlad III had thirty thousand of the merchants and boyars of the Transylvanian city of Brasov impaled.

One of the most famous woodcuts of the period shows Vlad Dracula feasting amongst a forest of stakes and their grisly burdens outside Brasov while a nearby executioner cuts apart other victims.



No one was free of his terror , is victims included women and children, peasants and
Vlad Dracula began his reign of terror almost as soon as he came to power. His first significant act of cruelty may have been motivated by a desire for revenge as well as a need to solidify his power. Early in his main reign he gave a feast for his boyars and their families to celebrate Easter. Vlad was well aware that many of these same nobles were part of the conspiracy that led to his father’s assassination and the burying alive of his elder brother, Mircea. Many had also played a role in the overthrow of numerous Wallachian princes. During the feast Vlad asked his noble guests how many princes had ruled during their lifetimes. All of the nobles present had outlived several princes. None had seen less then seven reigns. Vlad immediately had all the assembled nobles arrested. The older boyars and their families were impaled on the spot. The younger and healthier nobles and their families were marched north from Tirgoviste to the ruins of his castle in the mountains above the Arges River. The enslaved boyars and their families were forced to labor for months rebuilding the old castle with materials from a nearby ruin. According to the reports they labored until the clothes fell off their bodies and then were forced to continue working naked. Very few survived this ordeal.


Throughout his reign Vlad continued to systematically eradicate the old boyar class of Wallachia. Apparently Vlad was determined that his own power be on a modern and thoroughly secure footing. In the place of the executed boyars Vlad promoted new men from among the free peasantry and middle class; men who would be loyal only to their prince.

Vlad also insisted that his people be honest and hard working. Merchants who cheated their customers were likely to find themselves mounted on a stake beside common thieves.

Although impalement was Vlad Dracula’s favorite method of torture, it was by no means his only method. The list of tortures employed by this cruel prince reads like an inventory of hell’s tools: nails in heads, cutting off of limbs, blinding, strangulation, burning, cutting off of noses and ears, mutilation , scalping, skinning, exposure to the elements or to wild animals, and burning alive.

As you can see he wasn't to be messed about!!!!!

His legend has been the subject of many books (particularly Bram Stokers Dracula) and ofcourse films ...most of which I watched hid behind a cushion ..with the lights on !!!!!!



His name has even given rise to a French black metal band in 1992 ...not quite easy listening I feel !!!!

Continued in next post:

Nap (scared )

After that intro lets move on quickly before the light fails me !!!!

Moving on to the actual model now ;

Title: Vlad Tepes "Draculea"

Scale: Approx 150mm

Reference; BAG-02

Material : Resin (Light Gray)

No of pieces: 2

Sculptor: Albert Gros Mascarilla

Box Art: Albert Gros Mascarilla

Buying from the website is easy ..it must be I can do it !!!! the model arrived quickly and well packed and on opening the package I found the model to be as with the Highlander secured in a clear flip over container with the parts sitting on a foam base , also included within is an insert with the box art by Albert ..as before great reference .

Looking at the box art you can see that the sculptor has followed very closely the images I have posted and it looks good .



Continued in next post:

Nap

On now to what is actually in the box :

Consisting of just 2 pieces the full body with head and the very distinctive plume for the cap

Lets look at the main piece first : the full body

Prep needed was simplicity itself with just a quick swipe of the sanding pad at the base of the model together with removing a small casting remnant on the side ....took just over 1.5 minutes !!!!

Albert has sculpted Vlad with close reference to the picture and it shows , he is a great likeness both in clothing and facial features ...more later .


The lower torso tapers down to form a base , I like this presentation a lot ,the clothing is finely scupted with the folds of the clothing natural and extremely well done , there are 2 distinctive "buttons" with such fine details on the front , across his shoulders he wears a fur collar...the way this is reproduced looks really good.



Facial features are a gem , the pointed chin and a wonderful moustache so prominant in the pictures we see , his eyebrows are raised ...perhaps he is ordering the death of many before he eats!!

His capband is a work of art ...in keeping with the pictures every individual pearl is well defined and none have been lost in the casting .....the details are really so well done ..it calls out for paint .....at the front we have a plain area where his plume fits into .


The top of the cap ..blood red in colour has some nice folds as per the material used ...just the right amount as well ...all adding to the effect of his headdress .

The hair is an amazing piece of work virtually individual strands ..keep his hair dark ...and sinister!!!



Looking now at the 2nd piece ...the plume this was received still on the casting plug for safety , easily removed but be careful you don't loose the lower point of the star ...this also features the 5 pearls as per the picture , well defined , the plume itself has also some nice work on it ...all which will be brought out with the painting ...final highs in white only !!!

Continued in next post:

Nap

Now my final thoughts before the sun goes down behind the black mountains !!!:

I liked the Highlander but IMO this one is great the details and the subject are spot on, presentation is first class its a cracking bust and full of painting opportunitys ..perhaps we might see a monocrhome one as well ..........mounting when its finished ...why not on a stake!!!!!!!

Well done all concerned with this release a pleasure to share with all

For more details why not go to the website : www.aureadomusminiatures.com

or contact Albert via pm on the forum .

Enjoy the pics from the website .......



Thanks for looking in

Nap