captivecuties
Senator
Thanks…she was something in her day!
-
Sign up or login, and you'll have full access to opportunities of forum.
Original Manipulations by Cruxforums Members
- Thread starter Wragg
- Start date
Infidel Girls in the Desert
"It does seem a pity, O Sultan Rahman ibn Wrahig, to crucify such a lovely infidel slave girl."
"Indeed, noble Bahb-Indr. However, she has offended the Sultana, and did not the prophet say that harmony with one's wife is better than the skin of a thousand such slave girls?"
"I cannot tell you that, O Sultan, but the sacrifice of one such slave girl is still not cause for great joy. But what have we here?"
"It appears that two other infidel women have been crucified here already, O Bahb-Indr. This disquiets me."
"Yes, it has been reported that the bandits Jahl-el-Rahi and the one who calls himself Phallebass have been in the area. This looks like their work - perhaps a warning. We must take care."
"He calls himself what?"
"It is not important, O Sultan. The point is they are fearsome bandits."
"What would happen, Bahb-Indr, if I, the Sultan, were to cut these women free from their crosses and take them to my castle?"
"We're going to find out, aren't we?"
"Allah will protect the just."
"We're out crucifying a young slave girl just because your wife doesn't like her, and you think we're being just?"
"Allah might support the bandits, you think?
"He might, O Sultan."
"Perhaps if we don't crucify this girl, and release the other two, Allah will smile on us."
"All I know is that this looks like a trap, Phallebass and Jahl-el-Rahi don't take prisoners, and Allah tends not only to smile, but laugh at people who linger in the desert wondering if they are being righteous."
"These are good points, Bahb-Indr. Scarper back to the castle sharpish you think?"
"That sounds very wise, O Sultan.
"It does seem a pity, O Sultan Rahman ibn Wrahig, to crucify such a lovely infidel slave girl."
"Indeed, noble Bahb-Indr. However, she has offended the Sultana, and did not the prophet say that harmony with one's wife is better than the skin of a thousand such slave girls?"
"I cannot tell you that, O Sultan, but the sacrifice of one such slave girl is still not cause for great joy. But what have we here?"
"It appears that two other infidel women have been crucified here already, O Bahb-Indr. This disquiets me."
"Yes, it has been reported that the bandits Jahl-el-Rahi and the one who calls himself Phallebass have been in the area. This looks like their work - perhaps a warning. We must take care."
"He calls himself what?"
"It is not important, O Sultan. The point is they are fearsome bandits."
"What would happen, Bahb-Indr, if I, the Sultan, were to cut these women free from their crosses and take them to my castle?"
"We're going to find out, aren't we?"
"Allah will protect the just."
"We're out crucifying a young slave girl just because your wife doesn't like her, and you think we're being just?"
"Allah might support the bandits, you think?
"He might, O Sultan."
"Perhaps if we don't crucify this girl, and release the other two, Allah will smile on us."
"All I know is that this looks like a trap, Phallebass and Jahl-el-Rahi don't take prisoners, and Allah tends not only to smile, but laugh at people who linger in the desert wondering if they are being righteous."
"These are good points, Bahb-Indr. Scarper back to the castle sharpish you think?"
"That sounds very wise, O Sultan.
Last edited:
Simply brilliant! Both the art and the text! I don’t know whether to assign it a love or a laugh.
Deserves both!!
Well done, Jolly!!!!!!
The "H" is silent, as is the "ass".
"Allah's mercy is infinite, oh Sultan, but if you challenge the bandits' in this way then remember also that Allah loves not the transgressor. Jahl-el-Rahi and the one who calls himself Phallebass take great pride in their work, and verily this appears to be their work!"
Well, that sort of confirms that I was not being too obscure in my name references.
And I missed Mr. Phlebas and Mr. Jollyrei from the Old Firm. Thought I'd give them a bit of a reprise.
A thousand? Are you sure?
But these chaps with silent h's sound worth avoiding, though choosing between them and the sultana is a bit of a toughie...
Excellent image, hilarious narrative, what's not to love?
Tmaster
Governor
Excellent illustration!
Attachments
Our failure to interview the crucified women is surely a missed opportunity, although I suspect they would have told us anything to justify a rescue attempt!Infidel Girls in the Desert
"It does seem a pity, O Sultan Rahman ibn Wrahig, to crucify such a lovely infidel slave girl."
"Indeed, noble Bahb-Indr. However, she has offended the Sultana, and did not the prophet say that harmony with one's wife is better than the skin of a thousand such slave girls?"
"I cannot tell you that, O Sultan, but the sacrifice of one such slave girl is still not cause for great joy. But what have we here?"
"It appears that two other infidel women have been crucified here already, O Bahb-Indr. This disquiets me."
"Yes, it has been reported that the bandits Jahl-el-Rahi and the one who calls himself Phallebass have been in the area. This looks like their work - perhaps a warning. We must take care."
"He calls himself what?"
"It is not important, O Sultan. The point is they are fearsome bandits."
"What would happen, Bahb-Indr, if I, the Sultan, were to cut these women free from their crosses and take them to my castle?"
"We're going to find out, aren't we?"
"Allah will protect the just."
"We're out crucifying a young slave girl just because your wife doesn't like her, and you think we're being just?"
"Allah might support the bandits, you think?
"He might, O Sultan."
"Perhaps if we don't crucify this girl, and release the other two, Allah will smile on us."
"All I know is that this looks like a trap, Phallebass and Jahl-el-Rahi don't take prisoners, and Allah tends not only to smile, but laugh at people who linger in the desert wondering if they are being righteous."
"These are good points, Bahb-Indr. Scarper back to the castle sharpish you think?"
"That sounds very wise, O Sultan.
The background is a detail from a much larger painting by Eugen Bracht entitled, 'In the Arabian Desert' (1882). The Arabs are now escorting Falco's model, carrying her patibulum. She provides the focal point in the centre of the picture, The composition is balanced by the foreground figures of Alex Bald's crux girl on the left and Cruxdreams' Sasha on the right. These two are carefully positioned with the viewer's eye level just below the breasts.
The scene is dominated by the dark hills in the background, which result from backlighting, which places them in deep shadow. This backlighting presents one of the biggest challenges in this manipulation, and the carrying girl's shadow has been added, consistent with the lighting direction and the shadows of the other figures in the scene. The three girls have been carefully inserted with appropriate texture and colour adjustments to blend into the painting. Nice wotk, Jolly!
The Sack of Rome
In 387BC, after suffering a diplomatic insult at the hands of Roman ambassadors, the Senones, a Gaulish tribe, decided to sack Rome. This led to the Battle of the Allia, where 2 legions of Roman soldiers were routed by the Gauls under their chieftain Brennus, leaving Rome largely undefended. The Gauls, surprised at their easy victory, moved into the city and occupied it, killing or capturing anyone who remained and taking plunder.
The painting by Paul Jamin (1893) allegedly shows Brennus entering a house where his share of the spoils of battle were being held for him. This all seems quite reasonable.
However, even though Brennus was, in fact, Gaulish, historical research shows that he was a distant ancestor of the Wragg lineage (probably through all of that Norman conquest nonsense later in history), and was in fact Brennus Wraggetorix (a fine Gaulish name – even better than Asterix, if you ask me). Further historical research (don’t ask me where – it was over 2300 years ago, for heaven’s sake – it could all be hearsay) suggests that the person who was guarding the spoils was a trusted sub-chieftain named Bobindix (see? Another totally authentic Gaulish name!).
In any event, certainly the painting by Jamin shows something quite reasonable – a chieftain going to look at and enjoy the spoils of his conquest. But what is this we find? Jamin may have taken liberties with the scene! He depicts a mundane scene of a Gaulish chieftain standing in a doorway, and a motley group of naked ladies expressing distress at their impending fate.
History is so often interpreted through these imperfect lenses, and we have, I’m afraid, taken at least a partially wrong turn when we only see this version of Jamin’s portrayal. For I have now "discovered" an earlier version of the painting that Jamin likely did (you can't prove anything), but thought the story too fabulous and unbelievable to be true. I have restored this image (using Photoshop – there are 55 distinct layers and adjustments in this image), and it shows us a truly remarkable part of the story (if you're willing to trust me on this).
The figure at the left of the painting is none other than a patrician lady, Barbara Flavia Morus, whose father was a proconsul and wine merchant specializing in dry crisp white wines from the barbarian lands of Germania. Barbara herself was unmarried, and indeed, considered wild and untameable, having been turned down by the Vestal Virgins (likely for not meeting a basic entrance requirement), and then turned down by most respectable families because of her propensity to speak her mind and do her own thing. It was this impetuousness that got her into trouble, and she was captured by Bobindix (not without some difficulty and certainly not without a few complaints) and placed (presumably for her own safety as well as that of other bystanders) in the holding room where the other girls waited for Brennus to arrive.
Many have speculated what Brennus must have thought when Bobindix opened the door for him and he stood on the threshold, gazing at the beautiful girls and the treasure in the room. One could speculate what was said. Neither Plutarch or Livy bothered to speculate on this. However, the story handed down in the Bobinder family notes that among the spoils taken was a fine Roman racing chariot, which Brennus used only once. It sort of disappeared from official history, but the Bobinder family says that Brennus was perceptive, and when the door was opened, he stood imposingly, his feet bathed in the blood of his enemies, with his spear ready in hand, and asked the fateful question:
In 387BC, after suffering a diplomatic insult at the hands of Roman ambassadors, the Senones, a Gaulish tribe, decided to sack Rome. This led to the Battle of the Allia, where 2 legions of Roman soldiers were routed by the Gauls under their chieftain Brennus, leaving Rome largely undefended. The Gauls, surprised at their easy victory, moved into the city and occupied it, killing or capturing anyone who remained and taking plunder.
The painting by Paul Jamin (1893) allegedly shows Brennus entering a house where his share of the spoils of battle were being held for him. This all seems quite reasonable.
However, even though Brennus was, in fact, Gaulish, historical research shows that he was a distant ancestor of the Wragg lineage (probably through all of that Norman conquest nonsense later in history), and was in fact Brennus Wraggetorix (a fine Gaulish name – even better than Asterix, if you ask me). Further historical research (don’t ask me where – it was over 2300 years ago, for heaven’s sake – it could all be hearsay) suggests that the person who was guarding the spoils was a trusted sub-chieftain named Bobindix (see? Another totally authentic Gaulish name!).
In any event, certainly the painting by Jamin shows something quite reasonable – a chieftain going to look at and enjoy the spoils of his conquest. But what is this we find? Jamin may have taken liberties with the scene! He depicts a mundane scene of a Gaulish chieftain standing in a doorway, and a motley group of naked ladies expressing distress at their impending fate.
History is so often interpreted through these imperfect lenses, and we have, I’m afraid, taken at least a partially wrong turn when we only see this version of Jamin’s portrayal. For I have now "discovered" an earlier version of the painting that Jamin likely did (you can't prove anything), but thought the story too fabulous and unbelievable to be true. I have restored this image (using Photoshop – there are 55 distinct layers and adjustments in this image), and it shows us a truly remarkable part of the story (if you're willing to trust me on this).
Many have speculated what Brennus must have thought when Bobindix opened the door for him and he stood on the threshold, gazing at the beautiful girls and the treasure in the room. One could speculate what was said. Neither Plutarch or Livy bothered to speculate on this. However, the story handed down in the Bobinder family notes that among the spoils taken was a fine Roman racing chariot, which Brennus used only once. It sort of disappeared from official history, but the Bobinder family says that Brennus was perceptive, and when the door was opened, he stood imposingly, his feet bathed in the blood of his enemies, with his spear ready in hand, and asked the fateful question:
“Okay girls, own up! Which one of you wrecked my nice new chariot in the fountain over there!?”
The bits about Brennus conquering Rome are actually true - fortunately or unfortunately, his forces seem to have either gotten really drunk or contracted dysentery and so the Romans took back the city within a few weeks. The rest, as they say, is history. Nobody else managed to conquer Rome until after 400AD (some 700 years later).
The bits about Brennus conquering Rome are actually true - fortunately or unfortunately, his forces seem to have either gotten really drunk or contracted dysentery and so the Romans took back the city within a few weeks. The rest, as they say, is history. Nobody else managed to conquer Rome until after 400AD (some 700 years later).
Last edited:
Hey! Don’t blame me … I’m innocent! It had to have been that untamed girl from the distant far northern forests, @Eulalia … or that little Gaulish vixen @messaline !
You count your blessings. I've just been blamed for the fall of the Roman Empire!
Brilliant, @Jollyrei !
To be fair, this was centuries before Julius or Octavian, and was during the period of the Roman Republic, during which Roman expansion was limited to the Italian peninsula. The Senones actually lived in northwestern Italy (north of the Etruscans and east of what is now Marseilles - so the Italian Riviera). The Senones marched down through Italy, causing a lot of distress, but didn't actually attack a lot of places. They seem to actually have sent messengers into Roman towns ahead of them saying "Don't worry folks, we're not after you. We're going for Rome." History has some marvellous little stories.I've just been blamed for the fall of the Roman Empire!
Jollyrei's pictures are so neatly blended, with close attention to figure scale and lighting, that the results effectively disguise the extent of the work involved. This one is no exception, a number of alternative compositions having been tried before deciding on this arrangement. The background has been extensively reconstructed to recreate the room and conceal several painted figures. This accounts for the large number of layers in the manipulation as well as a convincing sense of character interaction between the individually inserted figures. Nice work, Jolly!The Sack of Rome
In 387BC, after suffering a diplomatic insult at the hands of Roman ambassadors, the Senones, a Gaulish tribe, decided to sack Rome. This led to the Battle of the Allia, where 2 legions of Roman soldiers were routed by the Gauls under their chieftain Brennus, leaving Rome largely undefended. The Gauls, surprised at their easy victory, moved into the city and occupied it, killing or capturing anyone who remained and taking plunder.
The painting by Paul Jamin (1893) allegedly shows Brennus entering a house where his share of the spoils of battle were being held for him. This all seems quite reasonable.
However, even though Brennus was, in fact, Gaulish, historical research shows that he was a distant ancestor of the Wragg lineage (probably through all of that Norman conquest nonsense later in history), and was in fact Brennus Wraggetorix (a fine Gaulish name – even better than Asterix, if you ask me). Further historical research (don’t ask me where – it was over 2300 years ago, for heaven’s sake – it could all be hearsay) suggests that the person who was guarding the spoils was a trusted sub-chieftain named Bobindix (see? Another totally authentic Gaulish name!).
In any event, certainly the painting by Jamin shows something quite reasonable – a chieftain going to look at and enjoy the spoils of his conquest. But what is this we find? Jamin may have taken liberties with the scene! He depicts a mundane scene of a Gaulish chieftain standing in a doorway, and a motley group of naked ladies expressing distress at their impending fate.
History is so often interpreted through these imperfect lenses, and we have, I’m afraid, taken at least a partially wrong turn when we only see this version of Jamin’s portrayal. For I have now "discovered" an earlier version of the painting that Jamin likely did (you can't prove anything), but thought the story too fabulous and unbelievable to be true. I have restored this image (using Photoshop – there are 55 distinct layers and adjustments in this image), and it shows us a truly remarkable part of the story (if you're willing to trust me on this).
The figure at the left of the painting is none other than a patrician lady, Barbara Flavia Morus, whose father was a proconsul and wine merchant specializing in dry crisp white wines from the barbarian lands of Germania. Barbara herself was unmarried, and indeed, considered wild and untameable, having been turned down by the Vestal Virgins (likely for not meeting a basic entrance requirement), and then turned down by most respectable families because of her propensity to speak her mind and do her own thing. It was this impetuousness that got her into trouble, and she was captured by Bobindix (not without some difficulty and certainly not without a few complaints) and placed (presumably for her own safety as well as that of other bystanders) in the holding room where the other girls waited for Brennus to arrive.
Many have speculated what Brennus must have thought when Bobindix opened the door for him and he stood on the threshold, gazing at the beautiful girls and the treasure in the room. One could speculate what was said. Neither Plutarch or Livy bothered to speculate on this. However, the story handed down in the Bobinder family notes that among the spoils taken was a fine Roman racing chariot, which Brennus used only once. It sort of disappeared from official history, but the Bobinder family says that Brennus was perceptive, and when the door was opened, he stood imposingly, his feet bathed in the blood of his enemies, with his spear ready in hand, and asked the fateful question:
“Okay girls, own up! Which one of you wrecked my nice new chariot in the fountain over there!?”
The bits about Brennus conquering Rome are actually true - fortunately or unfortunately, his forces seem to have either gotten really drunk or contracted dysentery and so the Romans took back the city within a few weeks. The rest, as they say, is history. Nobody else managed to conquer Rome until after 400AD (some 700 years later).
As a footnote to the historical record, Bobindix is evidently cowering behind the door, having previously instructed the girls to harness the fastest horses to the chariot - although he insisted that he never said anything about taking it for a test drive! However, the family history also records how Brennus Wraggetorix obtained both a new racing chariot and a fearsome revenge upon the Lady Barbara...
Yikes! And I thought outrunning old Brennus Wraggetorix would be easy!Brennus Wraggetorix obtained both a new racing chariot and a fearsome revenge upon the Lady Barbara...
Great pic!
He'll always get you in the end....
But after a couple of runs around the circus for the sake of sportsmanshipJollyrei's pictures are so neatly blended, with close attention to figure scale and lighting, that the results effectively disguise the extent of the work involved. This one is no exception, a number of alternative compositions having been tried before deciding on this arrangement. The background has been extensively reconstructed to recreate the room and conceal several painted figures. This accounts for the large number of layers in the manipulation as well as a convincing sense of character interaction between the individually inserted figures. Nice work, Jolly!
As a footnote to the historical record, Bobindix is evidently cowering behind the door, having previously instructed the girls to harness the fastest horses to the chariot - although he insisted that he never said anything about taking it for a test drive! However, the family history also records how Brennus Wraggetorix obtained both a new racing chariot and a fearsome revenge upon the Lady Barbara...
Wonderful addition to the story, and you've done a very convincing job on the expression there.Jollyrei's pictures are so neatly blended, with close attention to figure scale and lighting, that the results effectively disguise the extent of the work involved. This one is no exception, a number of alternative compositions having been tried before deciding on this arrangement. The background has been extensively reconstructed to recreate the room and conceal several painted figures. This accounts for the large number of layers in the manipulation as well as a convincing sense of character interaction between the individually inserted figures. Nice work, Jolly!
As a footnote to the historical record, Bobindix is evidently cowering behind the door, having previously instructed the girls to harness the fastest horses to the chariot - although he insisted that he never said anything about taking it for a test drive! However, the family history also records how Brennus Wraggetorix obtained both a new racing chariot and a fearsome revenge upon the Lady Barbara...
Barb and the Sack of Rome looks like becoming a new theme.
Our failure to interview the crucified women is surely a missed opportunity, although I suspect they would have told us anything to justify a rescue attempt!
The background is a detail from a much larger painting by Eugen Bracht entitled, 'In the Arabian Desert' (1882). The Arabs are now escorting Falco's model, carrying her patibulum. She provides the focal point in the centre of the picture, The composition is balanced by the foreground figures of Alex Bald's crux girl on the left and Cruxdreams' Sasha on the right. These two are carefully positioned with the viewer's eye level just below the breasts.
The scene is dominated by the dark hills in the background, which result from backlighting, which places them in deep shadow. This backlighting presents one of the biggest challenges in this manipulation, and the carrying girl's shadow has been added, consistent with the lighting direction and the shadows of the other figures in the scene. The three girls have been carefully inserted with appropriate texture and colour adjustments to blend into the painting. Nice wotk, Jolly!
The scenario is definitely interesting. The slave, on the left of the painting, is crucified in an alternative but terribly painful way. She can't use her arms to get up and breathe. Furthermore, the sharp wood will give you terrible pain both from a lack of blood supply to your arms which will cause terrible cramps and from the trauma to the nerves of your arms. Her feet don't help her to get up and breathe. With each passing moment she will drop a few centimeters until she can no longer move her rib cage to breathe. You will soon have pulmonary edema, which means drowning in your own serum diffused into your lungs. The other one in front will suffer the same fate but can rise several times and therefore have a much longer agony. It is not clear who has a better situation between the two. the third tired from the beam will be evaluated according to the method of cross placement.
I'm never sure I agree that clinical descriptions are that erotic - rather take the fun out of it for me.
Good thing they're going to be rescued then, eh? 