Buy | Submit | TRMGS1 | TRMGS2 | TRMGS3 | TRMGS4 |TRMGS Main | Heliograph Main

WHAT'S NEW? The Complete Canal Priests Of Mars is now available! The original publication of Canal Priests Of Mars cut slightly over a third of author Marcus L. Rowland's manuscript to fit GDW's adventure format. The Complete Canal Priests Of Mars restores the cut material, features all new artwork by Paul Daly, and adds many useful player handouts. Enjoy the "author's cut" of a classic Space 1889 adventure, or experience it for the first time! See our Buy It! page for more information! Old news is still available on the News Page.

THE SYRTIS STAR

All The News That Fits

GRACE TO COME TO MARS FOR TEST MATCHES

Loyal cricket followers will no doubt be joyous over the confirmation that Dr. W. G. Grace will return to Mars, this time leading a contingent of Marylebone Cricket Club cricketers for a series of three day test matches. Officials of the MCC, cricket's ruling body, have confirmed a 10 November meeting between Dr. Grace's hand-picked team and the good members of the Syrtis Major Gentlemen's Cricket Club (SMGCC). Dr. Grace,who has played so well for Britain since 1870 ( he has been in semi-retirement since 1886), has also confirmed that he and his team will play a series of test matches against the combined Army/Navy team and the gentlemen cricketers of Meepsoor and Parhoon. Those wishing tickets to any of the matches should contact the SMGCC as soon as possible.

NAVAL LAUNCH FEARED LOST; POLAR VOYAGE OVER?

15 October 1891: The Governor-General's Office has listed the Royal Navy launch HMS Warsprite, its captain Commander Philip Augustus Croydon, and six other crewmen as officially missing, presumed dead. The announcement comes after more than two weeks of extensive aerial and ground searches which turned up no sign of the vessel. Along with Commander Croydon and his crew, also feared lost are Dr. Archibald Covington, leader of the Martian Polar Expedition and Fellow of the Royal Martian Geographical Society; Dr. Francis Marwick, chief archaeologist and renowned author on ancient Martian History; and Captain Reginald Higgin-Botham, late of the Grenadier Guards, who was detached by the government specifically for the polar expedition. A memorial service is scheduled for next Monday morning, at 11:00 AM, in the Cathedral of Syrtis Major.

POLICE BREAK TWIST RING!

A spokesman for the Syrtis Major Metropolitan Police reports that the infamous Oliver Twist gang has been broken up and the ringleaders arrested. Our readers will remember a story of a year ago, and the subsequent updates, which told of a gang of young human and martian children terrorizing the waterfront. Police were skeptical of the effectiveness of the "Oliver Twist" gang until the massive robbery of the Hysperian Basin Trading Company warehouses on South Port Street. More than one hundred thousand pounds sterling worth of merchandise was stolen in that caper.

Since then, the police and the members of the Prince's Special Constabulary have dedicated manpower and money to the breaking of this criminal ring. Their effort has paid off with the recent arrests and the recovery of more than half the stolen merchandise. With these arrests, the commissioner has assured the public that the waterfront and dock areas will become a much safer place to travel for the members of our community. Hearty congratulations are in order for all involved in the arrest and breakup of this scourge on our fair city.

BISMARCK CONSIDERED FOR POST ON MARS

Word has just reached our offices in Syrtis Major that the former German Chancellor, Otto von Bismarck, is to be considered for the recently created post of Secretary for Martian Colonial Affairs. This position was created by the German government to oversee all German settlement on Mars; to encourage Germans to explore the Asteroid Belt and its vast mineral resources; to encourage new colonization schemes and to ensure new settlements survive; and to secure current German territorial gains at any cost. Sources in Germany have confirmed rumours that Chancellor Caprivi and Foreign Secretary Baron von Holstein have met several times with Kaiser Wilhelm II to discuss the appointment of Bismarck to this new and sensitive post.

Rumour has it that this radical move is in response to the recent announcement of a Franco-Russian Entente-Cordiale which directly threatens the German Reich both on and off Earth. Our readers should remember that it was only last July that the French Atlantique Fleet was joyously welcomed to the German port city of Kronstadt -- how quickly things have changed!

Bismarck's possible appointment to such a highly political position is extremely worrying in light of the increased tension between Great Britain and the Oenotrian Empire. We hope that cooler heads in the German government prevail and allow Herr von Bismarck to spend his last years comfortably on Earth rather than on Mars. Lord Salisbury's government has no comment at the present time.

TRAVEL PERMITS DENIED

The Belgian government has again denied the request of the board of the Martian Missionary League for permits that would allow for a visit by an impartial commission to investigate rumors of slavery in the Coprates. The Governor of the Coprates, Major General Andre Foucard, cited recent unrest and riots in his letter, claiming that he could not guarantee the commission's safety.

FRUSHER-BOYLE BERRY JAMS AND JELLIES: NOW ON SALE!!!

J. A. Hopkins and Sons, Purveyors of Fine Jams and Preserves to Her Majesty the Queen and the Prince of Wales, have announced a discount of six pence per tin on their exquisite Fruscher-Boyle Berry jams and jellies. The Fruscher-Boyle Berry was discovered several months ago by the Viscount Towster's circum-Mars expedition, and its introduction in Syrtis Major led to an immediate and tremendous demand for this tart, large, reddish berry. Limited supplies of the berry drove prices spiralling upwards for weeks, but recent reports that it was unsuitable for baking or for pie filling has forced the price downwards faster than it went up. Hopkins and Sons, who have said in the past that they plan to stick by the berry, report that their discount is only temporary, to allow them to sell off excess supplies. See their new store in the Seldon Arcade, Shaftesbury Avenue, Syrtis Major.

Posted Monday, 04-May-2009 19:50:59 EDT