Le Sable Brûlant du Fons Idaeus

With all of the research conducted on the French in the 1880's and 1890's (added to the 1870's bender from my Second Empire days) I've decided to investigate running the occasional Space:1889 RPG campaign set in the French Idaeus Fons Martian colony.

As I hesitate in allowing the role-playing aspects to overshadow what is essentially a wargaming blog, I've experimented with creating a new page, within the Syrtis Major blog.

Much of the action will revolve around the two main French forts, which stand cheek-to-jowl above the dry canal caravan routes to Chryse and Niliacus - Forts Miami and Cyrene.

Forts Miami and Cyrene are seperated by 250 miles (400 km) of dry steppes. Both forts support a semi-independent trading town close by.

Fort Miami (or Maumee) was named after an old French fort in North America by some historically-minded wag on the Quay d'Orsai.  The area around Fort Miami is more hospitable, bordering the edge of the plains of the Mare Acidalium. The local French authorities wish to expand their influence in the region, though Paris has forbidden all Coloniale expansion on Mars for the present.