Captain/Commander/Duke Vimes

Vimes in Watch Uniform

Both my models are converted from the Clarecraft original. I like the figure but feel that it is a little too skinny. I have not however made any attempts to fatten him up. His thin neck is a weak point allowing his head to break off if handled too much. Being thin it is difficult to drill a hole to allow you to strengthen the joint by fitting a length of wire to when repairing it. In the first model I have depicted him as he is on the cover of the 1999 Watch Diary. This conversion is quite complicated as it requires the remodelling of some of his body and new arms, either taken from other figures or modelled from scratch The dragon had to be removed using a razor saw. I tried to keep the original arms but found it impossible not to damage them beyond repair. After their removal the edges were cleaned up with a file. Two suitable arms were found in my spares box which could hold his crossbow and the cigarette lighting dragon. The crossbow came from another 28mm figure. (This figure later became the base model for Slapper). The arms were a lot thicker than the removed ones and were thinned down by filing. The crossbow was modified by making it a few mm's shorter and a fuse wire string was added to the bow. The bolt is a small length of wire with milliput feathers. Crossbow and arm were attached first with super glue and when dry milliput was used to fill any gaps and rebuild the damaged breast plate. The second arm had two small additions of milliput to the hand to represent the dragons head and tail. When both arms were dry I extended the width of the cape so that it fell over the tail of the crossbow. It also gives further support to the arm joints. To finish a thin layer of milliput was applied to the tops of the arms and a pin used to give the effect of his chainmail jacket. His cigarette is a short piece of wire glued to his lips.

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Vimes with Dragon

The second Vimes is how Clarecraft should have done their figure, wearing Sybil's nightie and holding Lord Mountjoy Quickfang Winterforth IV as in the incident in GG. I started by cutting off his helmet and filing down his boots to create his legs. Then the top of his head, Sybil's nightie and the pom-pom slippers were modelled in milliput. There is a Kidby drawing of him like this to use as a reference.

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Vimes' Sedan Chair

The sedan chair, a gift from Vetinari, was constructed from layers of plastic card, with cocktail sticks for the poles. It has a door at the front. The Ramkin coat of arms are painted in the circle on both sides. The bearers are the same figure that Colon was based on with slight adaptations to the arms so that they can carry the chair. I may rebuild this later as a display piece with Vimes taking his usual position as lead bearer, who in turn will be sitting in the chair holding Vimes’ coat. .

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Design Notes

Vimes

Samuel Vimes's fortunes have changed over the course of time, first seen as a lonely drunkard lying in a gutter but now he is married to Lady Sybil Ramkin the richest woman in Ankh-Morpork and has been created a Duke by the Patrician. He is generally fair in his policing although despising most non-human races and a lot of humans as well. He attended school for 9 months or so when he was six. For a while he was Black board monitor. Dame Slightly was teacher and charge a penny a day in cash or kind, preferably gin.

He is skinny, normally unshaven and smokes Pantweed's Slim Panatellas cigars. He has so many scars on his back that Sybil says she can play Noughts and Crosses on it. In the early days he wore a battered breastplate with worn mail and a brown iron helmet for normal duty. He had a polished breast plate and cloak for best. His copper badge has AMCW No 177 on it. His original crossbow had a stirrup to help load it.

By the time of Feet of Clay he has big well fitting boots of genuine shiny leather which he swaps for the thin cardboard cheap pair that is the normal Watch attire. This is so that he can feel the cobbles of the streets and know where he was. He is now putting on weight and going thin on top with a receding scalp. He has a new Burleigh and Stronginthearm made to measure crossbow with oiled walnut stock and trigger, a present from Sybil and a Sedan Chair a present from the Patrician. He also has a leather bound Dis-organizer/note book, pocket sized with an opening lid and with a 15 function imp in a cage which was subsequently lost in Klatch (Jingo).

He was given a new dwarf axe resting on a nest of black cloth in a long flat box by the Low King of the Dwarfs to become a family heirloom.

In Jingo his dress uniform was red tights, puffed shorts, red shirt with silly baggy puffed sleeves, tiny shiny breastplate, highly polished ceremonial helmet with feathers and chin strap. Red velvet cloak with fur.
He carried an Official Truncheon kept in a special pocket sown into his breeches by Sybil. It was a length of shiny black wood with a large silver knob with coat of arms. Little shield engraved with "Protecter of thee King’s Piece" Truncheon of rosewood and Llamados silver.
His uniform as a Duke consisted of white silk stockings, garters, golden coronet with knobs on, purple robe with vermine and a plumed hat. The outfit doesn't include a sword. For some reason in 5E the coronet has become spikey without knobs. (readers/writers error or change in local fashions??)

Ambassadors uniform includes helmet with feathers in, red tights, buckled shoes, cloak and a sword. During all these changes he has still retained his old street uniform.
There is a Vimes coat of arms but it is not in use following the killing of the last King (FoC p37)

He has also been reported as carrying a clockwork watch with second hand, the keys to the armoury, a small black cloth roll kept in a pocket containing intricate little lockpicks, a big red handkerchief and corn for the pigeons in his pocket. Model ideas - open hand with corn, pigeon on shoulder, droppings down back and in his Sedan Chair.

Current title is:-
His Grace the Duke of Ankh-Morpork, Sir Samuel Vimes Commander of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch.

He has now managed to get rid of most of the plumes and stupid tights of the official uniform. It now at least looks as if its owner is male. It has a helmet with gold decoration, a new gleaming breast plate with gold ornamentation. The whole costume was "damaged beyond repair" in an accident at the University

On 25th May he wears a sprig of lilac in a little silver tube of water fixed to a breastplate strap. He still carries his watch in a pocket.

He has a specially made silver cigar case given to him by Sybil. It is slim and has a slight curve. Inside is scribed "To Sam with love from your Sybil"

After defeating the Summoning Dark in Thud it left its mark on the soft under skin of his wrist as a simple raise reddened mark.
In Thud he had and managed to find a little use for the Dis-organiser Mark five "Gooseberry". Smart brown box, flips open, pointy eared small green imp with wistful, hopeless smile behind tiny bars. Vimes didn't fill in registration card so is called "insert name here" Lid snaps shut. Has a handy to use Bluenose TM Integrated Messenger Service (imp runs to nearest clacks tower. Imp also plays Splong TM which involves bats, Guess my weight in pigs or imps, iHUM TM function enables it to learn 1500 songs and whistle back on request. Manual had been thrown away. Little cage door. Imp very pale green and translucent, little more than coloured air but able to hold a pencil stub

Lady Sybil Deirdre Olgivanna Ramkin

When at school Sybil had made a copy of the painting by Methodia Rascal of 'The Battle of Koom Valley' using a pantograph on five 10' squares and a 1/5 scale complete copy. Family once owned the painting before it was displayed in the gallery. It was drawn only and not coloured in but showed all the many faces, near and far; axes and clubs being waved, spears pointed, charges and counter charges and single combat. Across the whole length of the picture dwarfs and trolls iocked in ferocious battle, hacking and smashing.

A towering big lady, healthily solid and big boned. Masses of chestnut coloured hair which is a wig due to fire damage from the dragons. Rubber boots and tweed skirt. Looked huge and fearsome in her padded leather armour with steel plates which covered her from neck to ankles.

After the Ball where she had worn a pink tulle ball gown, clouds full of cherubs, pink canoe dancing shoes and tiara she donned her heavy apron, gloves, helmet and visor to see to the dragons.

She owns the Sunshine Sanctuary for Dragons in Morphic St. which is run by Rosie Devant-Molei who has the build of someone who could pick up a cart horse with one hand and shoe it with the other. Rosie was a high born lady seldom seen not wearing rubber gloves. She is assisted by the army of Alice-banded well-bred young ladies who muck out etc. called the Interchangeable Emma's by Vimes.

The Ramkins coach - when built it was the marvel of the day all plush and gilt and tasselled hangings. Old and battered as time, neglect and the ripping out of the seats etc. in order to transport dragons have all taken their toll on it. It still however reeks of privilege, style and of course, dragons. Faded Ramkin coat of arms on the doors. Painted on the back a sign "Whinny if you love dragons".

Figure - try dragon lady with conversion to the dragon - it needs stubby wings, revised nostrils and a blue collar for Chubby (RIP). Head and face will do but body and arms wrong and will need a lot of work.

Young Sam

At the time of Thud he was 14 months old, and can stand against cot rails. Dribble, a ancient fireless dragon with ragged wings and no teeth, clambered up stairs every day to take up his station under Sam's cot and dozed making little whistling noises in his sleep. The nursery was a soft pastel room of pink and blue, soft woolly and fluffy creatures and a nursery clock with a little woolly lamb which jumped back and forth over a fence, rocking the seconds away. There was a blue shawl with ducks on mat, at one time round Vimes shoulders. Vimes read "where's my Cow" to him at six o'clock each nigh without fail. The pages were rounded and soft due to chewing. The nursery chair was usually littered with a rag ball, a little hoop, a woolly snake with one button eye. Vimes pushed them onto the rug, and removed his helmet and boots before sitting down to read. His sword had already been left in the hall. Young Sam had a fetching woolly hat with a bobble on it when he went into the caves.

Willikins

When he was young he was a member of the Shamlegger Street Rude boys whose favourite weapon was a cap with the rim sewn with sharpen pennies (could take someone's eye out - with care). Their main enemy the Rope Street gang favoured stevedore hooks. His gang had a truce with the one Vimes was in so they never met. He joined the Ramkin household as a scullery boy but has been the butler for the past 20 years. Pinstripe trousers and butlering coat shiny as schmaltz and fat as butter. Big pink face. Sleeves rolled up and long green apron.
In Jingo joined Lord Veturi's Heavy Infantry because he was attracted to the uniform of red and white with gold frogging.
In Thud an Acting-Constable in the Specials.

Kitchen Boy

Mrs Content - is an experienced midwife but it was Dr Lawn who delivered their son Sam for which he was richly rewarded.

In Thud besides a butler the Vimes had hand maids, a head cavern girl for the pedigree dragon pens and a nursemaid, Purity a decent type, to assist Sybil now they had young Sam.

Crundells is a huge stately home in the country set in a panorama of rolling acres suitable as backdrop to traditional Ramkin now Vimes family portrait with him as some kind of squire. Vimes has not yet visited.

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