#RoamingRisen Around the World

#RoamingRisen Around the World

by Broken Anvil

Here at BAM, community is everything. We are beyond appreciative to all of you for making the BAM community such a great place to share common interests and to build friendships. In that spirit, the blog post we are sharing today features the world travels of a Risen Footsoldier. This little undead warrior toured all over Scotland along with Evan and Alexis, two members of our community who recently honeymooned in Scotland. Alexis suggested they bring the Footsoldier on their adventure, and #RoamingRisen was born. Below we have a sampling of their breathtaking photos. If you’d like to see the Director’s Cut, check out Evan’s Instagram page.

We wanted to know a little more about Evan and Alexis, so we asked them a few questions. 



BAM: How and when did you two meet?

Evan: Believe it or not, Alexis and I met in May of 2020 on Tinder. I had just resigned my commission as an officer in the U.S. Army and moved into the Portland area for work. Our first date was at my new apartment where we played board games.

BAM: What do you both do for work?
Evan: Alexis owns a tutoring business; she specializes in tutoring middle school math. She was a teacher for years before she decided to start her business. I am the Veteran Experience Program Analyst for the Portland VA Healthcare System; I look at Veteran feedback and analyze opportunities to improve their healthcare.

BAM: How did you decide on Scotland for your honeymoon?
Evan: We wanted a rugged and romantic location for our honeymoon with castles and whisky. We also were very interested in the history of Scotland, both of us are history nerds. Did I mention that I love whisky?

BAM: How did you begin painting miniatures?
Evan: The first miniature I painted was in 2002, with the Lord of the Rings miniatures game from Games Workshop. It was the Cave Troll, and it was painted horrendously by an 11-year-old who loved the color green. I continued to play and paint miniature games through high school and then took a break in college and the first two years of my Army career. I got back into it with an Army buddy in Alaska in 2015 with the original Age of Sigmar starter box and my hiatus has since ended.

BAM: What are your other hobbies in addition to miniature painting?
Evan: Alexis enjoys her garden, making craft cocktails, cooking, traveling to foreign destinations, brewing mead, board games, Dungeons and Dragons (no thanks to me), and reading. I am heavily invested in miniature painting and gaming. I also enjoy strength training, video games, craft beer, whisky, creative writing, and Dungeons and Dragons (I am the dungeon master for our groups).

BAM: Do you have pets? What are their names, breeds, and ages?
Evan: We have two lovely cats. We each brought a cat to our relationship. Hamilton, the stray orange tabby, moved into Alexis's house three years ago, he is probably 6 years old. I adopted Arya, the grey tabby, when I was stationed in California in late 2018, she will be 4 in October.

BAM: What is your favorite Rivenstone faction and why?

Evan: Alexis doesn't have one, although her father favors Orrix. He and I drove up to play the demo in May. I am torn between the Risen and the Shattered Empire. I normally play orcs, but I was enraptured by the style and design of both factions.

A huge thanks to both Evan and Alexis for the stunning photos and for inviting us along on their adventure. Check out Evan’s Twitter page for more miniature painting and Alexis’s Instagram page for tons of gorgeous blooms. And without further ado, let’s see those photos!

Captions and photos by Evan Easley 

Day 1 of #RoamingRisen 

We have arrived in Scotland and feel as energetic as this lad feels. Luckily, we had just enough juice to see the beautiful Edinburgh Castle and the Royal Mile. Off to sleep like the dead and adjust to the time change!

 

Day 2 of #RoamingRisen

We visited Dunnottar castle. The grounds were huge and obviously very defensible along the dramatic east coast. This is the first ruined castle I had been in and I was truly amazed!

 

 

Day 3 of #RoamingRisen

We started the day with many castles, this one is Corgarff Castle. We made our way through Cairngorms National Park to The Glenlivet Distillery. A delicious flight of cask Scotch was had. We went onward to the Clava Cairns, a bronze age burial site. The #RoamingRisen felt at home there.

 

 

Day 4 of #RoamingRisen

We started the day off early with Dunrobin Castle, unfortunately undead are not allowed inside. We then took the ferry to the Orkney Islands and discovered many wonderful historical sites, ruins and neolithic sites. We got to see the Italian Chapel, made by Italian POWs in WWII. The first ruin being the Birsay Earl's Palace, a ruin of a 16th century dwelling. Next we went to the neolithic sites of the Standing Stones of Stennes and the Ring of Brodgar. Both were mysterious and incredible in an ancient way. 

 

 

Day 5 of #RoamingRisen

We looked far and wide for some lovely ruins and were not disappointed (despite some closures). We started in Skars Brae, a neolithic site that is 5000 years old! The Risen didn't want to get too damp at that one as it rained quite a bit. Next we traveled on to the Broch of Gurness, a ruined Pictish tower and village that was later used as a Viking burial site. The Risen was all over this one!

 

 

Day 6 of #RoamingRisen

We left the Orkney Islands and drove the northern coastal highway (it was nearly all single track and I hated it). Luckily we found some cool spots like Smoo Cave, Ardvreck Castle (which was a 15th century fortification on a loch), and lots of cool highland viewpoints. We do love a ruined castle here.

 

 

Day 7 of #RoamingRisen

We left the town of Ullapool on another ferry to the Outer Hebrides. There weren't too many stops when we got to Lewis and Harris Island due to a soaking mist and high winds. But we did get to see the Callanish Standing Stones, which were another magical neolithic site about 5000 years old. 

 

 

Day 8 of #RoamingRisen

We continued our exploration of the Outer Hebrides with a tour of the Isle of Harris Distillery. There we were able to sample an unaged spirit and compare it to the Highland Park 12. We also were able to see the distilling process and taste some lovely gin. We then ventured to Luskentyre Beach, apparently one of the three most beautiful beaches in Europe. It was quite windy as expected but the water was a beautiful aqua color and worth seeing. 

 

 

Day 9 of #RoamingRisen

We took the ferry to the Isle of Skye! Our first stop was the Fairy Glen. Then we drove the coast and stopped at many more of the tourist sites. First up was Duntulm Castle, abandoned after a tragic child death. But it was a beautiful ruin on the coast. Then we made our way to our accommodations in Sconser. The room, food, and drink were lovely. We will have more of Skye tomorrow.

 

 

Day 10 of #RoamingRisen

It was a misty one today on the Isle of Skye. We started our adventures with Dunvegan Castle, home of the McLeod Clan and learned some lovely history. We then went to Talisker Distillery, unfortunately there was no tasting on site so we took some whisky to go. And we ended the day with a hike to the Fairy Pools. It was adequately misty, windy, and wet for such a mysterious locale. It was certainly worth the trip.

 

Day 11 of #RoamingRisen

It was another busy day of driving as we left the Isle of Skye. We stopped at Eilean Donna Castle for a quick phone. We then drove to Urquhart Castle and explored the ruins. It has so much history and held a strategic point along Loch Ness. Our last stop was at the Glenfinnan Viaduct. You may recognize this as the bridge that the Hogwarts Express steams over in the Harry Potter films.

 

 

Day 12 of #RoamingRisen

We started the morning with some whisky tasting at Ben Nevis Distillery. We continued our journey southeast to Glencoe where we enjoyed some hauntingly misty scenery, perfect for a traveling Risen Footsoldier. We then ventured to Killin where there were some neolithic standing stones. They were, however, on private property so we took photos from the stone fence. The undead are strict rule followers, after all.

 

 

Day 13 of #RoamingRisen

This is the last post of this Footsoldier's journey. We started the morning exploring Doune Castle. It was a famous keep and used in the filming of many movies and shows including Game of Thrones, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and Outlander. We next traveled to Stirling Castle. It was a strategic keep that was the gateway between the Highlands and Lowlands. England and Scotland fought over it for the better part of the middle ages. We ended the day in Edinburgh and will spend the night here before our flight home tomorrow. It was a lovely adventure and a memorable honeymoon! Thanks for looking!

 

Congratulations to the Easleys on their wedding! From the whole BAM Fam, we wish you every happiness together.