Cenotaph

Pretty much every community in Canada, and for that matter, most of the Commonwealth, has at least one cenotaph or similar war memorial.  While there are war memorials commemorating almost every conflict that involved Canadians, the real push for building cenotaphs was in the years following the Great War of 1914-1918.  So when I was planning the Black Tuesday game set in Estevan Saskatchewan, it seemed appropriate to me to make the Estevan Cenotaph a focal point for the game. (image copied from Veterans Canada website)

Canadian war memorials come in a great variety of styles.  They include pillars, stautues on plinths, ceremonial or artistic walls, stylistic sculptures and more.  One of the distinct styles of cenotaph is an obelisk.  Inspired specifically by the Estevan Cenotaph, I found a paper model of an ancient Egyptian obelisk and it was good enough for the Black Tuesday game.

I thought that was that, but then Arthur's friend Oliver and his dad Tyler got a 3D printer, and asked if I had any ideas for projects.  So I suggested a cenotaph!  To keep it simple, I suggested a basic obelisk, with a stylised cross from an inverted sword and the dates 1914-1918.  Of course most modern cenotaphs include the dates 1939-1945, but as my gaming is focussed on the interwar period, it would be anachronistic to include the WWII dates.

Tyler provided a small sample - the darker blue obelisk in the image below, and then after my feedback, the larger light blue cenotaph on the left.  Pulp Figures character beside the original paper model in the centre.

Painting was very basic.  Black undercoat, light grey drybrush and pick out the sword and the date in gloss black.

The other sides of the cenotaph are plain.  The striations from the 3D printing are usually undesirable but here I think they work well to add texture to the model, perhaps depicting the grooves from when the blocks were carved from the quarry.

Pulp Figures RCMP Sergeant Prestown for scale.