"After the 'Verra Rough Wooin', the enforced union of Auld Dalriata and the Baelfurean Empire, many a young lad was pulled away from his beloved glen, family fields and off the 'Free Seas' to serve in His Majesty's Army and Navy, or mayhap in the East Gharamm Company's forces. Most never returned, many becoming fodder in the mounting Imperial clashes, although a few made their fame and fortune in the early days of Empire. One became a king in an island archipelago in the spice lands, and founded the Dynasty of the Twin Kings. Another became a powerful admiral supporting the Liberators for year after year along the rocky coast, in their successful struggle against the decadent Yberrean Kings in far Arkadea. Others went into trade, and politics and mechanics and medicine, leading the Scientific Revolution of those heady years, and at the same time escaping the poverty and oppression of their native, now failing, Dalriata. Still others served and were maimed or died from infection or wounds or rotten rations, in foreign lands, fighting not for empire or home and family, but simply to survive their twenty years of indentured service. In so doing the were forced to protect their brother soldiers against those in the many foreign countries who wished to deny the dictats of Empire. Most felt more in common with these foreign laddies they fought in mony a war, than with their aristocratic, Baelfurean officers. One unit of Northern Border Scouts, forced beyong human endurance, at last mutinied, banishing their oppressive officers and joined the warlike Siccan Mountaineers to carve a lasting, independent country on north Gharamm. Over a century later they would lead the push to oust the hated Empire, only to fall to the underhand schemes of the dreaded Kievvan Patriarchate during the Second Great War. Many a heart and will was broken, so very far from home, as the 'pressed men' realised time after time, that their own homeland was no longer free, but recklessly squandered by absentee landlords over gaming tables in Gran Thamessan, till ever so few of the plots in the Auld Land were under the control of Dalriatans at all, but rather in the deep pockets of bankers and adventurers. Even the rich fishing grounds were sold as if they belonged not to God, but to man..." IMPERIAL SORROW AND MORAL DISASTER, a History of Decline in the Western Lands, by Armstrong and Guelph, Pristine Press, Edwinesburra.. This was an experiment in VUE 7 Complete, that seemed to take ages ( well, over two hours ) to render. I will spend days transferring my VUE 6 MAT, ATM, VEG and VOB files over into this new installation, and then set my VUE 6 and VUE 7 installations the same tasks to see which is actually faster... ;o) A very Happy New Year to all in RENDEROSITY. Whatever your fears or problems, be assured that the Creator gives us each all the aid and help which we require, each breath of our bodies, each thought of our minds, till He calls us to Him, one final time, back to our real home, in Heaven. Be ready.. Warm regards, John.