This one is not for the children.

«Goddammit, they’ve been at my beer again!» the furious bellow echoed from the doorway as a red shape moved rapidly out of the pantry-house making a bee-line across the snow towards the main building. As it entered the lighted building, the shape turned out to be a large man, dressed in red with white fur trim and wearing shiny black boots. He tracked snow all along the floor as he stomped into the workshop. There some elves were hard at work gift-wrapping toys in brightly-patterned coloured paper.

«You, Fizzlebrick!» An accusing finger singled out one of the elves. «Which of you layabouts have been stealing my beer this time?»

The poor elf turned, eyes wide. He let out a startled whimper, and held his hands up defensively, still holding a length of ribbon and a pair of scissors. «No sir, please sir, not us, sir! No beer here, sir!»

«If not you, then who?» The red-clad man turned his wrath towards another of the elves as recently arrived toys started piling up at the end of the moving conyevor belt where the wrapping work had come to a sudden halt.

«Guzzlebum! Was it you? Confess!» The red of the suit was almost matched by the angry redness of the parts of the face that could be seen inside the halo of pure white beard and hair around it.

«No, sir! We have not had any beer in months, sir!» the second elf managed to stutter.

«Sir!» a trembling hand was raised beyond the second wrapping desk. «I think I saw some empty beer bottles behind the stables, sir!»

«Stables, is it? Hrumph! Get back to work, you louts!» Turning on his heel, he stomped out into the snow again. The elves let out a collective sigh of relief, as one of them broke down in shaking sobs and another looked shame-faced about for a rag to clean up the puddle of warm yellow spreading across the floor around his feet.

As the man moved across the courtyard, a distinctive bird call was heard from the direction of the stables, followed by a lot of scuffling and a loud crash and the sound of breaking glass as he entered the stable house proper.

«A-ha! Caught red nosed in the act!» The scene before him was like a snap shot, as the reindeer were standing like frozen, grouped around an overturned table as playing cards were drifting through the air like falling snowflakes. The overhead lamp light was reflected in the many shards of several broken beer bottles glinting in a pool of foam on the floor, Rudolf lying partially on top of it all, red nose shining brightly.
The man’s face was like thunder as he roared at the beer-soaked reindeer «I told you twice before that I have had enough of your delinquency! Now you have gone too far. Three strikes, Rudolf! I will have to make an example of you for all to see! Donner, go on and set up the spike by the stable gate! The rest of you, watch closely. Consider yourselves all on two strikes! This is what happens to those who strike out!»
The furious man dragged Rudolf bodily out into the courtyard and pulled out a sabre. Rudolf’s red nose shone brightly, colouring the snow red until the glow went out with a sickening thud and the snow was coloured another kind of red.

This is XM1801 Evil Santa by Ral Partha Europe. I got it off their “Winter Wonderland” kickstarter a couple of years ago. It is cast in metal and mounted on a 30mm base. I just wanted to paint something Christmassy to get me into the Christmas spirit.

It is currently available from Ral Partha Europe

This mini was finished on Dec 19th, 2020.

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Painted so far this year:   (Miniatures:  350 / 365 goal // scenery and terrain: 14)

January: 32

Feburary: 19

March: 45 / 10

April: 41 // 1

May: 9

June: 20

July: 19

August: 30

September: 36 // 1

October: 21

November: 45

December: 34 // 2