Stuart and I went to DragonSlayer, our first official SCA event last Saturday, so I should get the details down before it gets lost in the shuffle! I'd have to say that I considered it grand fun and frankly, they'll have to work hard to top it!
It took place just on the edge of the city, so although there was a camping option, we decided to day trip. Probably just as well, since I was up late the night before, finishing our bog coats and a good thing too, since the day had some chilly temperatures and a thunderstorm!
We arrived on site around 9:30 am with Ursa on leash and wondered around a bit getting our bearings. Which didn't take long, as it isn't a huge site. We found Morrigan and Dalton and got the tour of their tent. It's actually a US revolution replication, but hey, a white canvas box on a wooden frame is pretty timeless! LOL I think Stuart and I will look for something similar next summer, since it's getting time to replace our car camping tent anyway. After several seasons of use, it's starting to show the wear and isn't big enough for both of us and two giant dogs.
I sat and listened to the discussion around the Arts & Sciences round robin set-up, but never having gone through an A&S evaluation, I couldn't contribute much. It was a good learning experience though. We watched some of the fencing competition and then walked over to watch the archery and eat our lunch. This event is where the annual position of DragonBlinder is decided and the speed round in particular was just nasty! After that I did an A&S course on Kumihimo (Japanese cord weaving), because I don't already have enough crafting stuff. But it is very period and potentially useful for a lot of things. At 2 pm, we took a shift at Troll, which is basically registration and information. By that point, most everyone who was coming had arrived, so we had a quiet few hours and then helped pack it all up. That was done in time to see the end of the heavy fighting and those folks are officially crazy - I swear I thought I'd get bruised just watching them. It was interrupted by a prairie thunderstorm rolling through - I think they'd have fought in just rain, but it was wisely decided that armor + long metal weapons + lightening = bad idea. It cleared up after in less than an hour and then they got to finish up in the mud. How authentic!
Then it was almost time for dinner. We are still in our Whole30, so we took the steaks and brought our own veg and salad. And skipped the berries with whipped cream. :( They were big, yummy steaks though! Fire makes it good.
After dinner it was time for court and I'm glad we stayed. I don't know if court usually runs for an hour and a half, but it was mostly entertaining. They announced the winners of the fight competitions and each of them gets to hold a particular position for the year. The archery winner is the DragonBlinder and Morrigan won! They also gave out various honours, like Gold Link which is basically for support work. They'd also created two new honours and invested inaugural holders. One for ambassadorial style work to other areas and one for kids who are getting involved in activities on their own behalf (not just following their parents around) and there was a lot of laughter and tears when those were presented. There's an "award" for punning and practical jokes, that I think Stuart and I both have our eyes on. All the folks who were there for their first event got a set of linen napkins.
But there was one award that will make this event always a favourite in my mind. Dalton (Morrigan's sweetie) came up and explained that every year, the CAC donates a bow to be given away. He watches the archers throughout the year and there was one archer who'd been coming up for about four months and working hard. This person had been waiting to get their own bow because the one they wanted was back ordered. This person had even come to their first event and volunteered at Troll! At this point, I was thinking, "Wow, kinda sounds like me. Nah... it couldn't be." Then he pulled the cover off of the bow he was holding and said, "So, I'd like to call over lady Fionna." I'm surprised I didn't faint. I got a big hug and he said that he'd make me a set of arrows, before I got to take the bow. Wow! What a surprise. What an honour. What a responsibility! I took it back to where Stuart was standing and I was vibrating. I will freely admit that I basically cuddled it for the rest of the evening. I think I like the look of it even better than the one I was originally waiting for!
If I possibly can, I want to try and get my quiver and bracer made before the next event - although I also have to make a cover for the trailer, some more clothes and god know what else! It was also a good trial run for an event, since we were only there for the day. We got a better feel for how things run, what kind of non-period stuff is considered acceptable and things to bring that we mightn't have thought of ourselves.
Definitely a success!
It took place just on the edge of the city, so although there was a camping option, we decided to day trip. Probably just as well, since I was up late the night before, finishing our bog coats and a good thing too, since the day had some chilly temperatures and a thunderstorm!
We arrived on site around 9:30 am with Ursa on leash and wondered around a bit getting our bearings. Which didn't take long, as it isn't a huge site. We found Morrigan and Dalton and got the tour of their tent. It's actually a US revolution replication, but hey, a white canvas box on a wooden frame is pretty timeless! LOL I think Stuart and I will look for something similar next summer, since it's getting time to replace our car camping tent anyway. After several seasons of use, it's starting to show the wear and isn't big enough for both of us and two giant dogs.
I sat and listened to the discussion around the Arts & Sciences round robin set-up, but never having gone through an A&S evaluation, I couldn't contribute much. It was a good learning experience though. We watched some of the fencing competition and then walked over to watch the archery and eat our lunch. This event is where the annual position of DragonBlinder is decided and the speed round in particular was just nasty! After that I did an A&S course on Kumihimo (Japanese cord weaving), because I don't already have enough crafting stuff. But it is very period and potentially useful for a lot of things. At 2 pm, we took a shift at Troll, which is basically registration and information. By that point, most everyone who was coming had arrived, so we had a quiet few hours and then helped pack it all up. That was done in time to see the end of the heavy fighting and those folks are officially crazy - I swear I thought I'd get bruised just watching them. It was interrupted by a prairie thunderstorm rolling through - I think they'd have fought in just rain, but it was wisely decided that armor + long metal weapons + lightening = bad idea. It cleared up after in less than an hour and then they got to finish up in the mud. How authentic!
Then it was almost time for dinner. We are still in our Whole30, so we took the steaks and brought our own veg and salad. And skipped the berries with whipped cream. :( They were big, yummy steaks though! Fire makes it good.
After dinner it was time for court and I'm glad we stayed. I don't know if court usually runs for an hour and a half, but it was mostly entertaining. They announced the winners of the fight competitions and each of them gets to hold a particular position for the year. The archery winner is the DragonBlinder and Morrigan won! They also gave out various honours, like Gold Link which is basically for support work. They'd also created two new honours and invested inaugural holders. One for ambassadorial style work to other areas and one for kids who are getting involved in activities on their own behalf (not just following their parents around) and there was a lot of laughter and tears when those were presented. There's an "award" for punning and practical jokes, that I think Stuart and I both have our eyes on. All the folks who were there for their first event got a set of linen napkins.
But there was one award that will make this event always a favourite in my mind. Dalton (Morrigan's sweetie) came up and explained that every year, the CAC donates a bow to be given away. He watches the archers throughout the year and there was one archer who'd been coming up for about four months and working hard. This person had been waiting to get their own bow because the one they wanted was back ordered. This person had even come to their first event and volunteered at Troll! At this point, I was thinking, "Wow, kinda sounds like me. Nah... it couldn't be." Then he pulled the cover off of the bow he was holding and said, "So, I'd like to call over lady Fionna." I'm surprised I didn't faint. I got a big hug and he said that he'd make me a set of arrows, before I got to take the bow. Wow! What a surprise. What an honour. What a responsibility! I took it back to where Stuart was standing and I was vibrating. I will freely admit that I basically cuddled it for the rest of the evening. I think I like the look of it even better than the one I was originally waiting for!
If I possibly can, I want to try and get my quiver and bracer made before the next event - although I also have to make a cover for the trailer, some more clothes and god know what else! It was also a good trial run for an event, since we were only there for the day. We got a better feel for how things run, what kind of non-period stuff is considered acceptable and things to bring that we mightn't have thought of ourselves.
Definitely a success!
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