[MR] When Events Go Good... Really, Really Good...

[Scott Rule]

Greetings and Salutations!

On my way out the door this morning, I found my summer TI in my
mailbox. Glancing at the contents, Michael Cady's "Secrets of
Swordfighting" article looked like just the thing for my lunchbreak.
But I ended up reading Bruce R. Gordon's "When Events Go Bad...
Really, Really Bad..." article, twice.

I would just go on the record for the opposite side of the coin:
When Events Unexpectedly Go Right At The Last Minute.

Back in fall '88 or winter '89, somewhere in there, we were the
Jacksonville branch of the Shire of Cathanar. We called ourselves
"Dismal Fen". Kingdom didnt like the name, said it was derogatory,
disparaging. We said factual. Have you ever lived in Onslow County?
Its mostly swamp or ex-swamp the army corps of engineers had drained
in the 40's.

Onslow County was having an arts and crafts fair, but in Richlands
where the county museum is, not Jacksonville. We were going to do a
demo at the fair. We called it the "St. (something) Day's Demo", cant
remember which saint's day it was. Brigt Mong Rhuad and I were
co-autocrating it. It was in the Acorn and everythign. Someone in
Cathanar's relative had some land in the city and let us set up a
camp smack in the town, campfire and all. I remember the town's two
cops on duty sitting with us and telling their own campfire stories.

Sounds picturesque, eh?

Well, originally, Cathanar was letting us stretch our wings, do it on
our own. They were supplying minimal help, like a Marshal, and morale
support. But, the Marine Corps had other ideas. They decided certain
extended, last-minute training maneuvers required the attention of
almost all of Cathanar, especially their fighters and Marshal. So we
really were all on our own, no net, like it or not. We were about six
people wanting to do a demo in back-water NC. Most of us hadnt been
in the SCA but a year or less. We didnt have wow garb, or wow armor
or wow a&s displays. It wasnt looking good.

Not knowing what else to do, I placed a call to the Kingdom Earl
Marshal to beg and grovel for Marshals so the three remaining
fighters could wow the crowds. Or try to. The ink wasnt dry on our
authorization cards. The Earl Marshal then was Viscount Sir Wulfbrand
Lurkr. He promised we would have Marshals. Promised he would be there
himself, if need be.

Sir Wulfrand was there the friday night before, the only outsider at
the campfire. We had recieved no reservations, nothing, no hint that
anyone outside of Cathanar knew that we were ahving a demo. Wulfbrand
said that he'd called a few people and that they said they'ld be
there, but no guarantees. So it was midnight, 9 hours before the demo
with 2 cops, 6 or 7 "Fenners" and a Viscount. I was certain the demo
was doomed. The months of hoping and planning doomed.

Then there was thunder. Or so it seemed.

I was awoken just before 8am by a noise, a tumult, a roar of
activity. What did I see outside of my tent? In a word: Windmasters.
Half the frigging Barony or so it seemed. Without warning. We didnt
care. Out of nowhere, we had wow garb and wow armor and wow a&s
displays. We had lots of Marshals and Heralds for the tourney. We had
20 or so fighters to really wow the crowds.

On a personal note, late in the day, other duties dispensed, I
finally got a chance to fight a bit. By then, it was a bear-pit. Sir
Fern in her pretty plate armor was the center of it. I got to face
her three times before other duties called. I never saw her arm move.
But I really felt the need for more padding in my helm.

To this day, I am grateful to Viscount Sir Wulfbrand Lurkr and to the
people of the Barony of Windmasters Hill. What grew out of that
success became the incipient Stronghold of Raven's Cove in the summer
of 1989.

In Grate,
--berenger
Founding Senschal of the Stronghold of Raven's Cove



		
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