[MR] Warriors' Games: A Coda

[E. L. Wimett]

Our staff has showered, slept, cooled down, recharged our brains and --- in
one case at least --- run away from home for a couple of days to celebrate a
35th anniversary.  Vehicles have been emptied, urgent real world issues
addressed and faraway friends assured of our continued survival.  Therefore,
it is time for the traditional post-event communication from the autocrat.

When we pinned the latest Warriors' Games to the kingdom calendar all those
months ago we never suspected that in person events would have been totally
in abeyance for so long.  We expected the challenges to be the usual minor
ones for a small local event that has been going on for nearly four decades.
As it turned out, the Games would be the first in person event in some
sixteen months for most of those attending and planning had to work around
several different sets of COVID restrictions that seemed almost to change
before you finished reading them.  But throughout our goal was to hold an
event that not only maintained Shore traditions but also enabled fun for
both young and old, eased the way back to in person interaction for those
whose Society life had been limited to Zoom for so long and perhaps even
facilitated the odd hug or two.  After so long the first "real event" would
run the real risk of being a disappointment and we planned everything we
could to avoid that.  I'll leave it up to those who attended to judge how
well we succeeded.

But all that planning would have been to no avail had it not been for those
who supported the event in so many different ways:

Their Majesties Eckehard and Jane who not only trusted us to host Their
first event following Coronation but also entered enthusiastically into the
Games Themselves with power and grace

Their Excellencies Robert and Bridget finally after fifteen months as Baron
and Baroness of Hidden Mountain got to greet their populace and hold court
in person in their oldest canton

Adendra Marland, not only my deputy autocrat but also the once and future
Mistress of the Games, who unerringly and unflaggingly ran every Game in the
best manner possible for each participant, ably assisted by Brigit of Dair
Eidand, Diana of Dair Eidand, Erik Norton of Helsfjord and a host of walk on
judges

Geoffrey d'Ayr of Montalban ("Bish") who manned troll for hours and hours
without relief (his relief --- me--- succumbed to the heat at the point when
I was to take over for a while) but found second wind enough to perform a
classic bit of schtick involving rubber ducks while we were still all on the
field

Esme Bramley who not only ran the A & S display (and provided one of its
highlights!) but also spearheaded the on the field Fiber Solar throughout
the day

Finally, special thanks to all those who stepped in to "fill in the blanks"
when some of us were at less than  physical or mental capacity thanks to the
head by helping to set up tents at the beginning of the day, later to set up
court and then clean the hall, break down everyone's tentage and possessions
from the field and load them into vehicles, etc.; I found I only needed to
ask or point to something to have it almost magically done and for some of
those who worked so hard I was too fuzzy to recall names even of those who
were not newcomers or far travellers, though some were very familiar:
Seiffrid Wolfhart, Pippin the Red, Detlev, Ingvar Erlingsson, and literally
a cast of dozens

tl;dr We enjoyed having you all.  We hope you enjoyed being had.  See you
all again next July to do it again!

Alisoun