It's taken me a while to write about this event and my busy summer.  We made a last minute decision to go to this event, but I'm so glad we did.  This yearly war is a friendly competition between the five baronies in our kingdom, and this year it was Settlers of Katan themed.  Baronies had to compete for resources which they could trade for settlements, cities, armies, etc. just like the game.  One of the competitions was an A&S challenge, where teams had to assemble entries for each of the resources in Katan (wool, grain, stone, clay, and ore).  As the competition got closer, it became apparent that our barony might not have any entries, so in came the Cavalry of the Sword and Horse!  While we didn't win, we performed honorably, and my project, a loaf of bread made with ale barm (yeast) and spent grains, and baked to replicate wood-fired oven conditions, took best in category.  I was extremely proud, since just about every team submitted a loaf of bread for grain.  I'll post the documentation for the bread as a separate entry.  I'm very proud of it, and proud that the whole loaf was devoured before the end of the event, unlike many of the other dry, dense, crumbly loaves there.

I also enjoyed competing (poorly) in the thrown weapons competition.  I really need to get/make some of my own axes, knives, and javelins to practice with.  I particularly liked one javelin with a long bamboo shaft, and was just getting the hang of it when the competition ended.  

Our barony wound up taking third place overall, but it was mostly just a nice relaxing event.  We didn't bother with the whole period tent and furniture setup, which made it even easier.  I also really enjoyed the class on Viking postaments taught by HL Tabitha de Luna.  Here's a photo of her, HM Clare, and myself in our unintentionally matchy outfits.

​Photo: Arlen Donald

Phew.  I'm at a bit of a loss about what to say when it comes to Raptor War.  My husband and I co-stewarded this event, and it was such a whirlwind that I don't really know where to begin.

The site we had originally chosen was booked sight unseen because there was too much snow on the road to go investigate.  I turned out to be not at all what we needed when we were finally able to get out and see it, and thus began a last minute struggle to find a new location.  We found a new site less than two weeks before the event, thanks to a suggestion from a friend and the site just happening to be free the weekend we needed it (thanks to road construction on the way there).  

The event was themed War Games, and focused on period games and sports.  Our site tokens were gold colored coins from Oriental Trading Company distributed in silk organza bags.  Attendees were encouraged to engage in the very period practice of gambling to amass the greatest fortune possible.  There were classes on the peer-like qualities and translating them into everyday life, period embroidery, and making period shoes.  We had a Laurels' Display event where the attending laurels could show off their arts, our baronial thrown weapons and archery competitions, rapier and heavy fighting, a bardic, a fundraiser dinner, a potluck,, oh, and a baronial investiture.

Attendance was a bit smaller than expected, but I was very proud that every event ran on time, save the childrens' armored combat, which we delayed so that more kids could arrive to participate.  I had time to shoot in the archery championship and participate in the thrown weapons championship.  I was honored to be awarded with the Terpsichore's Moufle award (a barony-level arts and sciences award) by the outgoing Baron and Baroness, and a S.P.U.D. (Service Performed Under Duress) by the incoming Baron and Baroness.  My husband and I were given some lovely largess by both sets of Excellencies as well as by the King and Queen, and honestly, all the notice really blew me away.  We just wanted to have fun, and wanted to run the kind of event we like to go to.

The best reward of all was seeing how much fun everyone had, but there were some other really magical moments.  It was a beautiful site, and really, a pretty good time.  That said, it was a lot to juggle, and with all the craziness. bugs, inevitable injuries, etc. we're still sort of recovering from an overabundance of fun.  Here are a few photos.

Enjoying the lovely scent of freshly broken arrows with Their Majesties and some fellow ladies in waiting  Photo: Illora of the West Lea

My husband and I being honored with the Terpsichore's Mouffle (he got one too!).  The tokens were tied on ribbons, and the knot slipped out of mine and it disappeared somewhere. :(  They were specially bought by friends of ours while at Avacal, so I was really bummed.  Photo: LaJohnna Honey

Our household held their inagural male belly dance competition.  here's my other half cutting a rug around the campfire while I cheer him on.  He won, the stinker. ;)  Just to my right is a couple who rented another part of the site for the day to get married.  He has played in the SCA in the past, and after the wedding they came over to say  hello and join the fun.  I hope they enjoyed the show.  We exchanged info with them and hopefully we'll see them at another event soon.  Photo: Illora of the West Lea

Our barony recently held an event called Barmaids, a Knight at the Tavern, with pub/tavern themed activites, as well as our polling for a new Baron and Baroness.  There were dice games, barroom brawls for both rapier and heavy fighters, thrown weapons competitions (all based around dueling after a night at the pub, of course), and a feast to raise funds for the Arn Hold Brewers' Guild, which is headed by my husband.  New heavy and rapier champions for the barony were also selected.

I was particularly proud of the feast we prepared.  My husband made bratwurst soaked in homebrewed beer and grilled, and I made sauerkraut in a variety of flavors, and rolls made with spent grain from the brewing process.  There was also homemade soda (both root beer and cream soda), and salad.  We sold out, and the food seemed to go over very well.

Congratulations to our incoming Baron and Baroness, Balenor and Teaghan, who will do a great job, and to our new champions.  To close, here's a couple shots of my first time participating in thrown weapons, and one of my sisters and I, who both wore red dresses that day.

Photos: Arlen Donald