Fun Times Without Adult Supervision

[jamesq]

Silver Arrow - one of Bitter End's events - was this weekend. It was a blast. Most fun I've had at an SCA event in some time. It was not without some typical SCA drama, but sometimes the drama resolves itself into a better event.

As archery was scheduled to start at 1 p.m., I was in a wonderful position to sleep in for a change (usually archery is the first activity, so archers are well used to getting up before the dawn to drive several hours to shoot at targets in remote locations while fueled by noxious caffeinated beverages). conejita_diabla and I left around 10:30 am and made it up to the site around noon.

The hall is a few Km outside Red Deer and it's one of Bitter End's "go to" places for events. It is not without it's own problems, being rural. For example, there was no running water on site until 2 p.m. Saturday. This forced them to rent two biffys.

Red Deer's weather mirrored Calgary's this weekend. Saturday at dawn saw slight subzero temperatures and 10 cm of snow. Then the temperature climbed to about ten, which reduced the snow to mush, then water, then damp ground, then dust.

All of the martial activities (Armoured combat, Rapier combat, Archery) took place outside. The fight erics (sp?) were cleared of snow beforehand.

Here's where the first bit of drama occurred. The Prince was down for the event. Short second-hand version: He told the organizers to move the heavy combat inside (because the weather was a little damp and chilly) and tried to push his weight around to get his way. When they told him "no" he went home along with his friends.

It was a huge snub to the hard-working people of Bitter End and it soon got around to everyone there. I don't think I heard a single person side with the prince. But then, all of his supporters went home early.

And you know what the response to this snub was? I think everyone had a better time. Nobody had to put up with a uniquely unpopular royal. Court was a lot of fun since it's obvious that he hates court and the remaining royals are pretty entertaining.

I didn't pay a lot of attention to the armoured or rapier combat (for now. I'm getting some heavy pressure to put on armour and come out swinging). Archery is my thing, sadly I shot like ass. On the bright side, I remembered the hell I went through last year - I almost had both my feet freeze rock solid from the wet ground and cold temperatures. This event had less snow and higher temperatures so it wasn't as bad as last year. However I still knew that it would be chilly and damp, so on the way out of Calgary, I bought some rubber boots. They're not very period, but sometimes you have to make allowances for comfort and safety.


I'm dead sexy in my kilt and gumboots (but damn I've put on a lot of weight)!

There were 25 archers, making it the biggest of the three activities, but then this is one of Avacal's two big "archery" event (the other is Dragonslayer/Hidden Treasures (and you should all attend, garething is organizing it this year).

I bowed out of shooting after the tournament was over, not because of in-climate weather (it was fucking awesome out) but because my calves and lower back were killing me after standing out on the range for three hours. Lots of others stayed outside for another couple of hours to shoot royal rounds. This also added to the numerous fighters doing practice fights after their own tournaments were finished.

So much for the awful weather - no one was in a hurry to get inside. But then, we're all Canadians in the real world and 10C temperatures after a bitterly cold spring snow storm is seen as a gift from the gods. Take advantage of it while you can.

I convinced mommaquilter to follow me to my hotel and drive me back so that I could do some drinking. We got back just as the feast was starting. Beothuk and Wilma, seeing that they would otherwise be all alone at the head table during the feast, graciously invited all the present Seneschals to join them, along with their escorts. Thus I (Seneschal of Montengarde) and conejita_diabla went up, along with Kintair (S of Borealis) and his lady and Stragen (S of Bitter End) and his lady.

It was the first time i've ever been at head table. Given the unlikeliness of me ever winning a armoured tournament and the long odds for me winning the popularity contest required to be a Baron, I consider it a truly singular event. It was fun being served.

The feast was fantastic. Between it and the Smirnoff Ice (5x) I drank, I think I blew every WW bonus point I had for the week. If I can still lose weight this week, I'll count it was being worth it. Time (and numerous runs) will tell.

After feast was court. As I mentioned before, the only royals in attendance were Beothuk and Wilma. Wilma in particular was in fine form as there was noone there to restrain her, so she was at her most ADHD entertaining. They couldn't give out any official awards (because Bitter End is not Montengarde), but they could officiate over assorted prizes and not-awards, like the tokens that are given to event stewards and such.

They also presented a treaty that was found defining the boundaries between Montengarde and Bitter End that was signed back when rocks were hot and runny by Baron Ross (the first Baron of Montengarde).

After court the socializing began. Also, a bardic circle began (the Bardic-Q! so-named because it was beside a giant barbecue - the County of Red Deer decided that 10 cm of melting snow on the ground made the region a fire hazard, so we couldn't use a fire pit. It was one of the most entertaining bardic circles I've seen in quite awhile.

When there was no singing going on there was gossiping. Seems that a lot of people view the Prince's snub as a near-last straw. I expect the fallout from this event to last a long time. There was open talk of revolt (though, being that we just play-act being a medieval society, rather then being an actual medieval society, I'm not sure how we could actually accomplish that). Couple this to the loss of one shire (with rumours of another soon to follow) we're seeing huge signs of dissatisfaction with the ruling elite.

I'm making it sound like this event was a downer and it really wasn't. Aside from some bitching about the Prince, everyone had a fun time pursuing their pet activities, socializing with old friends, singing, dancing, feasting and generally being happy to escape the modern world for a little while, which really is the point after all.

Comments

[oblivions.livejournal.com]

I'm trying to look surprised. Nope... not working. Next I going try to look unhappy about the snub. Damn! That's not working either! Shoot, guess I'll have to just smirk real lots like. Makes me sad I had to miss it. Funny, this behavior mirrors a conversation I was having at Tavern last week.

Glad you had fun! Love the pic... though it would have been great to those galoshes edged in fur! Hot!

[ya-inga.livejournal.com]

I am sorry to hear Vik and I missed such a fun event. We've both been so sick and he worked out of town all last week and in the end made the call to stay home and relax.

Sorry to hear there was foo.

[ya-inga.livejournal.com]

Curious, since when is Windwyrm not a Shire? Just curious since I was planning to go to their May Days next month.

[jamesq]

May Days is still occurring, it's just not going to be an official SCA event. As to when it happened, they sent in a formal letter dissolving the shire to the BOD about a week ago.

[ya-inga.livejournal.com]

Well I am glad the event it happening cause it's usually a great time.

Who is the they that sent the letter? I am just curious.

[jamesq]

"they" is the Lethbridge Medieval Club (Windwyrm's modern arm), which voted to remove itself from the SCA. The person I was talking to voted against removal, but is going along with the wishes of the majority.

[ya-inga.livejournal.com]

Hmmm. Well that IS interesting. So I am curious. How is this choice the fault of the ruling elite? I am not following.

*BTW James not all Royals are the same - it makes me kind of twitchy to be lumped all together....just saying...

Some of my best friends are royals.

[jamesq]

I'm not privy to Windwyrm/Avacal relations, I only know what I see and hear. When was the last time TH held a court in Windwyrm? I believe it was Murchad and Morrigan. When was the last time a Viking didn't hold the throne? Murchad and Morrigan again. Perhaps they thought the new boss was the same as the old boss.

I'm willing to be corrected on this - it's not like I've been to a lot of Windwyrm events either (last May Days was the only one I've attended).

As for "Ruling Elite", I did not use the term lightly. The impression amongst the hoi polloi is that a core group of knights is "protecting" the Coronet from undesirables. If you're not one of the cool kids you simply won't be allowed to win. And no, I don't think you'd personally condone that.

Re: Some of my best friends are royals.

[ya-inga.livejournal.com]

"When was the last time a Viking didn't hold the throne?"

ummmmmmm... what does a persons persona have to do with things? And Gemma isn't Viking nor is Ifatahyo nor is Shunzei and technically Kvigr and Linnet are Rus not Viking. But I don't see how persona is relevant...

"The impression amongst the hoi polloi is that a core group of knights is "protecting" the Coronet from undesirables. If you're not one of the cool kids you simply won't be allowed to win."

That simply makes no sense. Winning is about skill - period. Anyone can win IF they have the skill - it's no different than any of the Championships. If you don't have skill to win you don't win - it's pretty simple. No one is allowed or not allowed to win - they have to earn it like any other tourney. And there are quite a few non-knights who are so close to winning Cornet - and many of our past Princes haven't been knights - Einar and Steinn weren't their first reigns, Kvigr wasn't for either of his, plus going back a bit Angar, Eric, Shamus - non-knights win it all the time. As a fighter I don't want to win Coronet because none of the knights fought that day. I want to be the best not just the best that day.

I am curious, who is not being "allowed" to win that has the will and desire?

Cause let me tell you when I win Coronet - and I WILL - I want it to be because I earned it not cause someone LET me win.

Hey me too

[ya-inga.livejournal.com]

"And no, I don't think you'd personally condone that."

Thank you for saying so dear : )

[laughingmagpie.livejournal.com]

Hey! A picture of you! Has that happened before on this blog? I don't remember it if so. Awesome!

Love the Apple sticker on your bow :-)

[ladyerwyn.livejournal.com]

Looking good! looking good! Love the pic!

Re: Some of my best friends are royals.

[jamesq]

I'm going to respond to this in email.

[jamesq]

It's a rare, but not unheard of experience.

Are you back from Paris?

[jamesq]

Thanks.

Re: Some of my best friends are royals.

[manyra.livejournal.com]

Gemma was at last year's May Days as princess. I'm trying ti remember but I think something happened that prevented her from holding court.

Re: Some of my best friends are royals.

[jamesq]

You're in a far better position then I to address Avacal/Windwyrm relations.

Re: Some of my best friends are royals.

[conejita-diabla.livejournal.com]

My apologies, as I know this was taken into email. However, one thing I did want to point out...

"Winning is about skill - period. Anyone can win IF they have the skill - it's no different than any of the Championships. If you don't have skill to win you don't win - it's pretty simple."

In Archery, yes, this is the case. There are points, and you get them or you don't. However, in all other Championships, there is an element of subjectivity. And this is where the grey area comes in. Whether or not that subjectivity has ever come into play or not is only one issue, and arguably the less important one. What I find disturbing is that there is the perception that things aren't fair, and people are lacking confidence in the process because of it.

I have heard from many, many people "X person will never be allowed to be Prince." Flat out. With various people in the place of "X". And it has never *once* been any of those X people or anyone close to them saying this. In fact, the people mentioned have been pretty much exclusively the type who would never complain that they are getting the short end of the stick, so to speak.

So where is this perception coming from? What can be done to heal it? To me, those are the most important questions.

Re: Some of my best friends are royals.

[ya-inga.livejournal.com]

Agreed cause this is all perception cause as someon who fights and has been part of a couple that wins no one controls who wins. Folks might have their wishe lists but no one controls it. No one is allowed or not allowed to win.

I'd love to know who is percieved as having had the skill to win but was blocked because as a heavy combattant, I cannot think of anyone who had the skills to win who did not because of rhinoing. Honestly.

That and I'd like to add that having travelled extensively, Avacal has the cleanest lists I have EVER seen. Try watching a An Tir Crown event or worse go to the Kingdom of the West where there are some folks who it is said you'd have to shoot to get them to die.

Avacal? Has very clean lists - seriously. VERY clean. But any system wherein it is on the combattants honour is imperfect.

The real trouble here is that people are calling the fight from the sidelines. You cannot judge a fight from the sidelines - you really cannot. I've seen shots that looked good and both people honestly said no it was this or that and I've seen shots that looked like crap that people took. You don't know unless you are in the helmet.

"And it has never *once* been any of those X people or anyone close to them saying this. "

Which PROVES my point about calling the fight. You all may very well be thinking X has been cheated when if fact that fighter says nothign becvause they know they have not.

"In fact, the people mentioned have been pretty much exclusively the type who would never complain that they are getting the short end of the stick, so to speak."

Is it not them possible that they don't complain because they HAVEN'T gotten the short end?

Even as a fighter these things are hard to call. Seriously. A helm can ring like a bell and it be a glancing blow that niether person would want taken. You simply don't know unless you are in the helmet or throwing the blow.

Re: Some of my best friends are royals.

[conejita-diabla.livejournal.com]

"The real trouble here is that people are calling the fight from the sidelines."

True. But I wonder if that's all there is to it, or if there's an underlying dissatisfaction that causes people to start thinking this way in the first place? And either way, what can we do about it? I'd wager that stories like what I heard this weekend (showed up just after it all happened) aren't helping. If people feel that those in power are in those positions because they have the best interests of the populace at heart, and that they'll always be there to serve and back their populace, then I'd think that people would be less eager to find fault with the process that determines that power. (If that makes any sense...)

Mind you, I'm not saying stories should be swept under the rug, either. That just causes its own special brand of badness. We need to talk about these things openly, and figure out the problem, and fix it. Because we have too good a thing going to let it get screwed up like this.

Re: Some of my best friends are royals.

[ya-inga.livejournal.com]

Completely agreed! Open discourse is the best path. Rumor mongering and gossip fixes nothing.

AS I understand it, there were issues on both sides of the equation this weekend and it could have been much better handled all round. As with most things there are more than one side to the story.

The other trouble is that it is impossible to please everyone. The best - as Prince and Princess - that you can do is to try and find the solution that makes things as best you can but there will always be someone who disagrees. The hard part is that as P&P you have to balance the demands of so many people plus law plus kingdom. I know Vik and I always tried to do the best we could for Avacal and put our personal wants last but that doesn't mean it's going to work either. It is a hard hard job where most of the work is between events and your time is never really your own.

I wish people had more faith in their Coronets cause while not everyone excels at this role, everyone I know has gone into it with the best of intentions.

Re: Some of my best friends are royals.

[conejita-diabla.livejournal.com]

If I may ask, what were the issues on the other side? Since we're having open discourse and all. ;-)

Re: Some of my best friends are royals.

[ya-inga.livejournal.com]

I was not there so I may be wrong but the issue was that when the Prince asked if we could fight indoors instead - which is not beyond his right - really anyone's right to enquire - he was essentially told to go stuff it. Not told - we're not permitted - or it will invalidate our rental thingy - just no it's not convenient. He even offered to have the lads do all the grunt work of moving things and putting them back. A lot of the lads have been very ill with winter and weren't keen on fighting on the cold damp ground. I know I would not have been able to fight outside having just gotten over bronchitis. Now how he reacted to being told to stuff it may not have been what I'd call "well". I can't comment on how appropriate his response was - I was not there but from what I have heard, it could have been handled better on both sides.

I also think that a note in the event copy saying that we were fighting outside regardless of the weather would have solved a lot of the trouble too since many of the lads wouldn't have come in the first place then. Everyone got sick after Winter War and is just over it.

I wasn't there and my info may be flawed but it sounds to me like this all could have been avoided.

Re: Some of my best friends are royals.

[conejita-diabla.livejournal.com]

A note perhaps would have been useful, and I will make sure to do this for Beltaine. I think it was perceived as not needed, as fighting at Silver Arrow has always (with the exception of one year out of 26, and I'm told it was considered a mistake because it really curtailed the fighting) been outdoors. Same for Beltaine, but I will take note of this and post a note about it in my reminders.

Now, how I heard it sounded much more like it was demanded as a decree from on high, as opposed to requested by a fighter like any other. Obviously, again, we can't guess as to motivation. But if it came across as entitlement, that's a communication issue, regardless of whether it was intended as such.

Also, to use this specific issue to address the larger question...The fighting has always been outside. It was outside last year, and I did not hear any complaints about safety or anything from the fighters, and neither did the organizers to my knowledge. This year, the conditions were actually markedly *better* than last year (warmer, *much* drier eric - they worked their butt off clearing it, and it didn't snow after they cleared it, unlike last year). So, a fighter comes and asks (let's assume a polite request) that the fighting be moved. A major change, which not only causes a lot of work (they offered to move things, but what about cleaning the floor? Or the many other potential conflicts provided by such a major last minute change), but basically says they didn't work hard enough to provide safe conditions and throws all their work in their faces. Should the autocrats have to provide what the fighter deems a legitimate explanation if they deny this request? If it were me running that event, being presented with that in the middle of the event I'm trying to coordinate, I don't know that I'd feel the need to have a better reason than "not wanting to". If the conditions were unsafe, then that's different. But they were safe for healthy fighters, and I think that's really as far as an autocrat can be expected to provide. But that's just my opinion off the top of my head, and if the expectations are different, then that's something I'd love to know now, before the day of my event, so I can deal with things appropriately.

[snooness2]

I was going to post something it was long.... the short version is...
Yep, that happens. I'm not surprised. I don't think it's ever intentional or well thought through when it happens.
Every one on the royal seat is complained about. Lots, by different groups. It depends on your politics.

Besides without bad guys we wouldn't appreciate the good guys.

I know you are wrong about the 'vikings' on the throne comment - there are valid reasons you aren't seeing some of the royal pairs often... boils down to geography.

Email me if you want the long post.