jamesq | The Trial of the (Fourteenth) Century

I still have some of my back pills in the house, so that and two beers and I'll soon not care what my back feels like. My hands are numb and the ability to spell is alluding me. This might not be my most coherent narrative ever.

Last Thursday was Montengarde Tavern. It was a very silly tavern. First, there was the Beothuk's trial. Specifically his trial for being almost causing a fiery apocalypse.

Originally, Wilma wanted the whole thing mentioned in the Monthly council minutes. I decided that it would be a lot funnier (and make great theatre) if we were to wait a day and have it at council.

I told both Beothuk (defendent) and Wilma (complainant)to gather their "legal teams". I also nabbed

garething to act as bailiff.

thekillerb69 was council for the defense and Missy Morgan was the council for the prosecution. Fawder Yid and Ellias Silver were "expert" witnesses. Francisco rounded things out by being on the defense team during the beginning of the trial and being press-ganged into working for the prosecution by the end.

There were accusations of witchcraft, evidence was fabricated and denounced, the Chewbacca defense was invoked and it all hinged on the Beothuk saving us all from a giant bear (surreptitiously drawn onto one of the prints). The folks at the tavern got to vote by hollering their yea's or nay's. By volume "not guilty" prevailed against "guilty". Naturally as the judge, I declared Beothuk guilty (or rather "guilty Guilty GUILTY").

His sentence? He can't light fires unsupervised (this includes his cigarettes, though I suspect that punishment will be ignored when convenient) for a year and he has to teach a course on fire safety during Quad War.

I'm not going to try and recount the humour here, except to say that it was all rip-roaringly funny. You literally had to be there to appreciate it. What made it fun was the fact that everyone who participated had a good idea about improvisational ha-ha making (you can see the level of articulation that drinking has given me tonight) and was a good sport about it - especially the two "sides" Beothuk and Wilma.

Later was the third annual Minotaur's Ninny competition. First year was tacky garb (I won for the insanity kilt). Year two was Silly Weapons (Sæþryþ of Fauentrei won for her "fart bomb").

This year the competition was "silly bardic". Lots of people had their moment in the sun (I only hope that my dragging out the insanity kilt for the occasion didn't steal anyone's thunder).

hislittlekitty won for her song (something about godly appearances in her noodles). The duties of the Minotaur's Ninny are pretty easy - add to the "regalia" and hold a competition next year.

The "point" of the Golden Ninny is to show that you don't have to be serious all the time. We forget that sometimes (well I don't, but then I'm well known for not taking aspects of the society seriously). I've said it before and I'll say it again - be as passionate about the dream as you want, but let other people do there thing too as long as it doesn't break your arm or pick your pocket.