Group Origins was Re: SCA near Rice

[Mike Baker]

>>Sir Burke Kyriell MacDonald wrote:
>>>Mooneshadowe was started by a group of gamers.  Master William Blackfox
>>>came to OSU to attend a wargaming con in full SCA garb (he was of
>>>course there to play Kingmaker!!).  Later in spring of 79 a group
>>>attended the first Aten-Middle war.

Ansteorra-Middle, *not* Aten-Middle. Or so it was presented to me at the 
time. In historical references now often referred to as "Queen Willow's 
War".

Note also that we who attended the war had visited at least one fighter 
practice in Nord aus das Strom (now Northkeep) before reaching the war site.

I walked a security shift for the first time at that event, and first 
performed as a "bard" in the SCA sense, and became extremely enamored of the 
whole concept of "the Dream".

Of the original founders of Moonshadow, Sebastian Alagard (Leroy Ussery) had 
connected to the SCA through Alanna of Caer du Pard _separately_ from the 
group of gamers fostered by William, and was _also_ present at that War.

>>>The group got started officailly that summer.  Of the original people
>>>at OSU in 79 only 4 are still active.  Lord Amra in Steppes, Master
>>>Tarl in Namron, Lord Valadonis in the west i think, and myself.  The
>>>other 10 or so people have dropped out over the years.
>>H.L. Estrill Swet wrote:
>>Sir Burke, I must take great exception to that last statement of yours.
>>As you should know full well, my husband, Lord Haldane Sparhawke, was
>>one of the *original* members of Mooneschadowe that went to the war. He
>>is still active & still in Mooneschadowe!
>>While Master Tarl has been in the SCA a long time, he is not one of the
>>founding members of Mooneschadowe

As noted to Burke in private mail, my records (including my original 
cardfile) and early populace listings are at home.  I'll check at least the 
cardfile tonight.
Burke was indeed mistaken in the omission of Haldane / substitution of Tarl. 
I certainly won't hold it against him. I shudder to think how many people I 
have forgotten who only appeared for a brief stay in our midst, and even 
some who travelled with us for a while.

(Estrill, in case you have not yet heard -- Haldane passed at Laurel.)

Burke also omitted Rory MacLeod from the list of "still active". At last 
report, he was still participating in Northkeep on a local-only basis. (I 
chastised Burke "in private" over that omit.)

As a "Hall of Honor" notation, I am aware of at least three early 
participants in Moonschadowe / Mona Sceaduwe who have now passed into the 
next existence: Malika of Maubla, Dorina (mundanely my second cousin), and 
David (the brother of Isolde Dion Euves d'Argent). Are there others that I 
have lost contact with that are in need of special memory?

Kihe Blackeagle (the Dreamsinger Bard)  s.k.a. Amr ibn Majid al-Bakri 
al-Amra
     currently residing in Barony of the Steppes, Kingdom of Ansteorra

(but forever a resident in my heart of Moonshadow, Land of the Crying Winds:
Amra M'Chib Bakerian, founding pursuivant of Moonshadow)

Mike C. Baker                      mbaker at rapp.com
Any opinions expressed are obviously my own unless explicitly stated 
otherwise!