Did anyone go to the Northkeep Investiture

[J. Michael Shew]

	Greetings from a new Calontiri Lurker upon your list:
	May I offer the report I gave to the Calontir list about the
investiture?  It might give you a true Outsider's opinion of what
happened:

Greetings and salutations:
        Mikal the Ram has returned, unscathed
from the land of Ansteorra with tales galore!
Such frolic and feasting did he see!

        Having told myself a hundred times, Leave
Early..." We packed and made it out of town by
eight am on friday.  (a feat of marvel in MY
lifetime!)  After a short five hour drive, we
were put up in the local inn, (the Skylark, in
Cleveland, OK,) and Yours Truly decended upon
the site.  The event was held at the Will
Rodgers Boy Scout Camp.  I spent about three
hours helping the really serious folks set up
tents...(the ice storm hadn't hit by then...)
and sampling the early measures of hospitality
offered by the then Shire of Northkeep.
        The next morning, a court of incredible
length, (I think I timed it at three min!)
opened the event.  A quest/hunt took place in
which heavy fighters acted as hunters with
spears, hounds, an assorted animals, Non-
combatants acted as hazards, or as hunter's
companions, answering riddles, archers shot
golf tube at the beasts, targets, and nice
mylar baloons, and even (Yes, grit your
teeth,  Those of the 
heavy weapons must be used or I won't 
Play religion:) Light Weapons enthusiasts went along
to hunt "smaller" game.
        I joined the hunt as a non-combatant, but
was swiftly handed a longbow and tubes to
double as an archer.  My own record was
besmirched at the very onset of the hunt, as a
"skunk" squrited me with "silly string" and I
had to check in at ressurection just three
min. into the game!  It was really fun!!!
        After slaying wildly, (and having to
appologise to the King of Ansteorra for
"killing" one of the "deer" in the forest, we
returned to observe Norse Wrestling in a
double elim tourney style.  All this in the 43
degree weather, mind you!
        Games of all sorts were on hand, and in
the evening, durring a fine investiture court,
the People of Northkeep brought a royal
"tithe" that dwarfed anything I have seen in
any place!  The pile of tithe was fully 500
lbs!  Add to that the skills of Thorvald
Egilsson who brought enough beer and mead of
his own making to supply the party
afterwards...(is it a post revel if the event
just drifts into party mode?)  And the present
of 200 plus cigars handed out with the little
notes on the side reading "It's a Barony!"
        I have pledged to try to teach up there
at Winter Kingdom as a guesture of good will.
And I promised to try to deliver Mistress
Luciana on the same date.
        In return, a larger contingent than ever
will be comming to Lilies this year.  I hope
to pay the Ravenship myself to fight for the
side I favor.  (so get us a good scenario!  I
wanna own some fighters in this thang!)
        I know this has been a bit uneccisary,
but I haven't had this much fun in a while.
We should have as much fun!
	Oh, lest you think your agent has failed, their new excellencies
are Nice People!  We will get along nicely!
	I'll return the secret decoder ring later this week;
	Mikal the (Mead, shaken not stirred) Ram 
______________________________________________________________________________
	Mikal the Ram, an annoying bard with no redeeming qualities
	     (J. Michael Shew   jshewkc at cyclops.pei.edu)   
..............................................................................
       "Praise those who give, a guest has come
	And  say  where he will sit.
	He comes in haste, here to your hall
	To find a place by the fire"
        	The Hamaval