The Plan

[Baker, Mike]

Estrill, in her wisdom and in keeping with her position, reminds us yet 
again of "the Plan", but I fear that she left out a few notable recipients 
of the invisible tattoo.

Not everyone who receives the tattoo necessarily *lived* in Moonshadow in 
the past. A few people especially near and dear to our hearts were adopted 
gleefully regardless of their actual abode. (Some who even now are seen no 
more in the Laurel Kingdoms  continue to exert influences that affect the 
way the Moonschadeen live their lives.)

And before anyone should ask: no, there is no formal ceremony of adoption 
involved. Much like the cloth toy who becomes "real" in response to love, we 
have always acknowledged what occurs far more often than deliberately 
causing it. Frederick von Sternwald, Melissande Dragonstar, Bryan 
Dragonsword, and William Blackfox deserve more of the credit for founding 
Moonschadowe than I can readily account; Andreas Snowdragon did very nearly 
as much to insure the continued success of the SCA in that darkest 
wilderness of north-central Oklahoma. There were others I do not know so 
well or remember so vividly, or whose contributions were not so obvious.

They still became "ours".

We speak often in jest of "the plan". We do not jest so much when we 
Moonschadeen (bless whoever passed that identifier along to me, and the lady 
who coined it) claim any individual as "one of ours", particularly when they 
are of the quality of Diarmuit, or Tarl Godric "Brokentoe", or even that 
beloved but too-often-maligned-in-my-own-jests "great stuffy fool" Burke. 
(Hi, Burke: no offense please, using a historical example not a current 
belief!)

Diarmuit, I've kept silent on the direct question of how you choose to 
handle the award bestowed upon you. I could have said much (BELIEVE me, I 
could have), but I felt that most of what I need to say I should be staring 
you in the eyes to pass along. In friendship, I support your decision but 
questioned your approach. You have explained fairly and without rancor (at 
least in *my* eyes) your reasoning. I'd still like a go-round on the matter 
sometime, but I will not insist.

It was nice to think back upon "Friar" Peter's similar-yet-different 
response. Reminds me that I need to rag him about it the next time I see 
him...

Amr ibn Majid al-Bakri al-Amra
     currently residing in Barony of the Steppes, Kingdom of Ansteorra
Mike C. Baker                      mbaker at rapp.com
Any opinions expressed are obviously my own unless explicitly stated 
otherwise!