ANST - Ok, what else?

[D & K Arrington]

I'm sick of the discussion, so excuse me, while I summon the Asir to
ward the flames from me...

Ok, now that that's done, here's this:

What's next?  The Earl Marshall has spoken - "no modifications to
helms".  Thank you Sir.  Really!  HOWEVER, it would not be the first
time that modifications have been made to the heavy's armor
requirements, despite assorted and assembled cries, groans, and
collective screams.  Remember the hockey gloves?  Lack of vambraces?  I
sure do!  There are Dukes out there that wouldn't take you as a squire
if you were "too armored".  (NOTE for historians:  these guys are mostly
in wheelchairs now)

(NOTE for my epitaph:  I will regret that last statement, I'm sure)

What if we modify our helms so that no arrow, however randomly shot,
will penetrate our visors?  One step closer to the Imperial
Stormtrooper's helm?  Perhaps.  We consider doing this so we can safely
include combat archers on the field with heavy weapons fighters, right? 
Very period, don't you think?  After all, archers were prominent on the
battlefields of Agincourt and Crecy, amongst other places...

What's next?

You know, there probably was a time in medieval history where some BIG
oaf on a battlefield was swinging his BIG sword, and some guy with a
really thin pigsticker (rapier?) walked up, ran the oaf through the
Adam's apple, and walked away as the oaf lay dying.

Will we have Light Weapons fighters on the field with us soon?  Why
not?  I'm sure there was a time when both weapon styles found themselves
on the battlefield.  Would someone like to document this?  I'm
reasonably sure that, without having done hours and hours of research,
that one style of fighting did not suddenly QUIT ("Hey everybody, after
the Spring equinox, it's all going to FOILS!") in the middle of a year
and another suddenly STARTED.  This is ludicrous!

Hmmm...

Wow!  Talk about modifying your armor/weapons so that people don't get
injured.  Will heavy fighters be required to make their huge twohanders
out of open cell foam?  Will heavy fighters be required to wear 'thick
fur armor' at best, lest we fall upon a LWF and hurt them with
heavy-nasty-leatherandmetalstuff?  No, we can't require someone to
modify their weapon, just so others won't have the possibility of being
injured!  Or can we?

If we don't, someone might be injured.  And funny as the idea of "people
being injured on the list/battlefield" sounds, people ARE injured all
the time on the list field.  AND, it's simply a matter of time until the
right thrust, at the right angle, breaks someone's neck, or crushes
their sternum, or pops an artery and they die in 1.5 minutes because
there isn't a hospital within a 1.4 minute drive of the Gulf
Wars/Estrella/Crown Tournament/Wherever site.


How far do we REALLY want to take this?  If you want to die in bed, stay
there.  Really.  If you want to fight, be aware that EVERY time you step
on the field, against NO MATTER WHOM, something could go horribly wrong
and you could die.  Right there.  Really!

Jim Fixx died while running - it's what he loved to do.  He had a heart
condition that killed him, yet, he died doing what he loved to do. 
Keith Richards, on the other hand, is still alive.  I guess he too, does
what he loves to do.  It's a game of percentages, this silly "life" we
live.  You signed the waiver, didn't you?  Don't expect everyone else to
protect you from yourself in this sport - YOU walked onto the field of
your own free will!  You made your choice, YOU'RE responsible for YOUR
choice.  If you feel you need more protection, then by all means wear
it.  Or don't.  It is, after all, your choice to participate or not to
participate.


Let's get on to other subjects, shall we?


Thorgrim the Red
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