[Ansteorra] Pas was - A&S issues

[sp]

Someone just asked me why werent we doing all these extra things at every
tourney. I wanted to respond to this on the public forum...

Disclaimer! The list i sent out before, was not to dispute anything anyone
said, but to point out the immense effort and cost that goes into a
combatants participation in a Pas.

So as to answer the first question, here are my reasons. Cost, Time,
Assistance, Knowledge, Support.

Cost. Did you see that list i had in my last missive? Thats alot of stuff!!
While i had a ton of fun pulling it all together, stuff cost money.  Not to
mention getting largesse, and paying your entourage and even new garb.  Hey
we all know that playing this game has a price to it, but all the extras in
addition to expensive fighting gear can add up.

Time.Did you see tha tlist i had in my last missive??!  It takes a good
amount of time to pull all the little details together.  I didnt do that
whole list of things by myself. I had to get help, and lots of it.  My
participation required the help of my 'pit crew' as i lovingly call them.  I
was basically the sum of they're work.

Assistance.  You can't participate in a Pas on your own..well you can as
Master Modius showed us ;) But to play the game the way it would have been
done period style, you need help. You need helpers as mentioned above in
Time, and you need an entourage.  Now i know there are folks out there who
love being heralds and bards and artisans of the garb, but managing them all
together is a project.

Knowledge. Someone mentioned to me the guidance involved.  I had to seek it
out in lots of different places. There is no SCA Pas' book that you can get
a list of materials and what to say and when (unless i missed it and THAT is
possible) or you even if there were, you can't beat the counsel of a
seasoned Peer w/ experience.  I was VERY lucky in that i have such a rich
resource to draw upon.

Support. I think its near impossible to be a participant without at least
one person listen to me whine and encourage when it feels near impossible.

However, despite all these things, why don't we do these more often. I think
that once a person has participated in a Pas, the effects are a ripple into
regular tournies. I've seen torses worn more in regular tournies, or
fighters dressing better, or more acknowledagement given to consorts, or
water bearers or pages, or the level of honor increases slightly.

So in a way... the fact that someone said..Hey i didnt notice much
difference, came to me as cool, because that means that already the Pas
experience is affective.

Ld Viv