[Northkeep] Ideas for next years Warden...

[Niewoehner, Hugh]

Here's an event report from an event up north the same weekend as Chemin
Noir's event.
 
Since the Warden is supposed to be the local 'lawman' I kinda like some
ideas here.  It's got me thinkin'  hmmmm for next year.
 
I'm tellin' ya folks...if you missed Chemin Noir's event you missed a
really good time.  Hopefully we can iadd to the fun for next year.
 
    ])amon


________________________________

	From: Fvigil at aol.com [mailto:Fvigil at aol.com] 
	Sent: Monday, October 17, 2005 11:20 AM
	Subject: Gryphon's Festival - Part 1
	
	
	
	Did you miss Gryphon's Festival this weekend?  Then you missed a
great little event.
	 
	The folks of the group formerly known as Gryphon's Keep (soon to
have a new con-conflicting name) went all out to provide a fantastic day
jam packed with activities.
	 
	Within 30 minutes of the site opening archers were already
taking the line shooting on a very nice archery range. Three separate
shoots (each shot twice) comprised the groups archery champion shoot
which was open to everyone. By having all these shot simultaneously,
archers could pick whichever shoot had the shortest line so even with 20
or so archers we got a lot of shooting in quickly. Since the range had
wooden walls on both sides, an earth berm behind the targets, and
extremely short ground cover, there was really no down time for lost
arrows helping even more to keep the mornings pace up nicely. My
favorite shoot was from the top of a platform some 12-15' in the air,
shooting down at some ruffian's attempting to make off with our beer. 
	 
	Armor inspection was starting just about as the official
champions shoots ended so I hurried to the fighting field which was
right beside the archery range.  As I armored up the bar-room games had
begun nearby - notably the drunk tossing. As the throws reached 25',
serious harm could have befallen our unwitting drunk - but fortunately
no drunks were harmed in the making of this game as they had a haybale
dressed in pants and tunic to fill in. 
	 
	Following this they had a beer mug sliding competition, where a
bartender's accuracy sliding a mug down the wooden bar was tested.
Unlike the drunk tossing game, here the name of the game was finesse -
not brute strength, and I'm sad to say many of us would have wasted a
lot of beer off the end of the bar had we been real bartenders. 
	 
	Their next game involved running a slalom like course around the
tables in the "bar" while holding 6 pitchers of 'beer".  Complicating
matters were a pair of folks with extra long arms (built like boffer
weapons with hands on the end.) trying to "grab" a beer as the server
passed.  The idea was to complete the course having spilled as little of
the "beer' as possible.  Of course as the day passed the game  got even
more exciting as the course got slick with spilled liquid, the drunks
occasionally became gropers, and the servers managed to throw entire
pitchers of water... er... "beer" on the drunks.
	 
	While the games were fun enough, they were made even more fun
because of how many people participated, and how the large crowd of
spectators all gathered around cheering, laughing, and occasionally
heckling. 
	 
	The fighting started while the games were still going on, but
since they were right next to each other (as in fact were all the days
activities much to my appreciation) it was easy to participate in both
activities.  After a period of pick ups, the official fighting started
with a number of rounds of the group's variant of Mordain's Rings.  
	 
	Mordain's Rings (developed by Viscount Mordain of Ealdormere) is
played in a series of three concentric rings. The fighters begin in the
center ring, and as they die (or accidentally cross the line) they must
go to the next ring out and continue. The first rounds of the game were
fought single sword, and much mayhem ensued - including a number of
untimely double kills. Once we added in other weapon systems, fighter
got to use the additional tactic of "helping" their friends
"accidentally" step across the line and out of the inner rings.With the
right group of people this can be a terrific amount of fun - and we
definitely had the right people.  
	 
	After a few more pick up melees, we got to move to the bar for a
series of bar-room brawls. The bar-room was lined with wooden rails, and
was furnished with a heavy wooden bar, three tables (made of Styrofoam
and cardboard), and several heavy cardboard benches (basically 4" long
boxes).  Atop the bar was a (foam) beer keg on a stand, and (foam) beer
mugs could be found on the tables.  The fighters were armed with a
variety of weapons ranging from the beer mugs to a bung hammer, from a
large round wine bottle, to a candle and candlestick.  
	 
	At the lay-on much mayhem ensued. Like in the earlier games, the
many spectators watched the battles adding cheers and jeers into the
mix. Fighters were hit over the head with tables, benches were thrown,
the beer keg became a prime target.  By the second round, the drunk from
the drunk tossing, was launched into the barroom and became an added
weapon/shield/agent-of-chaos. Over the course of the fights: I hid under
the bar; Sir Valdemar and a few others danced upon the bar; Sigfried and
I carried our drunken hay-man on a singing tour of the bar (How dry I am
of course); and Sigfried played the passed out drunk "sleeping" his way
through one battle till disturbed by the last couple survivors and
lurching to his feet and into the fray. After 3? 4? 5? (like any good
night in a bar the number grows hazy) of these melees we played beer keg
keepaway, and in another battle the town constables showed up to make us
pay our tabs and we had to fight our way past them out of the bar which
of course (in classic bar-room brawl movie mode).prompted His Excellency
Duncan and I to grab a table between us and run right at the line of
constables. Unlike in the movies however the constable used his sword to
club the good guy (me of course) to the ground in a heap.
	 
	The fighting wound up with enough time to relax for a while
before the feast. I relaxed in the cool grass chatting and enjoying the
perfect weather the group was blessed with. As we had to be out of the
park by sundown, the feast was held early, but no one seemed to mind -
especially since the feast was included free in the $5 site fee. The
group had a large period pavilion (perhaps 20'x50') for the feast hall,
with a dozen hand made wooden tables to feast upon.  A couple more
tables of feasters sat in the permanent shelter some 15-20 feet away. 
	 
	Now frankly I did not really expect a huge feast. With paying
for the site, and the port-a-johns, I was not sure how much money was
left to pay for the food out of the small $5 site fee. But there was a
ton of food - good food. They started with an apple compote, and a fresh
baked-on-site-and-still-warm soda bread with garlic butter. The bread
was spectacular. I ate as much of it as I could convince our table to
spare even after our server brought more.  Then I prowled the length of
the hall begging more from the slow to eat tables. This was followed by
a salad, a been dish (6 or 7 kinds of beans with bacon, ground beef, and
more in a sort of baked beanish feel), 2 different stews (one broth
based one tomato based) with carrots, beef and potatoes, chicken and
dumpling, and a couple different flavors of cobbler for desert - and I'm
likely missing something.  No one could possibly have gone home hungry.
	 
	During the feast they presented the many prizes for the days
activities. Each winner received a etched glass beer mug with a
Gryphon's head upon it, and a wooden plaque with a Blackfox style
illustration and text indicating the event, and what activity it
commemorated.
	 
	The night wound up with a post revel at Lord Wayne of the
Hieghts home, where merriment, and the events  bardic competition
ensued.  It was a light hearted mood, and the first bardic competition I
have ever seen won by a heckler (Galen) by popular acclaim.
	 
	Overall this small group ut on one hell of an event - if you
missed it, I can promise you, "You missed some serious fun."
	 
	Fernando