[Northkeep] Castellan memories

[Hugh & Belinda Niewoehner]

First Castellan was held at Allen ranch.   It rained the 4 days 
preceding the event, making the site a quagmire.   There was an elevated 
rectangular area where the ground was firm enough to fight on.  I 
marshaled and I think Livia (then Rianwyn) ran the list.  Many vehicles 
and people had to be pulled out of the deep mud.  I think several folks 
had their shoes eaten.  Oh yeah, one other thing.  They have a dirt bike 
area at Allen.  We spent the entire day having our ears ground to mush 
by the noise of those bloody dirt bikes.   We discussed having a novelty 
shoot for the archers...didn't have enough arrows.  Oh well.

I was still KM so I didn't compete.   Jonathon and Willow attended this 
Castellan and the second as well.  The categories were Arts (which 
included Heraldic Display and Bardic), Sciences (If it hurts when you 
drop it on your toe, it's a Science.), and Martial.  Why did we have it 
that way?  Well, I'd come from Calontir and that's the way they do 
things so that's how I proposed it.   Somewhere around Castellan 3 or 4  
this was brought into line with the Ansteorran norm by blending A&S.  I 
know we didn't have any Rapier there, I don't recall if it was allowed 
at the time.  Daniel Blackaxe won handily and, afterward, when I heard 
people talking about 'did you see the xxxx that so-and-so brought...I 
didn't know (s)he did stuff like that.'  I felt the basic concept 
vindicated.  There were a lot of people who'd been previously thought of 
as one dimensional "Just another stick jock", etc.  that were now 
recognized as craftsmen as well.

Second Castellan was at  the Shriners campground on Lake Keystone.  That 
event also saw a Bardic competition where the competitors pulled out a 
piece of paper with one of the seven deadly sins as their topic.  
Duchess Willow and Catherine judged.   There were a lot of good 
performances but the one that sticks out was so good it colored the 
perceptions of a lot of people for a long, long time concerning the 
individual who gave it.  The performance was titled "Where's my 
Cookie".  The emotion, the specific references used, the delivery might 
have just been  bloody good bard craft.  But I can probably name a dozen 
people who walked out of that tent and evaluated everything he'd done 
'till then and much that came after by the light of that performance.  
I'm ashamed to admit I was one of them.

A funny anecdote from that Castellan.   I think this may have been one 
of  Thorgrim and Sigyn's (then Anais) first events.   Thorg & company 
set up away from the central camp not too far from one of the permanent 
resident's trailers.  Thorgrim went to the trailer  Sat. a.m. to 
apologize for all the loud partying the night before and promised to 
keep it down that night.  The resident replied "Son, your party didn't 
bother me none.  Remember...you're talking to a Shriner."

The second and third Castellan were held out there and  the fourth was 
planned for there.   It rained a lot the week prior to the event so the 
day before the event the road to the site, and most of the the site 
itself site was under several feet of water.  IIRC the following month 
Blackfox did a Saga cover with just the tip of a mast sticking up out of 
the water and a banner labeled 'Castellan'.  Decent site.  IIRC the 
drawback was an utter lack of kitchen facilities for feast.   There was 
a great wooded area we fighters thought would be great to have a hunt in.

  Oh Boy, now I get to brag about someone I like to talk about...That 
fall, NK held a revel out at Lake Keystone.  Robert was NK's bard at the 
time and decided we should do the Bardic competition at the revel.  Come 
time for the competition Robert came over and strong armed Ismet into 
participating.    Now, you have to understand a couple things about 
Ismet.  She doesn't like competitions.  Around her family, games and 
competitions are not a pretty sight.  Safer just not to play.   
Secondly, while she enjoys writing songs and stories she's sure others 
don't like them.  What she writes isn't high style or fancy.  We call it 
"bardic for the masses".   Little tales and ditties that appeal to 
people because of their simplicity.  And, in her belief, they are 
unworthy of being judged against the works of many of our great Bards.   
However, this particular time, she'd had...well...a little wine.   
Sufficiently pickled she does a real good job of  bardic performance.  
That's the year she won Titled Bard of NK.   She still carries her Bard 
Book with her periodically, but never competes, and since we usually did 
early morning fire watch etc. we rarely make it to any kind of Bardic Fire.