[Ravensfort] Event Report - Kingdom A&S

[L T]

This weekend I went to Kingdom A& S in the Shire of Moonshadowe. It was a grand adventure. 
 
Mistress Kaitlyn McKenna picked me up at noon-thirty and we made our way up I-45 with post haste to an old Raven's Forter/Shadowlander's house (in Arlington)...she whom some of you may know as Lynnette Varshield...she is now called Lyonette and is apprenticed to Mistress Meadhb. We talked and enjoyed each other's humour for the next 8 hours to Stillwater Oklahoma. We checked in and were given a room on the first floor (107)...as soon as we were moved into our room our fourth, Mistress Rondinella, showed up with her riding companions, Mistress Meadhb and Mistress Clarissa.... 
Meadhb and Clarissa ended up above us in room 207...seems as though we were going to have a number 7 theme that weekend. We decided to all run out to the site to check in
and see what was going on. As we were walking throug the halls we noticed that the hallway very smoky...because of alergies and  sensitivities within our crewe we decided to ask for another room...low and behold we were given room 407...in the transit between our old and new rooms we found that Master Robin, Mistress Serena, Master Darius, and Mistress Rosalia were given room number 307...the number 7 coinicdence made us giggle. We finally got settled and headed out to site. 
 
When we got on site we were treated to the JP and Owen show...(Centurians Jean Paul and Owen) who were sitting gate. We signed in and got site tokens that were inkle woven ribbons with machine embroidered Black Stars. At the gate we were also greated by the remnants of Master Oxlaid's Laureling party (since his Laureling last spring, he has held parties celebrating the occaision...and he supplies some of his awesome brews.) My good friend Sir Asoph Hearts introduced me to his very comely daughter Heather. I gave huggs all around to my other friends there and my party ventured to explore the facilities.
 
The first room was set up with banners and tables for people to gather at while the Kingdom A&S competition was going on. At the front right hand corner of the room was Statia's white elephant sale which looked to have some amazing items for sale. In the back at the right there were a number of large brown banners hung from the ceiling to deliniate the Laurel's Room...where they could gather during the day and meet to discuss
their decisions on which artists would represent our Kingdom at Gulf War. 
 
In the next hall tables were set up for the displays with each isle deliniated according to type of entry. After our inspection of the site...we decided we were hungry and asked the steward Lady Giliyan for instructions to a nearby eatery...she informed us that the Sushi House was open till 3 am...so being midnight we set out to find it. We informed Meadhb and Clarissa that we were going for Sushi. Clarissa was already in bed but Meadhb was game so we picked her up and ventured forth. The food was good and reasonable. We did not return to the motel until after 3 am.
 
The next day we got up around 8 got dressed and headed to site. The hall was teeming with life when we arrived. Kaitlyn entered Thomas Atte Wood's harp (all hand made) for him and Lyonette and I set up at one of the gathering tables. Lyonette brought some of her wood block prints for her friends to look at (they are quite amazing...and I was lucky enough to receive one for a present.) I wondered through the gathering hall and talked with friends and met many people. In conjunction with this event they were holding Northern Regional Tribute...in which the peoples of the northern region do fundraising to support the Kingdom. Some of the fundraisers were a tavern, a bake sale, the purchase of servers for feast, and the purchase of a dance of two professional belly dancers (Baroness Adria and Baroness Katrin). The event also had rapier fighting, chivalric fighting, and the competition for King's Archer.
 
I perused the exhibits (some of which Baroness Amalie, Baroness of Elfsea took pictures of and hopefully soon her husband Baron Armand will upload them to his picture site - whatch for an announcement of such on the Ansteorran e-mail list). There were some amazing exhibits...wood working, embroidery, embossing, breads, caligraphy and illumination, middle eastern food, various clothing, beads, weaving,  and fine arts. 
 
The more I looked...the more I realized that people had a vast range of what they thought was required for the competition. The competition is the equivalent of what Crown Tourney would be for the fighters. It was geared to be a high level competition of well executed items that had documentation to fit standards for Gulf War. Several of the entries were first time entries or mid-level entries with minimal or incomplete documentation...which would be much better suited to a local or less aggressive competion. For the entries that did not fit the parameters of the competition they were not judged...(because they did not fit the parameters they would have gotten very low scores) but the artists were personally approached by the judges, who discussed the merits of the entries and explained why they did not fit the competion and gave suggestions for the entrants so that if they competed in such a contest in the future they would know better what the parameters were and to be able to work
 in a way that would give them a better opportunity to get a high score and therefore go to Gulf War.
 
The Laurels were assigned pieces to judge according to their expertise. I got to watch some of them judge...and was able to discuss with some of them how they determined what the scores were. It was hard work! Many of the judges worked all day at judging 4 or 5 pieces. 
 
My companions and I ended up at a feast table with Mistress Gunnora, Mistress Damris, Lord Seamus, Lady Genvieve, HL Willow and her daughter Belle. Mistress Damris had purchased two servers, one being Mistress Gunnhilda and the other being Mistress Tamara (Master Tarl's sister of questionable reputation - this was Master Tarl dressed up in veils so as to have some mischief) Gunny and Tamara served us well. To cause some entertainment we sent out Tamara on quests to flirt with or dance for friends...it was all great fun and even Her Majesty seemed amused! The feast was cooked by Sir Asoph and his wife Baroness Michele and their wonderful cooking crewe. Toward the end of feast the feast crew was called up into court and the dancers danced for them...then the feast crewe started danceing...you haven't lived until you've seen Owen, JP and Giliyan dance...Her Majesty Conal opened court and gave the steward Giliyan her Star of Merit (Grant level Service award)
 
After feast, court happened. Many of the entrants had scores of over 40 on the 50 point scale...Lord Eadric from Gates Edge got the Arcus Majoris (grant level archery order)...and I found out several of my friends got chosen to compet at Gulf War (those chosen will be announced in the Black Star and will probably announced on Ansteorra Announce.) The Northern Region raised lots of money for the benefit of the Kingdom. After Court we went back to the motel...and found out that Robin, Serena, Darius and Rosalie had ended up in our first room, 107, because theirs had heater problems...more wierd 7 stuff... ;) Poor Kaitlyn and Rondi had to work on Kingdom Treasurer stuff...it was 9pm so Lyonette and I left the room and went to Meadhb and Clarissa's to party...the party was amusing...lots of people wondered in and out of the room...much fun was had...at about 1 am I called our room and the number crunching twosome were soon to be finished to come down and party. At 2 am I called them
 again and suggested that we go for Sushi...all the last people in the party and the numbers duo went to the Sushi House...ate. Me and my roommates did not tumble into bed until a while later...then we had a very uneventful drive back!...
 
Hope you are amused by my exploits...
 
 
Lorraine DeerSlayer
 
 
 


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