[Ravensfort] Coronation...

HerrDetlef at aol.com HerrDetlef at aol.com
Fri Jan 20 11:48:43 PST 2006


In a message dated 1/20/2006 2:16:19 AM Central Standard Time, 
ldeerslayer at yahoo.com writes:
It's late and I've got work tommorrow so I'll keep this brief....
A thousand apologies, Mistress Lorraine.  Your report of Their Excellencies' 
investiture did inspire me to draft an account of that event as well.  Many 
times shall this story be told by many mouths, fathers and mothers shall teach 
it to their children, and and in years to come the stories shall come together 
to take their place among the legends of Raven's Fort.

I, too, beg indulgence from Their Excellencies for the account I give, for 
although I am from the country where prowess in letters and the weaving of tales 
is the stuff of legend itself, I am too much of a rustic to handle a pen 
where matter as great as this is concerned.  My days are oft spent in teaching 
young pages how to put words together, and I bemoan the time I have lost to 
develop my own craft.  I fear my crude and unsophisticated ways may offend, and to 
those who may (with good reason) take umbrage I offer countless apologies.  As 
it is, here is my own unworthy recollection of that wonderous moment when 
Raven's Fort was once again blessed with a baron and baroness worthy of the title 
"Sable-Winged Excellencies".

I am forever Your Excellencies' humble and grateful servant,
Detlef

The Eve of Saint Agnes, being the Twentieth Day of January, in the glorious 
fortieth year of the Society.

We have often heard the stories of the days of old, tales told of great deeds 
at the hands of the people of Raven’s Fort, how they pressed into the woods 
north of the Stargate to settle new lands for the kings and queens of 
Ansteorra.  
 
It was Inman, the great King from the high plains, and his lady the Queen 
Drusilla, who came down from the north to create a shire in these lands.  They 
called the place Raven’s Fort, after an ancestor from the days of myth and the 
high red walls that towered amongst the woods.  The people there performed 
deeds of prowess and excellence, gaining fame for themselves and their homeland 
across the stellar kingdom and the Knowne Worlde.  From those days came the 
names Michael TwinCedars, Chrystal MacRuari, Zorcon of Lizard’s Keep and his lady 
Gwynn, Ceolfrid Albrichsson, Devin O’Donnabhain, Jacinth de Warwick, Aiden O’
Comhraidhe, Moriel Arenvaldsdochter, Haroun ibn Khalid abd-al Rhaman, and many 
others whose names shall be remembered for ever in the annals of time.  
 
>From this illustrious tribe King Patrick and Queen Julia called two noble and 
stalwart souls, Lord Kief av Kiersted and his lady Alix, to bear the banner 
of the Raven, and created them Baron and Baronness Raven’s Fort at the Stone 
Circle.  Their court thrived and the Barony of Raven’s Fort gained fame the 
world over, from the dappled shores of the West Kingdom to the field of honor at 
the Pennsic Wars in the East.  In time, Sir Kief and Lady Alix handed their 
beloved barony back to the hands of King Inman and Queen Athena of Ansteorra, who 
named Lord David St. David and Lady Chrystal MacRuari to be invested with the 
colors of red, white, and black.  They held these lands nobly, and Raven’s 
Fort prospered under their gracious patronage.  These in turn were followed by 
Lord Niklas and Lady Kezia of beloved memory, and they cared for Raven’s Fort 
in the name of Ansteorra until that time that they were called to leave the 
lands they held so dear.  We celebrate the glorious memory of those days when 
they wore bands of silver with ravens on their heads, and loath is any lord or 
lady in these parts not to throw open their doors for Niklas and Kezia and set 
the best tables for our noble father and mother.
 
When Niklas and Kezia returned the banner of the raven back to Their Majesties
’ hands, there were none to succeed them, and so Sir Kief and Mistress 
Lorraine accepted the call from Ansteorra to tend the lands of Raven’s Fort until 
such time as could be found a lord and lady worthy of the sable wings.  It then 
fell upon Earl Jason and his Countess Saeraid to succeed to the thrones that 
had been in their house since the days of Jonathan and Willow—the House of 
Ansteorra, that royal family from whom descend such names as Lloyd and Jocelyn, 
Jan and Kemreth, Sigmund and Siglinde, Inman and Arrowyn—names forever on the 
mouths of those who tell their stories round the fires at night, teaching their 
sons and daughters the memory of that sable star that rose so gloriously from 
the sun of Atenveldt!
 
Then King Jason and Queen Saeraid turned their eyes and hearts towards Raven’
s Fort, and they bore well their charge to discover those noble hands into 
which to render the colors of red, white, and black.  Four names of stout heart 
were drawn from the woods north of the Stargate—Gregor and Catherine, Brian and 
Fionna, names stained red and black with service and honor done to the Raven. 
 Nobody there dared envy the King and Queen for the decision that lay upon 
their hands, for these four names all ring with greatness, and the people of the 
Fort would embrace each one and raise them on their shields, acclaiming them 
with the title of Raven’s Fort.  Their Majesties conferred with the advisors 
of their court, and with the people of the barony as well, and after many days 
and nights of deep thought and consideration, the King and Queen decreed that 
His Excellency Brian du Val and Mistress Fiona ni Chellaigh should take the 
charge of Raven’s Fort as their fourth baron and baroness.  

These same were called to appear before Jason and Saeraid’s final court, 
before they passed the thrones of the Sable Star to Mahdi and Valeria, who still 
reign in these lands as King and Queen (health and life to them for ever!).  
Mistress Fiona with her attendants approached their Majesties, amongst the 
gathering of the populace of Raven’s Fort and the barons and baronesses of the 
realm, but Lord Gregor, Raven’s Heart Pursuivant, ran panting into court that His 
Excellency had been unavoidably detained (so say the witnesses of that day).  
Presently the Templars appeared in court with Baron Brian in their midst, but 
they released him of any obligations he had to that order so that he could do 
homage and service to the Crown of Ansteorra without any reservations.
 
Thus Baron Brian and Mistress Fiona were presented to the court.  King Jason 
and Queen Saeraid administered the oaths of homage to them to serve the Crown 
as baron and baroness, swearing as they did with hands upon the Great Sword of 
State, the king and queen promising in their turn (and on behalf of their 
successors) to nurture and defend the honor of Raven’s Fort.  Oft His Majesty did 
misspeak and promise to Their Excellencies the Barony Bordermarch, but Their 
Excellencies did bear themselves graciously and defended the right to that 
title that their noble cousins to the east do bear.  Their Majesties’ Herald 
Modius acclaimed the new baron and baroness, the populace giving their assent with 
shouts of “Vivat!  Vivat!  Vivat!”  The people of Raven’s Fort then retired 
to their places in the Great Hall, and when the time came for Jason and 
Saeraid to leave Ansteorra into the hands of their successors (health and life to 
them for ever!), their newly-invested Excellencies Raven’s Fort joined the 
barons and baronesses of the realm as our beloved king and queen released them from 
their oaths to the Crown until that time when new brows should bear the 
weight of the sable star upon bands of gold.  These noble men and women quickly 
swore their life and lands to the next King and Queen, and to this day Their 
Excellencies Brian and Fionna, Baron and Baroness of Raven’s Fort, do hold these 
lands of the Crown of Ansteorra.  Long may the Raven’s Banners fly over their 
noble and glorious heads, and long may the people of Raven’s Fort live and 
thrive under the lordship of our most excellent Baron and Baroness!
 
VIVAT BARON!
 
VIVAT BARONISSA!
 
VIVAT RAVEN’S FORT!
 
VIVAT REX!
 
VIVAT REGINA!
 
VIVAT ANSTEORRA!
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