[Ravensfort] The Ansteorran 30th year celebration (The Raven's Fort Encampment)

[HerrDetlef]

Your Excellency, you make me blush! I'm glad you liked what I came up with
(especially considering it was all off the cuff and I was terrified about
making a mistake!).

In the interest of preserving it, while I still have it on my mind, I'd like
to offer my words as I remember them:

Your Majesties, Your Majesties and Your Royal Highnesses of Glenn Abhainn:
twenty years ago, in the Year of the Society four and twenty, the Kingdom of
Ansteorra celebrated its tenth anniversary. At that time, she boasted of
seven baronies, and later that year, Their Majesties, King Patrick and Queen
Julia, added an eighth in the hills to the north of the Stargate. Bearing
the arms "Per fess embattled argent and gules, a raven close and sinister
facing sable and a plate within a laurel wreath or," His Sable-Winged
Excellency the Baron of Raven's Fort, Baron Brian du Val, representing also
Her Sable-Winged Excellency the Baroness of Raven's Fort, Mistress Fionna ni
Chellaigh.

There was an awful lot of counting involved, and I hope to G-D that I didn't
make any serious faux-pas...or at least, if I did, that they weren't caught
:-)

Thanks for giving me the opportunity to do that, Your Excellency! I really
had a blast this weekend.

Pax et bonum,
DT+LF
Detlef von Marburg
Raven's Forter at Large :-)

On Tue, Jul 14, 2009 at 9:45 PM, John Reuter <
brian_the_french_norman at yahoo.com> wrote:

>
>  After finely unpacking the last of my wagon and placing the last of the
> Baronial regalia back in to storage with the tents in their place, I
> can take a break and tell you all about the wonderful 30th year celebration
> our kingdom held this weekend.
>
> Ansteorra is deep in history and its historians love to show it off. The
> fighters of Raven's Fort had many fields to take and test their metal on and
> lots of volunteer opportunities were available.
>
> Don Charles and M'lord JC were the vanguard of the Raven's Fort contingency
> and arrived on Thursday to claim our land and to insure that it was a good
> location and of solid ground with water for the rest of the barony when we
> arrived. The Seneschal Lady Giovanna and her Lord husband Pace arrived to
> help give direction and organization to the encampment. As the day drew to
> an end more members of our populace arrived and placed their tent around the
> length of tents creating a long house of sorts with dwellings facing inward
> and tall pavilions with tables in the center. Lady Runa provided cool mist
> of air with her fanning machines that were well received and just the answer
> to the ansteorran heat. The nights were full of merriment and mirth as bards
> and story tellers worked their arts in the the night. it cooled just enough
> to call it pleasant. Friday was another day of fighting and the Grand Hall
> was full of activities. The Historians Display was a large exhibit to
> behold. Children and adults alike cam and went through out the hall talking,
> sharing, shopping and laughing. Kingdom officers were organizing among
> themselves and the occasional fighter came in out of the heat to cool down
> for a spell. Archers and fighters were all over the country side signing up
> on lists and loosing their arrows to long distant target. As the day grew to
> a close and the sun sat in the west the Ravens of the fort came back home to
> roost. Earlier that day Baron Brian and Baroness Fionna arrived. Looking at
> the land and how it was organized, they felt happy to see their populace
> busy and enjoying themselves with the days activities. As the shadows of the
> afternoon grew longer it was soon time to fire up the roasting pit and and
> populace gathered to share a feast in the camp. Lamb, chicken, beef and boar
> were cooked over hot coals a wonderful and succulent perfection. salad,
> vegetables and cool beverages were shared by all. Many members of the
> populace were at the camp by now and even a few guests. All were sharing
> tales and visiting camps that night while others cooled off and just relaxed
> in the dark with out the heat of the sun on their faces. Saturday morning
> was no different with the fighting lists being heralded to the crowd again.
> Raven's Fort had a few fighters in the Rapier lists again that day and
> M'lord JC distinguished himself quite well. In one list he progressed to the
> 5th round. I personally watched him fight the Queens personal champion and
> our current rapier champion Don Peiter Rauch. After the fight Don Peiter
> spoke with him and commented on his style and form. After watching M'lord JC
> do as well as he did that day he was recognized for his efforts on the field
> with a gift of a Byzantine style cross from Baroness Fionna and I. I believe
> that this was the most he had fought in any tourney or event since he picked
> up a Rapier. If I am not mistaken, I believe I did spy a heavy rapier in his
> hand in one round. That same day Lady Ayla did shoot at the archery range.
> She really enjoys loosing arrows and is quite good at it. Did you know that
> she is a past Bowman of the Fort? She said she had a good day but did not
> shoot for score. A few of us went shopping that afternoon and we looked at a
> few of the merchants. Lady Tirasia, lady Runa, Lady Ayla and I went looking
> for things we needed. Of course we don't need any thing but looking is half
> the fun. I did buy two shuttles for our looms to learn form Lord
> Anias just how to warp and weave on them. We all got separated and went back
> to camp. Baroness Fionna had to leave unexpectedly due to a family matter
> that could not go UN attended. She and Ivan were sorely missed the rest of
> the weekend. Latter that afternoon we were all cleaned up, dressed and
> primped and proper. With the help of Baron David St. David Lord Detlif, Lady
> Elki, Lord Devin and other populace members running here and there to get
> the last minute items ready we were ready for Grand Court. Lord Alaric has
> a natural calming effect on my for some reason. After he spoke with me for a
> bit I felt like nothing could go wrong. Lord Detlif Heralded us in to TRM
> Court. His works were the most eloquent and profound that i have ever heard.
> He placed the others to shame! I can not do it justice but he said that "
> Ansteorra was made a kingdom in 1979th year of our lord being the 14th year
> of our society and after the 7th barony was made it made Raven's Fort the
> 8th barony on its 10th year of being a kingdom. There was much more than
> that but like I said I do it no justice trying to repeat his words. I
> do wish Fionna was there to witness it. Court was Lonely with out her to
> talk to.  The Barony gave a gift of a ring with an ansteorran yellow stone
> set in it to the Queen. As a gift of love to our Queen since we will miss
> her at our fall event.  It was announced in the opening of TRM Court that
> Raven's Fort would be hosting the Winter Crown Tournament in January.   Don
> Robert McFarlaine was made a Lion of Ansteorra and Baroness Druin of
> Elfsea was made a Pelican that same night. She looked smashing! Many AOA
> went out and one fine lord proposed to his lady in court. She said
> yes.......I think. I was drinking a nice cool Shiner during court and as the
> court progressed my mug never went dry! Well I will tell you I felt pretty
> good by the time court was over. After many other awards and a few Kingdom
> officers changing hands court was finely over. We packed up and went back to
> camp. The  walk did me some good. After we all settled down and we all were
> gathered I recognized some of our populace members for their actions. Lord
> Anias for his work before our last event and all he has been doing in the
> A&S field. Baroness Kitsune for her work in the cooking guild and feeding
> the masses and her back stage help with the Raven's Guild. I also recognized
> Lord Michel FitzRamond of Twin Cedars for his constant reminder of " how it
> was" and to keep up the good work in telling us of how much better we have
> it and how much more fun it was back then. The days of freon tank helmets
> and foils.
> He was absent at the time but we all gathered around him in camp the
> morning, when he arrived and gave him a small token of appreciation
> for being who he was and sharing the history of our kingdom with us.
> After the big group hug and refreshing our lips with more beverages we went
> to the Hafla near the list field. I sat and drummed with our
> Armored Champion Sir Evets, Lord Pace and M'lord Aaron. Aaron's lady Jessica
> and their lovely daughter danced in the circle with the middle eastern
> dancers. We drummed for about an hour or so and my hand grew numb from lack
> of good drumming for so long. Some of us retired to the Raven's Fort camp
> and what did we find.......? Music, singing and bards everywhere. DSD was
> playing, Alaric was playing and a well voiced bard who I can not remember
> was singing in our camp. We had guests and friends singing and giving
> requests. The camp was in full swing and revelment. I was just amazed lost
> in the magic of the moment. Mistress Nerrak of the Dark Horde was one of our
> guests and She was feeling pretty good too. we spoke of Ansteorran history
> and I listened to her story's of Sir Starhelm. Mistress Jalalhi was having a
> good time too. It was truly a magical moment for all to be in.
>
> Soon later I retired to my lodging and slumbered with the memories of
> what I had experienced the last few days.
>
> The days we sweat preparing for our events are truly long
> but they are always tempered by lyrics of a good bardic song.
> Together we toil, work and make ready our lands
> for our kingdom to see what we do with our hands.
> We brew our beer and ready our lysts for those to come,
> in hopes that our brothers and sisters always feel welcome.
> So make ready the banners and set deep the tent stakes
> and lets show them now that we have what it takes.
>
> YIS
>
> Baron Brian du Val
>
>
>
>
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>
>


-- 
He has told you, O mortal, what is good;
and what does the LORD require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?
--Micah 6:8
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