[Steppes] trivia ...

[AlKudsi at aol.com]

It was my understanding, although I'm not a herald nor the Baronial 
Historian, that the "Nishto sluchayetsye sovsyem vStyepi (Nothing ever happens in the 
Steppes - Russian) saying was just that...a response to the fact that over the 
course of several years, the Steppes played host to not only our full calendar 
of usual events, but a series of kingdom events including several coronations 
and a Known World A&S event.  I recollect (and I'm getting old so I could be 
wrong) that HL Vashti was the instigator of it, and it was a rather sarcastic 
response to some out-Barony critizism at the time.  My first recollection of 
hearing it was at the Iced 12th Night that Vashti autocrated that had a Russian 
menu.  I've never heard of it being considered the official motto of the 
Steppes, although I do remember quite vividly Edwin's suggestion of the "From 
little acorns do Mighty Oaks grow" at a business meeting or populace meeting.  It 
was going to be investigated, is my recollection.  The herald who could 
probably answer the questions about why it isn't listed as an official motto is 
Master Da'ud.

This is one of the reasons why we need to take better care of our history, 
both Baronial and Kingdom.  To set an example of the importance of maintaining 
our history, I'd be willing to contribute a full box of past Steppesletters and 
Kingdom newsletters that I collected from my first 20+ years of being a 
member of this great Barony and Kingdom. It isn't a complete collection, but is 
pretty extensive.  As I joined during the third reign (TM Jan and Kimrith), and 
so have been in more than 25 years, I have a lot of memories and memorabilia.  
Nothing like the memories of Her Grace Willow, and others who joined while 
Ansteorra was still a Principality of Atenveldt, but still, a lot of memories and 
stuff.  So much of our past has vanished or been misplaced as offices changed 
hands and people moved away.  I'd like to see us make a concerted effort to 
contact some of our original members (like Allemandus, Baron Steppes who showed 
up incognito at Warlord) and try and reconstruct some of the missing history. 
 Allemandus' story of the creation of the Baronial sword was quite unique, 
and virtually unknown to the current members of the Steppes until he told it to 
HE Mahdi and His Grace Miguel.  Such things should not be lost...

HL Saqra