Northern Region War Camp (Award of Arms)

So I just got back from NRWC, and boy are my legs bitten. I mean, the mosquitoes were insane. But apart from that the event was fantastic.

Had dips in the river, got to see almost everyone in the SCA that we care about…

Oh. And Jess and I got our AoA’s. (Here’s mine. In a Bard Book. Yes it’s for the wrong date and event–coordinating mine and Jess’s scrolls for the same event took three tries and apparently lots of muddled communication. Don’t care. It’s in a Bard Book. Squee.)

The cycle of our last three events has been simply amazing. We’ve gone from a family of wandering hlessil to a family with a new home barony, a universally known patroness/mentor/mama bear, and our first awards.

This all started two events ago at the Wars of the Roses. We would have gotten our AoA’s there, which would have been a total surprise, but for the weather. The deluvian downpour that all but drowned Roses 32 is now the stuff of legend. Their Highnesses Kenric and Avelina, who were going to award them to us, had to flee the site since their daughter was falling prey to hypothermia (yes, that bad).

For all that, our first Roses was a glorious event. In a way, the poor weather and low attendance was a boon to us. We got the chance to spend some quality time with Brid nic Shearlais, OL, OP, and Tyger of the East, a legend unto herself, who for once was not flocked with other admirers. Jess knew Brid very briefly in her college days from crashing at her house while attending one of Jess’s first events. We met Brid last Pennsic, when Jess recognized her stopping to rest by the side of the road, and offered her a song from me to refresh her (which I provided gladly). We later learned that she was ailing at the time, but by the time we bumped into her again at Mudthaw, she had made a “new lease on life” recovery. She was friendly and warm, and praised my bardic work mightily on both occasions, but only at Roses did we learn how strong her interest in our family had become. She asked Jess to become her student in Service track, and Jess very sensibly said yes. She told me if her Laurel was in my field she’d have snapped me up, and instead professed herself my patroness and offered to support my career in any way she could. She has invited our son Spencer to consider becoming a cup-bearer to begin establishing experience in Scadian service. The woman is a force of nature.

The other notable things from Roses were my unveiling “The Last Plantagenet” and “Tam Lin of the Elves”…and our family swearing fealty to Concordia of the Snows and claiming it as our home barony. Baron Pierre was apparently quite knocked over by our asking to do this. He actually gave us a group hug in court–not something the man does.

So from that event to this, it’s been quite a ride. We’ve now been called up in court twice. Jess has now retained several times for TRM Gregor and Kiena. The whole thing has been crazy and wonderful.

What’s left is frantic prep for Pennsic. More on that later.