From the Frontlines: Banner War

This weekend was Banner War.

It. Rocked.

I'd planned to arrive friday evening, but had to stay 2 hours late at work. So I went up Saturday morning instead. After waking up far earlier than I prefer on a weekend, I packed up the car and arrived to find that the mundane site gate wasn't open yet (Google's directions said the trip would take about twice as long as it did).

Finally on site, I checked in with the household that had recruited me (in advance!) - Methelstede - and pitched camp. I processed into court with the house. Only three houses were competing this year: Methelstede, Ravenstream, and the inevitable Red Plague. Redstone and Gremlin were both fighting for Methelstede, so the odds were rather heavy against Ravenstream and horrifyingly bad against Red Plague (though that never seems to bother them).

Rapier followed court, with three battles. A round robin (point to Ravenstream, not surprising since they outnumbered us 3 to 1 and had all the white scarves and cadets in attendance), a duel (rubber band guns at eight paces, finished with swords if necessary) which we managed to win on kills, and a "tavern brawl." The latter deserves some attention - we started by entering the tavern, which included a table and several empty 2-liter plastic bottles. These were ruled to be glass, and could be used as bludgeons or broken to be used to stab. After some warm-up trash talking lay on was called and much violence ensued. Now outnumbered only 7:3, we scored one point for best use of terrain, but failed to defeat Ravenstream. Final rapier war points were 4:3 Ravenstream:Methelstede - not bad for how badly outnumbered we were! The rubber band guns used in the duel were my own brand-new pair of matched pistols.

I spent a little time on the thrown weapons range learning a bizarre but functional method for throwning spears.

Then came Court, where to my shock I was called up and entered into the Order of the Silver Dolphin! This is the bottom level Baronial service award; specific mention was made of my helping out with Ursulmas. The Silver Dolphin comes with a scroll and my first SCA medallion.

Then came Bardic. Bardic was amazing, with six truly impressive entrants (including myself). There was a couple from the Kingdom of Trimaris who'd just moved here, one of whom is a Bardic Laurel. There was another couple which is the Baronial Bardic Champion and the Baronial Herald (won Judge's Choice for the Heraldry-themed catagory). There was a knight, who did a belly dance imitation as part of one of his entries and was the overall winner (well deserved, though I don't envy the judges trying to pick a winner from that field!). Two pieces were required, one on the theme of war and one on the theme of heraldry. I opened the competition with a non-judged piece that the Baroness had ordered me to create, about my death in the Sable Rose tourney at Midhaven's Championship.

(TTTO "Danny Boy"), words by Roger Gridley:
Oh Roger boy, the Sable Rose is calling,
To fight with skill, and die with artistry.
And though you'll fight inspired by your fair lady;
You'll mostly die, so better make it good.
Ten times upon the field of honor you will stand,
Five times you'll win, defeating your proud foe,
Five times you'll die, upon their swords or daggers,
Oh Roger boy, oh Roger boy, how will you die?
(Spoken)
A touch! A touch! I do confess it!
'Tis not as broad as the heart of a Pelican,
Nor as deep as the documentation of a Laurel,
Nor yet as fierce as the blow from a belted Knight,
But 'tis enough, 'twill serve.
(Fall over dead).

My competition pieces were my own Ballad of King Rorik, and a filk about making a heraldic submission in the SCA to the tune of Officer Krumpke (from West Side Story). The Ballad of King Rorik got Judge's Choice for best war-themed entry. The war point went to Methelstede.

The Bardic competition and inevitable follow-up bardic circle lasted three hours.

Sunday morning I awoke and entered into the dance contest, doing a war brawl (yes, that's not how it is spelled, but it is how it is pronounced) and an english country dance (along with many others from all three competing households). War point to Methelstede. I danced with only short breaks for several hours.

Methelsted won the War by a noteworthy margin, although Ravenstream gave quite a fight, splitting the points in mang catagories, and Red Plague almost certainly got the highest points-to-people ratio. From a personal stand point although I didn't score any points directly for Methelstede, at least one point went to them in every catagory I competed in. :-)

Before closing court I helped do the Town Cry announcing court - which I think may be the first time I've done a real town cry.

One other minor thing of note. The parking at Banner War is a ways from the event site itself. On my way to park after pitching camp I picked up someone who was hiking up to get to his car. Later when I was heading up to drop my fencing gear at my car I was offered (and accepted) a ride from a different person. Both of them were complete strangers to me. Karma can be a good thing.

I was completely wiped out and my legs are still aching this morning, but between my Dolphin, bardic, fencing, and everything else this was a wonderful event for me.