Rowany Festival - Part 1 - Fighting, Wenching & lots of fun
Ah, Rowany Festival - the SCA highlight of each year.
For those who aren't familiar, a quick description. The SCA (Society for Creative Anachronisms) in Australia has an annual Festival run by the Sydney group (Rowany) over the Easter long weekend each year. Most people arrive on the Thursday (afternoon or night) and leave Monday night or Tuesday morning. The time in between is a magical mix of friendship, trust & fun.
We have just finished unpacking our trailer, having returned yesterday afternoon (and then eating a wonderful roast dinner provided by my Mum who housesits for us while we're away).
So, here with is a brief run-down on my Festival, day to day.
Monday, 2 April
Pack car & trailer in preparation for Festival - trailer much easier this year without all of the LARP monsters (the last couple of years I have taken Live-Action RolePlaying monster constumes alongs to use during Saturday afternoon quests that I have been running - light but bulky).
Tuesday
Leave home just after 8:30am after a hearty porridge breakfast. Easy trip with plenty of breaks & arrive onsite at Crossroads (the venue for this Festival & the last 4). Walk around & say hi to a few people who are around - then return to camp, set-up tent & bed - then wander off & drink a bit.
Started the campfire in Arrowsreach camp - they had the wood & I like fire so a good combination (also, they didn't seem to be in any rush to get it on with other things on their minds).
Wednesday
Wander down to Arrowsreach campsite & assist them to get truck unpacked (including the great fort built by Bryce & Ant). Wander back to our campsite (Ypotryll) and start setting up kitchen area and unpack trailer (which Ute had started). Wander around & helped a little here & there as needed (no where near as much as previous days).
Wandered to the tavern in the evening to enjoy some pre-festival merriment. Forever more the pre-weekend Wednesday will be known as Nipple Wednesday - a wonderful evening watching Eamon try to leave & fail. He is a lovely chap & exists just to enjoy life and does it well.
Thursday
More mulling around & helping people in the morning, as well as just socialising & catching up with people from all over Lochac that I haven't seen in many months if not a year. Encouraged the kids to make a fort out of straw bales on the village green (that were still waiting to be collected).
Then the Festival fighting kicked off in the afternoon with a Pas De Arms (with Sir Berengar holding the field with Andre (from Aneala), Simon Macfaolin (now from Rowany) and later on Baron Gabriel (St Florians) - squire to Sir Berengar. The fighting was good - but I didn't do to well and was really hoping it wasn't indicative of how my Festival would be (it wasn't). I did end up with some lovely bruises on both upper arms and some good fighting afterwards in pickups (starting to show my form - finally). Helped out Ferret's lady (Leah I think) with how to deal with a pole-weapon - she was already good looking and was stunning in her pretty White Company vestments and armour.
Whilst I was fighting my household started turning up (yay). As they seemed under control I left them alone & returned after my fighting & started catching up.
In the evening I wandered a few campsites - offered to assist Arrowsreach in the Heraldic Melee the next morning if needed and then continued wandering - again renewing friendships & making new ones. Wandered into DX and was Wenching within one minute of arriving (after & whilst exchanging friendly insults with Max). It's good to know that I still have it.
Friday
Got my morning jug of Tea (yes, jug) and wandered down to Arrowsreach to find out if I was needed. After a bit of counting it became apparent I was needed so took a surcoat & returned to camp to armour up.
Heraldic Melee was fun but slow (as it always is). Many groups taking far too long to get themselves organised.
We fought the King (Alfar) & his guard first - unfortunately, their plan circumvented ours & I died very quick to Adam the Renegade & his flanking force.
2nd up we fought the Northern force (including King Draco - yes there were 2 Kings). I did fairly well, killed a couple of people & then moved to assist others until Draco found me & we fought - he killed me but I took his legs (a happy trade on my part).
3rd we fought Aneala (including Sui). Unfortunately he tried to be nice & only hit me lightly in the head, so I called it light & was one of 3 to kill him. Moving on I suddenly found only Arrowsreachians left standing - we all stood, turning slowly looking for someone to kill - uncertain in our victory (it was unexpected).
Following the 3 rounds we then did 3 team melees - I did well in these as well & felt that my war/melee fighting was coming back to me as well as my 1 on 1 fighting - very happy about this.
The afternoon was a very mild / small war - not many people made their way to the war field - it is always disappointing on the Friday afternoon that more people don't make it to war. Friday night was more socialising & campfire-hopping.
I'll continue with more in Part 2 - but have to go for now.
For those who aren't familiar, a quick description. The SCA (Society for Creative Anachronisms) in Australia has an annual Festival run by the Sydney group (Rowany) over the Easter long weekend each year. Most people arrive on the Thursday (afternoon or night) and leave Monday night or Tuesday morning. The time in between is a magical mix of friendship, trust & fun.
We have just finished unpacking our trailer, having returned yesterday afternoon (and then eating a wonderful roast dinner provided by my Mum who housesits for us while we're away).
So, here with is a brief run-down on my Festival, day to day.
Monday, 2 April
Pack car & trailer in preparation for Festival - trailer much easier this year without all of the LARP monsters (the last couple of years I have taken Live-Action RolePlaying monster constumes alongs to use during Saturday afternoon quests that I have been running - light but bulky).
Tuesday
Leave home just after 8:30am after a hearty porridge breakfast. Easy trip with plenty of breaks & arrive onsite at Crossroads (the venue for this Festival & the last 4). Walk around & say hi to a few people who are around - then return to camp, set-up tent & bed - then wander off & drink a bit.
Started the campfire in Arrowsreach camp - they had the wood & I like fire so a good combination (also, they didn't seem to be in any rush to get it on with other things on their minds).
Wednesday
Wander down to Arrowsreach campsite & assist them to get truck unpacked (including the great fort built by Bryce & Ant). Wander back to our campsite (Ypotryll) and start setting up kitchen area and unpack trailer (which Ute had started). Wander around & helped a little here & there as needed (no where near as much as previous days).
Wandered to the tavern in the evening to enjoy some pre-festival merriment. Forever more the pre-weekend Wednesday will be known as Nipple Wednesday - a wonderful evening watching Eamon try to leave & fail. He is a lovely chap & exists just to enjoy life and does it well.
Thursday
More mulling around & helping people in the morning, as well as just socialising & catching up with people from all over Lochac that I haven't seen in many months if not a year. Encouraged the kids to make a fort out of straw bales on the village green (that were still waiting to be collected).
Then the Festival fighting kicked off in the afternoon with a Pas De Arms (with Sir Berengar holding the field with Andre (from Aneala), Simon Macfaolin (now from Rowany) and later on Baron Gabriel (St Florians) - squire to Sir Berengar. The fighting was good - but I didn't do to well and was really hoping it wasn't indicative of how my Festival would be (it wasn't). I did end up with some lovely bruises on both upper arms and some good fighting afterwards in pickups (starting to show my form - finally). Helped out Ferret's lady (Leah I think) with how to deal with a pole-weapon - she was already good looking and was stunning in her pretty White Company vestments and armour.
Whilst I was fighting my household started turning up (yay). As they seemed under control I left them alone & returned after my fighting & started catching up.
In the evening I wandered a few campsites - offered to assist Arrowsreach in the Heraldic Melee the next morning if needed and then continued wandering - again renewing friendships & making new ones. Wandered into DX and was Wenching within one minute of arriving (after & whilst exchanging friendly insults with Max). It's good to know that I still have it.
Friday
Got my morning jug of Tea (yes, jug) and wandered down to Arrowsreach to find out if I was needed. After a bit of counting it became apparent I was needed so took a surcoat & returned to camp to armour up.
Heraldic Melee was fun but slow (as it always is). Many groups taking far too long to get themselves organised.
We fought the King (Alfar) & his guard first - unfortunately, their plan circumvented ours & I died very quick to Adam the Renegade & his flanking force.
2nd up we fought the Northern force (including King Draco - yes there were 2 Kings). I did fairly well, killed a couple of people & then moved to assist others until Draco found me & we fought - he killed me but I took his legs (a happy trade on my part).
3rd we fought Aneala (including Sui). Unfortunately he tried to be nice & only hit me lightly in the head, so I called it light & was one of 3 to kill him. Moving on I suddenly found only Arrowsreachians left standing - we all stood, turning slowly looking for someone to kill - uncertain in our victory (it was unexpected).
Following the 3 rounds we then did 3 team melees - I did well in these as well & felt that my war/melee fighting was coming back to me as well as my 1 on 1 fighting - very happy about this.
The afternoon was a very mild / small war - not many people made their way to the war field - it is always disappointing on the Friday afternoon that more people don't make it to war. Friday night was more socialising & campfire-hopping.
I'll continue with more in Part 2 - but have to go for now.
posted by Hanbal at 4:19 pm
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