General SCA Thread

[LadyTevar]

He's doing fantastic, just to be in Crown

[Kinyo]

So, thanks to this thread I am now in contact with my local SCA group and a week on Friday I will be meeting up with them and trying out some armoured combat.

I was wondering though, once you pick a persona do you stay in that persona at any SCA gathering?

[Elheru Aran]

So, thanks to this thread I am now in contact with my local SCA group and a week on Friday I will be meeting up with them and trying out some armoured combat.

I was wondering though, once you pick a persona do you stay in that persona at any SCA gathering?

Not having a ton of experience with SCA, but having read some about it... yes, pretty much. Your 'persona' is what's picking up the various awards and such, especially if you're in combat or doing whatever other things-- Tevar for example is a scribe for her Barony (or whatever it is). If you were switching personas back and forth, you couldn't accrue any XP (or SCA equivalent).

[RogueIce]

So, thanks to this thread I am now in contact with my local SCA group and a week on Friday I will be meeting up with them and trying out some armoured combat.

I was wondering though, once you pick a persona do you stay in that persona at any SCA gathering?

You can change personas, it's not set in stone. Or even just have a "semi-persona" of something vague until you settle on one you like.

I mean, it probably helps to just stick to one, but I've known people who have changed and it didn't seem to hurt them.

It depends on what you're talking about, though. IIRC from what I've seen, people will sometimes change the period/fashion of what they wear but will mostly keep their name. I don't have enough history to know if people have changed their names or not, I suspect someone like Tevar or Rogue 9 will know that better than I.

[LadyTevar]

I was wondering though, once you pick a persona do you stay in that persona at any SCA gathering?

I think what you're wanting to know is "If I'm this person, do I have to act like I'm that person all the time?"

No, you don't.
In fact, the majority of Scadians are just themselves, not trying to live "forsoothly" or by the rules of their time period. Living your persona has become the exception, not tradition, mostly because in the dim times before the Internet, finding actual information on how people behaved back then was nearly impossible. So, we just fell back on being ourselves, and saved attempts at being Historical to places like Duke Carriadoc's "Enchanted Grounds" camp at Pennsic War. Duke Carriadoc himself is never out of persona; he dressed, speaks, and acts as a Arabic scholar from Jerusalem. Lady Kathryn MacLuing (me) on the other hand, stopped attempting Scots accent decades ago, rarely wear the arasaid (plaid), and wear whatever garb fits the weather, regardless of time period.

So, don't worry about being anyone but yourself. Try on every style of clothing until you find one you like. Talk to fighters about their kit, and see what lets you move and fight best. Take every class that catches your attention, because you never know what might spark interest. Help out in the kitchen, volunteer to tote & carry. Sit around a fire and listen to the older folks talk. But, most of all, HAVE FUN.

And when you decide on a name, let us know. Maybe the Rogues and I might run into you one day.

[LadyTevar]

Well... I'm not going to Pennsic War this year. Even though I'd considered going just to get some joy in my life, it's not gonna happen.

Anyone here going?

[Rogue 9]

Not my year for Pennsic.

You can change personas and even names; I've done it myself. I had a different name in a different kingdom when I was in college, then came back and started over several years later (not least because I'd lost my gear in a fire and starting up as a Roman again just wasn't in the budget). But changing names regularly isn't done very much. You're perfectly allowed to dress however you want, of course; I know a great many clothes horses who will dress for different cultures and times within period for different events.

[LadyTevar]

There was a gentle in our group back in the late 80s-early 90s who would see a movie and decide he wanted a name like the movie's hero. He would pay the money and go the full distance up to Laurel to change his name ... and a year later he'd find a new name he liked. Finally, the local herald told him to do his own paperwork.
However, no matter what his name was at the time, everyone called him "WeeHawk", which was the very first name he'd ever picked (in the early 80s) and the one name that NEVER passed Laurel.

Now, in another case, a young lady had been in the society for about six months, and was not really finding a name she liked. People kept pressing her, and she finally shrugged and said "Just call me something generic". She was "Generica" from that moment on.
The fun part was we actually found documentation and got the name past Laurel.

[Kinyo]

So I went to one of my shires fight practice last Friday and after acquiring a new bruise I have to say I bloody enjoyed it. Was still grinning after it was all done and I'm taking part when it's on again.

As for my persona I am settling on the idea of late Saxon/early Norman (which is wonderful since armour wise it's almost the worst I can get for SCA combat) and I think I'm going to go with William of Recedham.

[LadyTevar]

Good choice on the name! You should have no problem getting that passed

BTW: you know a person's hooked when they brag about how big a bruise so-n-so gave them at practice, and are grinning from ear to ear as they tell the tale. Welcome to the SCA, young William, I think you're fitting in well.

Saxon/Norman isn't just good for armor, they are also still pretty simple regarding men's clothing. A nice t-tunic with a touch of trim at collar and sleeve, trousers/braes (with or without leg-wraps), a rectangle cloak that hooks at the shoulder (may have trim down one or more sides), and simple accessories like turnsole shoes and a leather belt. If you don't have a seamstress you can bargain with, you can pay a merchant.
If all else fails, I am a seamstress and we can talk price.

[LadyTevar]

In Other News: Pennsic 2016 is now being referred to as "HotTub Pennsic", because of all the humidity. They cancelled all fighting yesterday due to Heat Index 100+F

[Kinyo]

So, I am now a paid up international member of the SCA. Fight practice is back on again this week so I'll be asking a few people there what else I can get involved in.

[Simon_Jester]

I didn't go to Pennsic but I know someone who does... and promptly got hit by a stray arrow in the shoulder during one of the events, while standing somewhere off to the side (I'm somewhat vague on the details).

He's injured, of course, rubber tips yay!

Amusingly the arrow had (presumably) the archer's name on it. That notwithstanding, he kept the arrow

[Rogue 9]

Yeah, that's why you're supposed to stay way the hell back when combat archery is active and pay attention to what's going on.

[LadyTevar]

One of Æthelmearc's marshals, Duchess Tessa the Hunter, was on the field (possibly the same battle) and got smacked with one in the forehead. She needed six (6!) Stitches from Duke Sir Christoper to close the wound. The arrow hit her above her safety glasses that she normally wears. She's now pricing lacrosse helmets.

Back when combat archery was still using tennisball-tips and golf-tube shafts, I saw an arrow fly 10yds to hit a fighter in the helm, BOUNCE OFF and fly another 5yds to hit the ground two feet in front of me, BOUNCE AGAIN and fly off another 5yds before stopping.

[Simon_Jester]

Yeah, that's why you're supposed to stay way the hell back when combat archery is active and pay attention to what's going on.

This being his first time, I think he underestimated "way the hell back."

The wide-brimmed hat he was wearing for shade probably didn't do his situational awareness of incoming arrows any favors, either.

[Rogue 9]

Yeah, that's why you're supposed to stay way the hell back when combat archery is active and pay attention to what's going on.

This being his first time, I think he underestimated "way the hell back."

The wide-brimmed hat he was wearing for shade probably didn't do his situational awareness of incoming arrows any favors, either.

Let me put it this way. When I'm filming an archery-active field or bridge battle, I do it from the castle battlements. If they're using the castle, I just resign myself to the top of Mount Eislynn and my camcorder's zoom.

[LadyTevar]

So, the afternoon after the Siege of Glengary event in WV's eastern panhandle, they have a fencing practice. I am there because my Baron is a fencer, who was just taken as a student by a Master of Defense. (My Baron is neither a White Scarf nor a Cadet, the first Student who has not been one of those two).

So, anyway, Fencing Practice, and it's noted that there are now three Toyota Prius hybrid cars parked in the lot. So, the question is asked: What is the Plural for Prius?
Well, good students of Latin (and the four Heralds present) all decide that the plural of Prius must be Prii, similar to virus and virii. This was agreed upon, and therefore we had three Prii in the lot.

But wait, said a Herald. If there is a group of Prii, does THAT have a name? Hmmm, said the scholars and the Heralds. That is a good point, for there are Prides of Lions, and Murders of Crows, so surely there is a name for a group of Prii. Several descriptive nouns were thrown about, until one Herald (and Prius owner) piped up "It should be a Silence of Prii!"
And this caused a moment of thought, and the drivers of the Prii did admit how many people were shocked by how quiet a Prius can be when the hybrid is only running on electric, especially when 'idling'. One would think the Prius was turned off*, unless the gasoline engine engaged. So, it was agreed -- a group of Prii was henceforth to be called a Silence of Prii.

* Did you know you can park a Prius in front of a restaurant, get out, eat, come back, and only realize when you're wondering why the door won't unlock that You Never Turned It Off when you parked? And no one realized it, because people were talking and the Prius' electric engine was idling.
This totally had NOTHING TO DO with the other Heralds agreeing that "Silence" was the right nominative.

[RogueIce]

So, since circumstances haven't allowed me to go to events since the Master of Defense was first introduced, I'm curious: how does it work as far as symbology goes? Like, Knights have their white belts and Pelicans/Laurels get a pendant thing. What's the equivalent for Masters of Defense? And their Students, do they get something like the red, yellow and green belts? IOW, did a new color of belt become "unofficially" off-limits to the populace or did they go another direction?

[LadyTevar]

Masters of Defense are nicknamed "Mods", and they wear a white livery collar and/or the Order's badge: Three rapiers in pall inverted tips crossed. They are giving their students a colored collar, following the White Scarf Cadet tradition, but there hasn't been a consensus on what to call them. Names I've heard suggested just in Æthelmearc include "Provost" and "Student".

Note: In some kingdoms, a White Scarf's cadet wears a blue scarf, and in other kingdoms they wear red. Æthelmearc is a "blue Kingdom", so my Japanese personna Baron was given a Buddhist rosary of blue beads, with a token of green beads and a fox head to symbolize his Master's badge. My baron and his Master also researched the proper Japanese title for the student of a master swordsman to describe their relationship.

[Rogue 9]

The plural of virus is not, in fact, virii. That's bad and you should feel bad.

[LadyTevar]

The plural of virus is not, in fact, virii. That's bad and you should feel bad.

HERALDS. That is all you need to know.

[Kinyo]

So in the third week of practice I am feeling more comfortable in the armour, I hate the helmet, I am becoming more aggressive and I need to be careful with my efforts to get under the shield. Getting very close to, and occasionally hitting the knee.

I imagine that my claims it was a valid tactic at Hastings will likely fall on deaf ears.

Still getting home with a grin even though I'm likely getting another bruise.

[LadyTevar]

Went to an event this weekend, and it was 98F and highly humid. We were all miserably hot, even those like me who were smart and wore MiddleEastern. But we managed to have a good time, and the feast had everyone in rapture. Four removes (courses), the first a salad with italian vinegrette, the second chicken alfredo, the third garlic bread and lasagna (with lots and lots of cheese!), and dessert was two styles of cheesecake.
I managed to take home 3/4pan of lasagna. There's some meat, but it's mostly ricotta and mozzarella -- the kind of cheese that stretches a foot when you spoon the hot lasagna out of the pan... (sigh).

After feast came the straight-line storm cluster, which dropped the temps by 20F as soon as the gustfront hit us.

[Rogue 9]

I imagine that my claims it was a valid tactic at Hastings will likely fall on deaf ears.

You're damn straight. If you break your toys, you don't get to play with them anymore. If you want full body targeting, take up fencing.