Cudgel War

[kareina]

 as always, I left my phone in power saving mode & offline during the event, but I took a few notes each day, so I will compile them here...

Thursday:

 

We took the Thursday night ferry to the event, which gets to Vaasa at 01:00 on Friday morning. Asker was on the same ferry, so we hung out with him working on projects for an hour, and then suggested that if he wanted he could use the other bed in our room, since we paid for a cabin, but would be sharing only one of the beds. Three hours of sleep later we left the ferry, dropped him off at the train station, and drove a couple hours towards site, then found a parking pull off, and slept almost 4 hours before continuing on to the site.

 

Friday:

 

We arrived on site at 12:12 on Friday, some hours before site was supposed to open. However, the hardworking event stewards had been on site for at least a day already, so had already had time to mark the various camp boundaries, so told us we were welcome to start setting up already.  This being Keldor’s first time to Cudgel, we first did a tour of the camp.

Since Camp Northern Lights is such a big camp they weren't able to put us down in the meadow by the lake near the sauna, which had been our first choice. However, we were given a large area between the fighting field and the Archery range, which location has many advantages. 

 

After the tour we looked at our area, and figured out where best to put all of the tents. At that point we already had seven of us on site, so were able to come to a quick consensus. We set my round on the corner by the path and the fighting field, with the door opening pointing 45 degrees from the corner in to the center of the camp. We extended my sunshade out from my awing as usual, and the Reengarda sunshade out from that. Alfarin and Ragnhild's new long viking tent with central sunshade took the other uphill corner  and the large Odaltält filled most of the front edge of the camp. Asker's little round next to my tent, with the camp entrance with its welcome banner between Asker's and the Odaltält.

 

Down hill from the sunshade we have Kakwkylla and Styrmir (and their two lovely dogs) In one tent, marking the edge of the corner to be tent-free for safe viewing of Archery. Below them Eldgrim and Fridha's tent on one side of the bottom edge of camp, with another large sunshade between that and Petronilla, Kålug, and Viryas tent. Gilbert's tent is next to mine, backed up to the road. Below him is the big rock surrounded by flowers, and below that is the big Frostheim tent with Stig and Josefin and their child, who hadn't planned to camp with us, but were welcomed with open arms.

Saturday: 

I slept from 02:00 - 11:00, and when I finally got up my first order of business was: sauna, lake sauna, lake, sauna lake,  and then, finally back to camp for breakfast.

Then Magdalena gave me some silk for doing the osenstitch to applique the back decorations for the Drachenwald cloak for the New Order of the Mark.

Shortly thereafter King Krake stopped by our camp to ask if one of us could make a wreath of flowers. We said yes, of course and Caspian and I pick flowers. I make wreath and delivered it to the Royal camp (which is next door to ours).

Early that evening I got above mentioned Order Cloak from Ylda and start the appliqué back decorations on it. 

That evening's court took long enough to attach first third of first tree. 

Court ended with sending Erik Dalkarl to sit vigil to contemplate joining the order of the laurel. It rained gently throughout vigil. (I forget his name) plays violin anyway, standing under the awning. It was perfect.

Sunday:

- Eriks elevation court 14:00

   - he sings his reply!

- party for Kertu, Drachenwald's Primer Order of the Mark

   - bow arch (magic for real)

   - reprise speeches from her elevation 

   - present cloak in progress (take back, keep sewing)

 

Monday: 

 Morning class on Comidea del  Arte

- noon court. Mistress Mathilde becomes a Baroness of the Court of Drachenwald, with consent of the Crown of the Outlands (where she lives when she isn't visiting Drachenwald, which she does at least once or twice a year). Circlet of flowers made by Keldor, Ranghild, osv to replace the one ordered by Krake that I made on Saturday, as it had wilted while they waited for the reply from the Outlands

- first rehearsal for the play, 2 hours. Everyone tests several roles. I wound up assigned to be the old professor, Dottore Grazino

- pirate party, with tournaments that include children throwing "rats" (beanbags) at the participants, which causes the plague if they hit you, so they need to slow down, and slow more every time they are hit.

- long line to wait for food, we sat and watched how slow.

- sauna with Keldor, Eldgrim, Styrmir, Gilbert and later a Finnish Archer and son. I swam 5 times. Briefly when alone,  longer when theyjoined, but still not long

- raining by the time done, but so warm that I wore the towel back to camp.

- yoga,bed at 23:46

Tuesday: 

- sleep till 09:15

- make to morning Commedia del Arte class just on time

- lots of cloak sewing: trees done, buy black wool to edge mark symbol 

- confirm I am herald for tomorrow 

- Play rehearsal (2 hours)

- sauna, swim, four repeats

- yoga, meet one of Keldor’s oldest friends, Godwin 

- sleep at 02:00

Wednesday:

 sleep till almost 09:00

- wake inspired with things to say when my character pontificates in his first scene and write it down

- then breakfast and head to class

- more sewing

- play rehearsal 2 hours
 

Thursday: 

Market day! 

- Sold 3 knives

- traded 1 knife for two orange tablet woven bands

- Bought little beads to give away at LSPD

- Bought 3 meters purple silk for €120 

- and 2  meters navy blue silk for €60

- Attend first part of Pas de Arms, till the rain started, then moved to under a sunshade.

- Finished the Drachenwald cloak for the Order of the Mark and gave it to Kerttu. 

Friday:

- Early morning downpour, with thunder and lightning 

- final rehearsal for the play

- Laurel Sponsored Prize Display, 18 entrants

- the play itself, which was really well received. The audience was great, booing and cheering as appropriate. My character got booed every time he was on stage, except for when one of the other characters was revealed to be his long-lost son. Between my borrowed costume, the mask with the huge nose and bushy grey eyebrows, and the borrowed grey yarn long beard and moustache I was told that if not for my distinctive voice they wouldn't have recognised me at all. 

 

Saturday, break camp

Up, sauna, swim, sauna, swim, shower, breakfast. Take anvil back to Baron's cabin, and buy road trip snacks on the way back.

Break camp. Get way too hot. Hop in the lake, dressed, resume breaking camp. Partially dry when court started at 14:00. Sitting still for 2 hours in wet clothes of court caused me to be really cold. Warmed up again as soon as we resumed breaking camp. 

 

Managed to get everything in the van, other than the rugs which ranged from damp to wet. Those went on the floor of Þórólfr's trailer, were covered with a tarp, then everything else packed on top.

 

After our camp was completely packed and scrap discarded we went down the hill, where Keldor took a sauna and shower, and I swam and showered. The lake water, which had been only cold the day before, had a warm surface layer at least 25 cm thick. Then a long slow goodbye round of chats before hitting the road.

 

Just over four hours later we got to a rest area and napped for three hours. Our trip went better than Þórólfr's, who got a serious flat tire on the trailer, and wound up leaving the trailer behind, with a plan to return for it in the next week. We assume the rugs are not going to survive this experience. 

 

Sunday, Ferry trip home

Woke just before 05:00 and resumed driving. Arrived at the ferry terminal 10 minutes before they opened check-in (06:00, for an 08:00 departure). 

 

By the time we boarded I was so tired that I took a pillow and a sheepskin to lay in, and slept for the first 45 minutes. 

Woke when Petronilla, Viyra and Kålug joined us. 

 

Remembered that Bjarni had mentioned that one can get ice cream from Närpes Glassfabrik on the ferry, so went on a quest. Yes, in the restaurant, if one orders dinner, but they don't usually make it available during breakfast. Asked, and they agreed to sell me some anyway. Yes, it is as good as I remember.

 

After we reached Umeå Keldor and I visited Torun for a bit, picked up groceries, bought some new fish for his aquarium, then went home.

 

After the car was unloaded we drove to Skelleftehamn to get the cats, then picked up Angelika's car (Pernilla had dropped her off in Lövånger and took herself and Virya home), returned it to her, and then were finally home from the even for real.

 

Today I have created the registration page for Reengarda's august event. I should put stuff away, but we are going back to Umeå for an SCA gathering there, to meet a visitor from Oertha.