The Anvil War
As provided by Tessa of the Gardens, on November 5, 2018:
Anvil War was one of the earliest Bordermarch Autumn Melees, 1980--ish, purposed as a reason for Stargate and Bordermarch to battle out "possession" of a 200 lb. anvil that had traded spaces in workshops between Houston and Beaumont, back and forth. Starhelm was Meridian, our brother and ally; he has been gone to his reward Elsewhere for several years now. Simonn, Baron Bordermarch, built his Bordermarch forces, and Stargate's Baron, Tarl Mapt, built their forces. As it turned out, some of Ansteorra sided with Stargate with William of Weir's field command. Some of Ansteorra sided with Bordermarch, *and* the entire army from Meridies (33 strong, from as far away as Memphis/ Barony of Grey Niche) allied with Bordermarch! Sabine River being a thin line between the two very friendly groups who frequented each other's events of Bordermarch (Ansteorran/ out of Atenveldt) and Draconia, Axemoore / of Meridies onward into what became the fabulous Kingdom of Gleann Abhann. They/we often joked about the Sabine River being moved to include Draconia as part of Bordermarch (all totally in jest); groups were/are dedicated friends. "The anvil" was toted to the event from Bordermarch and featured Friday in a spot on the grounds, very close to a log pile for firewood. Anyone could steal the anvil, but, behold, it was too heavy for a person to sneak unseen in the dark night to get it. However, by dawn, it could not be found... [more later on that if you wish to know].
This event was also the Tale of Two Simonns. Rumors came from Stargate that a hit squad had been formed to take out Simonn Amber. Pre-event in the Bordermarch armory workshop, tales of Henry V having 5 duplicates on the field at one time whispered amid the laborers. On inspiration, a duplicate set of Simonn's armor was constructed, and I had sewn a duplicate set of his gambeson, his quarterly gules and argent tabard, and torse and mantle. An Ansteorran Don, Luigino, who was a natural mimic and Simonn's size, became a "second Simonn." Before the Saturday battle, all the golden baldrics to identify Bordermarch and her allies were not in enough supply. I went to each fighter already wearing a golden baldric and untied it during conversation, tore the baldric in half in length, to make enough baldrics for each Bordermarch ally to wear. Simonn addressed his troops and retired to his tent. The Don came out (without a white belt, but no one noticed the discrepancy.) The Don led Simonn's forces to the field mimicing the walk and posture with no one the wiser, and Simonn followed wrapped in a cloak. When "lay on" was called, he shed the cloak. While the anvil had not been seen, both of the TWO Simonns had been spied much to the confusion of the opposite forces. The ruse confused the King of Ansteorra, Lloyd, fighting for Stargate, as well as the Prince of Meridies, Francois du Vant also now departed heavenward, fighting for Bordermarch. In the confusion, Bordermarch won handily, with the Barony of Axemoore's Roman wedge under command of Beorn Collen Fhert, Baron Axemoore, splitting the Stargate forces open with their backs to a road, a chasm, and the Grey Niche forces poured into Stargate's backfield. The King of Ansteorra, Lloyd, thinking he was shot by an arrow, received a blow to the helm of a ballista bolt shot by Bordermarcher Yagsavoke Ulric of Bleakwood, now gone from this horizon.
When His Majesty said, "Tell that archer that an arrow to the head is not a kill," those around him confirmed, "It was a ballista bolt, Your Majesty!" He responded, exhaling, "THAT would do it," and he fell dead. In the battle's aftermath, the "two Simonns" knelt before the Prince of Meridies. Francois called Simonn by name indicating for the Don to rise. His Highness Meridies's shock was evident when the real Simonn stood up. Jovial day, all around.
(So what happened to the anvil?? Per Tessa: The 200 lb. anvil was not "moved from beside the wood pile." Instead, the wood pile was silently rearranged in the dark of night, one log at the time, to behind, before, aside, and above the anvil, completely hiding it. A Herald, I believe Telbryne Morningstar, was announcing the search for the anvil, while he was standing on top of the wood pile! During event pack-up, this secret was disclosed to the Baron of Stargate who called for his troops to uncover the anvil and haul it home.)
On another cheerful note, The Anvil War event site was a park in Anahuac, on I-10 exactly halfway between Stargate and Bordermarch. We thought to host it there to equalize the opportunities for each Barony's army, unplanned and unaware that Bordermarch allies from Meridies would overwhelm the odds.
