Event Review - 2019 AmaCon demo - by Owen ap Aeddan
I had received a missive from the wonderful and very beautiful Lady Hette von Hamburg, explaining that the Shire of Adlersruhe was holding a great feast and gathering on the Feast of Manaccus. There would be a chance to practice tournament fighting and there would be great displays of many wonderful pieces of art. I had just returned from answering the call put out by the Commander of the army of Vindheim, Centurion Wulfgard Martel. We readied ourselves quickly, letting my children hug and kiss my very beautiful inspiration, Contessa Genevria de Betto de Adriano, before we girded ourselves for another trip through the beautiful lands of Vindheim to visit the greatest Shire in Vindheim: the Shire of Adlersruhe!
Many blessings upon our mighty and wise Sultan Vladislav and our exquisite Queen Margaret; even while they are far off to the Pennsic War, their roads remain clear and our travel was without incident. It also did not hurt that we travelled with so many fine warriors of Vindheim. We arrived at one of the holdings of Bagadur Angatai where we settled in and enjoyed his excellent hospitality, and readied ourselves for the activities of the Feast of Manaccus.
We arrived early, unloaded our gear, and met with lovely Lady Hette von Hamburg - who is currently tasked to be the Seneschal of Adlersruhe and is doing an amazing job. Her mighty and most honorable husband Lord Johann Von Strasburg was there, and as always it was great to see him! Whether on the Rapier or Chivalric field, he brings honor and nobility to spare on whatever field he takes.
When speaking on a noble, honorable and skilled individual, we cannot forget Lord Roan Kirkbride. Long have I been blessed to call this man a friend. It was with much joy that we shared a hug and then the honorable field of combat all day. He also provided cooked chicken for all to eat and shared his skills with the food he prepared. Everyone who travelled with me spoke of the delicious food and my kids ate enough for several adults.
I was so grateful that I got to see Lady Helena Kirkbride. She is a most excellent wife, mother and her help was irreplaceable! The songs of her beauty do not do her justice. I am sure that without her efforts, people would have really died. I very much look forward to seeing her more often, for she brings a joy with her that is easily felt and shared.
The Chivalric Champion of Wiesenfeuer honored both of his Baronesses with his prowess, his honor, and his love for the Barony of Wiesenfeuer. Of course I am speaking of Lord Godfrey of Del. He not only fought like the incredible warrior he is, but did so with such grace and style that His Grace Hoegaarden who chose to bless all of us with presence commented to me what an excellent example of a chivalric combatant, Godfrey is. I could not agree more.
His Grace Hoegaarden moved to our Kingdom from the Outlands. Because he is such a truly great person, we quickly became friends. I treasure the wisdom he has shared with me and I am truly blessed with his friendship. His skill on the field of battle is legendary. He trained everyone who was interested, especially using the pell that Lord Godfrey brought. Every child in attendance got a lesson from him, including his adorable son.
She who is fierce on field and glorious in battle, Lady Siaua Thugater Karsou, fought not only on the chivalric field but the Rapier field as well. Her hard work has paid off and she struck me with a killing blow, defeating my glaive and taking the field. It was an awesome moment and I am so proud of her increase in skill.
My Squire Centurion Alexandre Marcellus has two Men at Arms that both bring so much honor and so many different skills to the house of Owen’s Keep. Lord Ivan Half Jaw notified me while we packed up that he would be joining us, which brought tremendous joy to my heart. His humor and stories fill me with laughter and make even a treacherous journey more enjoyable. His skill on the field has also greatly improved and his love for great weapons is so charming that it makes you want to fight with a great weapon as well. Great was his skill. All day did he fight, and much honor did he bring to his Lord.
David of Myrgenfeld also joined us on this trip. I have spoken before of David’s greatness on the Youth Chivalric field. He fought all day and with great skill, he brought much honor and glory to his family. I enjoy his company and love the progress he is making towards becoming a young man.
Henry ap Owen, my oldest heir, and Guardian of the Kings Dream to our mighty Sultan Vladislav was there. His joy of fighting, along with his energy, draws in youth interested in seeing what he is doing and wanting to know if they can do it as well. He had someone to fight besides his brother, Adair ap Owen, which made him very happy.
Adair ap Owen has a very strong will. He decided that his helmet was to small, so he left it at the house. Now Adair ap Owen comes by his willfulness quite naturally, so I made him wear Henry’s helmet and we found a helmet for Henry to wear in the excellent amount of loaner gear that Adlersruhe has in their possession. He fought well, which fills me with pride to watch him as he fights and learns.
I first saw Leikr, the beardless son of Johann and Hette, fight at Vladislav and Margaret’s Coronation. His skill is amazing to watch and I very much see a lot of greatness in him. He fought well all day and absorbed information like a sponge. I very much look forward to his continued growth as a fighter, and as a young man.
Normally I do not speak to of the skill and prowess and devotion of the rapier field, but due to my familiarity with some of the combatants and my adoration of the lovely and talented lady Eirany de Hyet, I feel I must comment on what I saw.
The Honorable Lord Marquet de Hyet is a good man and someone I am honored to call my friend. He does many things exceptionally well and is a stalwart worker for our great Kingdom. His skill on the rapier field is amazing and watching him fight is pure joy. However, I need to speak on his role as a father. I have known Lady Eirany for a significant amount of her life; she was a good kid who worked hard helped out and made the SCA better with her smile and enthusiasm. She has become such a wonderful Young Lady! I truly look forward to every chance I get to see her, because she is still making the world a better place every time I run into her. Her smile is contagious, and her skill on the rapier field has significantly grown, even with the terrible injury she sustained to her leg. She is truly a treasure and I am deeply honored that she calls me a friend.
I had never seen Honorable Lady Margaret MacDuff fight before. I was not at Wiesenfeuer Baronial this year so I missed her victory. However I can easily state her skill is amazing and she honors her Baronesses with it. She fought with style and poise, and one could easily see why sword fighting is called an art form. With her blade in her hand, she painted masterpiece after masterpiece; it was glorious to watch.
There was another gentle who took the field as a rapier combatant - he is an excellent bard, and not shabby with a blade, either. A failure on my part is not knowing his name.
We feasted well due to the hospitality of the Greatest Shire in Vindheim, during the Feast day of Manaccus. We slept safe and secure, and upon waking, refilled our supplies, and headed home. The roads were clear and maintained. We saw the Romani travelling freely as our Sultan decreed. It was a fine trip home and after some much needed rest, I was finally able to put my thoughts to words.
As I witnessed it,
Iarll Owen ap Aeddan ap Trahaearn
Marchog of Ansteorra
Vindheim Strong
