Enter the Unholy

This is a report that I recently received from one of the few poor souls who escaped from the advance of the Undying:

Screams, pleas for mercy, and the gurgling death knells of the dying echoed throughout the burning village.

The blazing buildings with the living barred inside backlit the the throng assembled on the village green. Hundreds of vaguely humanoid shapes coalesced into a wall of shadow, watching with cold, empty eyes; the aftermath of the slaughter they'd enacted.

They stood before the village's shrine, mouthing silent profanities to their nameless dark benefactor. Upon the shrine's altar, an elderly bearded man lay bound and whimpering. Grisly runes carved into his chest wept, glinting occasionally from either the fires or fell sorcery...one could not tell.
A horn sounded. It's blast trumpeting thrice to herald the arrival of one of The Undying's dreaded generals, a Death Knight.

They were unwholesome men and women who were neither truly dead nor totally alive but, somewhere in betwixt. Unholy rituals and black pledges to unnamed evils allowed them to cheat the grave...and return stronger than ever.

The assembly parted to reveal three riders on skeletal steeds with eyes of blue-black flame. Their hooves singed the earth where the stood. Their caustic touch marking them unnatural beasts. Of the riders, two were immense beings clad in blackened plate, a greatsword slung across their saddles. One held a banner; a field of divided red & black. It's device a crowned skull.

Oddly, the third rider stood out. Smaller than the others. Thick of limb and clad in light armor. A strange mask made from basalt stone adorned his face. It too was shaped like a crowned skull and hid his pallid features.

He dismounted and then strode to the huddled man on the altar. The old man struggled against his restraints to no avail. Garbled pleas spewed from his mouth as the Death Knight's gauntleted hand reach toward him.

He shrieked, stiffened, eyes wide in terror.

"Thy lifeforce is mine, alderman." said the stout Death Knight nonchalantly.

At the alderman's drained husk rolled off the altar to the ground. Wispy tendrils of green hued smoke curled from the corpse's facial orifices. The Death Knight turned on a heel and walked back toward his steed.

"Plant the banner at the altar, let it mark the fates of any whom would dare oppose us," ordered the stout Death Knight to his companions, "They will know the name of Ekthor Ebonflame before the turning of the moons!"

Flicking the reins of the hellsteed, Ekthor, set off to the next village on the island...the Undying horde following not far behind.

I remember the name of Ekthor. He was one of those who followed Chaplain Hawthorne when he left the Wardens and founded the Witch Fynders. How did he come to lead the vanguard of the Undying?

OOC Game Notes

• This story is part of the background for our upcoming HFS day. I'm calling it the Holy War because it will feature the Wardens vs. the Undying.
• Robb Rodgers (aka Xhorja) penned the above story. He will be playing Ekthor so he took it upon himself to come up with a backstory. Nicely done!

Battle of Cul Cullach's Fangs

After returning to Ember Shoals, the Witch Fynders launched a war against the Moonborn, a tribe of werebeasts that once freely roamed the islands. The Moonborn were long-ago allies of the Druids, whose artifacts hold the hope of freeing the Shoals from the grasp of the Faedwyr. Alas, the Witch Fynders only saw them as abominations and set out to exterminate them.

Lately, Chaplain Hawthorne learned that the Moonborn were resettling Cul Cullach's Fangs, a long abandoned ring fort in the foothills of the Jagged Peaks. The Fangs are a place of spiritual significance & great power. Hawthorne could not allow the Moonborn to reclaim the Fangs so he gathered the Witch Fynders to march upon the fort.

A Witch Fynder

http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/witch-hunter-omnibus_125.jpg

Another power has grown interested in the Fangs. The Undying, an army of undead led by the vampire lord Vicomte De Sangre, also covet the power of the ring fort. They too advanced on the Fangs.

The Undying
From https://tatarskiskandal.deviantart.com/art/Undead-King-43347978

Recently, the three armies clashed at the Fangs.

A few days ago, I Rufus was inspecting the ongoing construction at Freehaven when a messenger approached. I recognized him - Brother Simon, one of those former Wardens who joined with Hawthorne. Here is his account:

Our army approached the Fangs from the south. Hovering over the fort was a large bird; it began flinging missiles at us. We let fly with our pistols and charged the fort, only to run into a troll. The beast lay about, striking many of our number dead while a wererat caught us in a crossfire. Nevertheless, we were able to clear the abominations from the fort and secure control. But then the Undying attacked. Led by a vampire lord, this undead army routed us from the fort.

We advanced again, this time fighting against the Undying and the werecreatures. We would gain a temporary foothold, only to be scattered again. Sometimes, we were able to take advantage of the clashes between the Undying and the werecreatures to make a sortie, but our prayers were not sufficient, and we were driven back. Finally, the vampire lord led an assault that scattered both us and the moonborn. Both our armies fled, leaving the Undying in control of the Fangs.

Brother Simon then accused the Wardens of causing their defeat! Our "apostasy" had caused God to look unfavorably upon them. Only repentance, in the form of reinforcements, could alleviate the situation. I must say that it was an interesting way to beg for aid!

One thing struck me as odd, however. I asked " Did you say that the Undying and werecreatures fought each other?" Brother Simon affirmed his statement, which got me thinking. Why are the forces of evil fighting one another? This brought to mind a passage from the Book of Matthew "“Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand." This could be an opportunity. Or perhaps we misunderstand one of the factions. I would need to investigate.

OOC Notes

• The above account is my recollections from the Ember Shoals midreign last week.
• Robb created the 3 factions and encouraged us to dress as a monster. For this week only, we could play any monster. I, however, chose to play a witch hunter!
• Beast led the Undying army as the vampire lord. Ferrum and Orion were his undead cohort. Ferrum was particularly deadly with his sphere of annihilation! Artemis was the werebird (with nicely done garb!) and Cherry Picker was a wererat. They were joined by a troll, a visitor from Morohaven. Robb, Brutus from Morohaven, and I were the Witch Hunters.
• The scenario was essentially capture the hill, with the hill marked out by rope.

The Witch Fynders

Shortly after the coronation of King Beast  I was working in my office when I received a visit by Chaplain Hawthorne, one of the Wardens' pastors. I invited him in and greeted him warmly, but I was met with a stony stare.

"Brother Rufus," he pronounced haughtily, "you have sinned against the Wardens and against God Almighty himself. You must repent of your evil!"

I was quite taken aback. "How so?" I asked, puzzled by the accusation.

"You have placed yourself in the service of THE BEAST!"

I chuckled, which caused the chaplain to grit his teeth. I continued: "You are mistaken Chaplain. The Wardens support King Beast, a mere mortal who was won the crown of the Shrouded Isles. He has nothing to do with the Beast of Revelations."

"Fool." Hawthorne retorted. "How can you be sure of that? Wisdom dictates that we should have nothing to do with him!"

I brushed aside his concern, but he persisted in his denunciations.

"You have been far too lax in your associations. You ally us with abominations, like those cat-people that attended the coronation. You dabble with heretical, druidic magic. You have turned your back on our beliefs, and disaster has followed!"

"What are you talking about?"

"The Faedwyr, the destruction of Ember Shoals!" Hawthorne shouted and his shook his finger at me.  "All because you have forsaken the True Faith."

"I believe you are mistaken, Chaplain." He would not let me get any further; he continued to rail against me.

After some fruitless argument, Hawthorne concluded with an ultimatum. "Either repent and shake off these impious associations, or we shall have to shake off the dust from our feet!"

"We?" I asked.

"There are others who feel as I do."

Three days later, a ship set sail from Freehaven port, laden with those zealots who followed Hawthorne. They were bound for Ember Shoals, determined to free the island from the control of the "abominations" and "servants of Baal." And thus was born the Witch Fynders.

OOC Notes

• The Witch Fynders were invented by Robb Rodgers as a faction in Ember Shoals's latest midreign. Robb described them as "a splinter sect of the Wardens. Disavowed for their fanatical doctrine & ruthless tactics . . ."
• I got into the spirit of the event by dressing as a Witch Fynder. I enjoyed it so much that I will be creating a new character, one of the Witch Fynders.
• Stay tuned for a report on the Witch Fynders' first combat action . . .

Chasms and Corrosion

Upon learning of the giant attacks in the High Forest, I Rufus organized a force of the Ironheart Accord to provide reinforcements. After landing on the island, we learned that stone giants had abducted some of the local villagers. We rushed to their rescue. The stone giants had set up camp upon a promontory that could only be reached by a natural bridge that wound between gaping chasms. We charged along path to be met by a withering hail of rocks. Then the giants charged. Some of our warriors fell prey to stark terror and ran. The rest of us steeled our nerves and held the line. From then on, I remember few details. I found myself locked in deadly combat with the brutes, while some of our more stealthy party-members, including Varic, sneaked behind the giants and freed the prisoners. With the rescue complete, we were able to retreat and escape.

As we were returning, we passed a cave and heard noises from within. We investigated, and found a horde of club-armed goblins escorting a strange, bug-like beast.

The beast

Upon seeing us, the goblins shouted "Kill the humans!" and attacked. Now battle against some goblins would normally not be particularly hazardous, but the beast changed things. It would strike out at our weapons, which would corrode in our hands. One time, I found myself disarmed and having to protect myself with throwing daggers! Fortunately Ferrum used his healer powers to mend our weapons. We slew the beast and then called on the goblins to surrender. They ignored our offer and paid the price with their lives. With the cave secure, we were able to return to Landfall Castle.

OOC Notes

• The above account describes our battlegames from last weekend. I had the opportunity to play on the side of the heroes so framed the narrative from my perspective.
• The first scenario involved the heroes rescuing "prisoners", represented by heart shaped throwing weapons. The second was a mutual annihilation scenario.
• Robb, who came up with the scenarios, threw in some interesting terrain.

Challenges to the King

No sooner had Beast been crowned than he faced challenges to the security of the Shrouded Isles.

As King Beast and the ambassadors of the various islands sat at the coronation feast, a horde of snake-men rushed into the hall. Their target was the representative of the Meow'tzlan. Beast rallied his loyal retainers and they drove off the assassins.

A few weeks later, an army of giants came crashing through the High Forest, destroying villages in their path.

From http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=8476867&postcount=360

The Sentinels sortied from their stronghold, engaged the giants, and drove them away from the villages. The giants then assaulted one of the Sentinel's castles. At first, the giants strove in vain, as Ferrum with a polearm and Slab with a bow slaughtered the enemy as they tried to cross the drawbridge. But then, more giants smashed through the wall and rushed into the castle. The defenders retreated toward the courtyard, where they found themselves surrounded.

That was when horns sounded from outside. King Beast had arrived with a relief force! He rushed into the castle, catching the giants in the rear. None could withstand his blade; the enemy was cut down in droves. The giants had enough, and fled!

OOC Notes

• This account briefly summarizes events at the last two High Fantasy Society days at Sherwood Forest park
• Last month, after Beast was crowned, I ran a game with snake-men assassins. It was essentially Kill the King. Beast led the good guys while Xhorja stood in as the snake-man leader.
• This month, I ran some scenarios revolving around a giant invasion. The first scenario featured 5 control points representing villages. In a timed battle, the giants had to destroy the villages while the humans tried to stop them. The giants managed to destroy 3 of the 5 for a marginal victory.
• The second scenario featured a castle battle, with the castle walls made from ropes tied between trees. The giants had to cross a drawbridge, get through the gate, and reach a control point before they ran out of lives. It was a drawn out battle but the humans held (with Ferrum and Slab performing great feats). We then switched teams; this time the giants won multiple times (with Varic managing to slip through defenses).
• The final scenario was to be a last ditch defense, but I was too exhausted to run it, and the players decided on a full class free-for-all instead. I think Beast won. Regardless, I turned to a bit of fiction to round out the account.

On Being Knightly

At one point, I googled the word "knightly". Here is what returned:

associated with or typical of a knight; chivalrous.

"a knightly quest"

synonyms: gallant, noble, valiant, heroic, courageous, brave, bold, valorous; chivalrous, courteous, honorable

Notice what's not listed? There's nothing about personal achievement, either on the battlefield or in crafting. This is why I disdain the "lifetime achievement award" that most take when determining knighthood. Instead, I feel that knighthood should be about chivalry and service, which is the approach taken by the Order of the Morning Sun (the official order of knighthood for the Free Kingdom of the Shrouded Isles). 

A King for the Isles

Earlier this month, the inhabitants of the Shrouded Isles met at Freehaven to formalize our new kingdom.

Coat of Arms of the Free Kingdom of the Shrouded Isles

The representatives of the various islands signed the appropriate treaties; we were now pledged to the realm. But who would be the monarch?

Lord Xhorja, a half-orc leader, first put his name into the mix. Others quickly stepped up - Rage and Ferrum from the Sentinels of the High Forest and Beast, a former Sentinel. We decided to have a grand melee to decide the matter.

The candidates formed their supporters, lay on was called, and the combatants charged one another. Ferrum soon lost his healer to a dagger (or axe?) thrown by Lisander. Rage was eliminated, although one of his supporters (XIII) remained to plague the other forces. Xhorja, using his bardic powers, seemed to be doing quite well. Ferrum's and Beast's armies were whittled down.

At this point, Beast issued a challenge to personal combat to the remaining candidate. He first faced off against Ferrum and defeated him. Then he turned on Xhorja. With a scowl, Xhorja strode out from his battle line and engaged Beast. The clash of their arms echoed across the valley of Freehaven. Ultimately, Beast prevailed, and was declared the first King of the Shrouded Isles!

All hail King Beast I!

Paying the Piper

Despite the threat from the Faedwyr, some brave (or foolish?) souls have returned to Lander's Edge. However, during the nights they have been plagued by rat creatures. When the Piper arrived and offered to get rid of the rats, the settlers agreed. When they could not pay his fee, however, he led off their children. The Iron Heart Accord heard their lamentations and we offered to assist. Led by Ferrum, a cleric of the Sentinels, and with me (Rufus) in attendance, our party traveled to Lander's Edge.

We were taken to a long abandoned entrance to the city's sewers. Its grate, rusted shut from decades of disuse, appears to have been ripped from the wall & carelessly tossed to the side. Heaps of debris, old crates, & other trash clutter the catwalk. The air reeking of night soil & sea water. It is here we stopped, just outside of the gaping maw to the under city.

"Here, this be where he led them," wheezed our guide, a scrawny, toothless old rat catcher, "good luck in this fool's errand."

With that he limped off into the fog, leaving our party at the entrance.

Cautiously, we entered the catacombs and made our way steadily through the twisting passageways. On occasion. corridors led off to the right or left, but we continued along the main way. Finally, we came to a gate; alas it was locked! Someone suggested that there might be a key hidden in one of the chambers we passed so we decided to backtrack.

When we entered the first room, we immediately noticed a small chest on the far side. Then a foul stench assaulted our nostrils. We began to gag and our eyes watered. I had to drop my shield and place my hand over my nose in order to function. That's when we heard the skittering/ A swarm of reptilian humanoids crawled out from the murk and rushed us.

Their advance was initially inexorable and we were driven back to the doorway. But then we steeled ourselves and began to push back. We made progress through the room. That's when disaster struck me. A powerful blow knocked my sword from my hand. I had to twist and dodge to recover it. However, I think this setback turned toward out favor. The troglodytes, witnessing my discomfiture, shambled in my direction. Ferrum rushed past them on the other side of the room, grabbed the chest, and made his escape. My compatriots came to my rescue, allowing me to retreat from the room. Once we escaped, the troglodytes ceased their pursuit.

Outside the room, we checked the chest. There was a key, but it would turn out that it was not the right one. There was also a trinket that would prove useful; an amulet that allows one to track an enemy.

In the next room, we were swarmed by goblins. Though we hacked and slashed unceasingly, it seemed that they would not stop coming. We were beaten back and on the verge of defeat. Then I saw Slab the Druid (one of the Sentinels) in one corner chanting. His exhortations seemed to feed the strength of Ferrum,who waded into the enemy and would not be defeated. His example inspired me; I called to my companions "Let's help him!" and I too rushed into the foe. We became a whirling scythe of death. The tide turned and the enemy fled! Our exaltation in our victory was matched by excitement when we found a chest. In it was a key! We ran to the locked gate; it opened it!

We passed through the gate into a large chamber. We were greeted with the sight of a score of rat-faced humanoids.

They were herding another of their kind, but this one was humongous! Behind them was a man (or it appeared to be a man but I believe it was a Faedwyr). He was playing the pipes, which sent the rat-men into hysterics. They madly charged us!

Once again we were locked into deadly combat. The rat-men were not difficult to defeat, but they would not stop. One of our party noted "We need to kill the Piper!" We tried to surge forward, but the rat-ogre would rush into the fray and scatter us.

We had been pushed back to the gate when Ferrum called to me. "Rufus, come with me!" Reaching him, he laid a hand on my shoulder and uttered an incantation. Suddenly, we were transported across the room and faced the Piper. Suddenly, I was fired with a holy rage. I rushed into the attack. Scores of rat-men blocked my path to the Piper but I mowed through them like summer grass. I found myself face-to-face with the rat-ogre. Our battle raged but I managed to say him, and now I faced the Piper.

I heard a roar behind me. Turning, I saw the rat-ogre looming over me! Although bleeding from a mortal wound, it was determined to fight on and take me out! I readied my shield.

Suddenly, there was a mad rampage. The rat-men started rushing from the room in a panic! Their rush got in the path of the ogre. It too was swept out of the room. I then realized that something was different; the pipes had stopped. I looked around and saw that the Piper lay dead upon the ground.

We searched the rest of the catacombs, found the children, and escorted them to safety. I did recommend that the settlers abandon Lander's Edge until we can be sure that the Faedwyr could not return. I am not sure if they will follow that advice.

I am certain that this account has slighted some of my compatriots by ignoring their contributions. In my defense, I can only say that I was heavily engaged in combat and failed to witness all the acts of bravery that occurred. I can assure you that our entire party fought gallantly. In the end, we were victorious and the children were saved. That is what truly matters.

OOC Notes

• This is a recounting of the "dungeon crawl" scenario from last Sunday's battlegame.
• There were supposed to be 5 rooms but we ran out of time and had to cut if off at 3.
• I have occasionally altered events for dramatic for dramatic or narrative purposes. For example, we never made it through the locked gate. Due to time constraints, the scenario was changed so that we faced the Piper in one of the rooms. I changed the narrative slightly because it made a better story.
• I have been playing "barbarian" but am changing some of the abilities to match my persona better. In this account, I describe Fight After Death as a holy rage.

Knights of the Isles

Over on the Dagorhir boards, Primarch Ser Hivemind Saligia of The Cairnhold Legion wrote "knighthood should be about virtue and service, not about how many people you can beat with a foam bat." It is an attitude with which I heartily concur. Even the term itself leads to such an interpretation, knight stemming from a Middle English word meaning servant.

With this in mind, knighthood in the Free Kingdom of the Shrouded Isles eschews the lifetime achievement award approach that is common among LARP groups Instead, knighthoods are awarded primarily for service to our realm.

Squires
Our Kingdom's Council will invite members to serve as squires. These candidates must have some experience (at least a year), have their own garb and weapons, have a reputation for being honorable, courteous, and helpful, have provided service to the realm, and have some skills that can benefit the realm.

The squire will serve in that role for at least a year, and must perform a series of quests.

The Quests
The Council will determine the exact nature of the quests, and will tailor them to the individual. For example, someone whose primarily ability is in crafting won't be expected to perform a bunch of combat-related quests. Here are some sample quests:

• Quest of Knowledge - pass a test on the rules of the game
• Quest of Service - design and reeve a number of battlegames
• Quest of Prowess - use your primarily skill to serve the realm (e.g. a tailor could make monster garb for a quest, etc.)
• Quest of Dedication - stand before the Council as they scrutinize your performance as squire
• Quest of Courage - undertake an in-persona role-playing adventure

Once the quests are completed, the Council will vote on the candidate. If approved, the squire will be granted the title of Knight Companion of the Order of the Morning Sun. Why the morning sun? Because the morning sun burns off the mist that shrouds the Isles. Similarly, knights of the Order are expected to be beacons of chivalry that cut through the haze of incivility.

A Few Points

• Note that there is both a virtue and role-playing aspect to becoming a knight. In the Quest of Dedication, the Council should examine a squire's chivalrousness and their dedication to the RP aspect of the hobby.
• In my opinion, following the code of chivalry is what distinguishes a knight from a standard fighter. The squire should demonstrate the virtues of chivalry in his/her everyday playing of the game.
• Role-playing is important for a knight of our realm! After all, the game is about more than beating on people; it is really about creating a shared fantasy world. Squires should serve the realm by helping to create that world. They do not have to go into full actor mode, but they must contribute something. For example, they must be wearing garb and it is helpful if they have a backstory.
• We will not have a Circle of Knights making decisions. I feel that a circle can potentially lead to cliquishness. Instead, the realm Council, as representatives of the populace as a whole, shall make the determination on who should be squired and knighted.
• Fear not, visitors and migrants to the realm. If you come bearing a title, you will not be asked to drop it. The Free Kingdom will acknowledge such foreign titles and consider you a knight errant (this also means you could adopt a title for role-playing purposes; we won't raise a stink). If you wish to be part of the Order of the Morning Sun, however, you will need to receive an invitation from the Council and complete the quests.
• Finally, becoming a Knight Companion is not the final destination for our aspiring beacons of chivalry. There are also higher ranks of knighthood - Knight Commanders and Knight Champions - that one can attain through additional quests.

Structure of Our New Kingdom

A little while ago I discussed my concept for my ideal organization. Since then, Robb introduced me to the High Fantasy Society (HFS). Much to my delight, HFS grants complete autonomy to each park, which is designated a realm (kingdom).  We are now in the process of setting up a new HFS realm (the Free Kingdom of the Shrouded Isles) in South Florida. Here is a summary of our organization, with commentary.

The Council

• The realm shall be ruled by a Council of representatives. This gives every person a voice in the government, through their representatives.
• Each unit of the realm shall receive 2 representatives. Free folk (those without a unit) shall also have 2 representatives.
• Before it can receive seats in the Council, a unit has to be recognized as an official unit of the realm. This is to prevent a single person from saying he/she is a unit and demanding a seat.
• Currently, there are no set rules to be an official unit. We leave it up to the Council; they should consider the unit's size, participation, and service to the realm.

The Chancellor

• The chancellor is the chief executive of the realm (essentially club president). He/she will run meetings of the Council, put forth proposals for kingdom law, plan and organize practices and events, and take care of mundane administrative matters.
• The chancellor does not make important decisions about the direction of the realm. That responsibility resides with the Council. The chancellor may make suggestions and proposals but does not have the final say.
• The chancellor only gets a vote if the Council is tied. The chancellor will serve as the tiebreaker.

The Monarch

• Because we are a realm, we will have a king or queen.
• The monarch has no power or formal authority. He/she is merely a figurehead.
• I am fond of this rule for a few reasons
• It protects against egotists, motivated merely by a royal title, from taking over and messing with the democratic nature of the realm government.
• It allows a royal court, with more opportunities for roleplay.
• I provides an opportunity for a fun event - I imagine a battle royale for the crown, like the one in Role Models.

That's the structure in a nutshell. We are also planning our own system of awards and ranks (including knighthood). More on that in another post.

The Free Kingdom of the Shrouded Isles

Once we founded Freehaven, inhabitants of neighboring islands began to pay us visits. All expressed a concern that the Faedwyr could escape from Ember Shoals and invade their lands. After hearing about the Ironheart Accord's efforts to end the Faedwyr blight, our neighbors asked about uniting for mutual defense.

After some discussion, we agreed to form a new kingdom. Considering that we are a conglomeration of islands in a mist-shrouded archipelago, we decided to call ourselves the Free Kingdom of the Shrouded Isles.

Although we shall have a monarch, all peoples will have a say in the governance of the kingdom. The individual islands will have a lot of leeway how they govern themselves. We then drafted and enacted our constitution. I, Rufus, was selected as Chancellor (essentially the prime minister of the kingdom). Our new kingdom had begun. Hail the Free Kingdom!

We have one task left; we need to choose our monarch. We felt that the crown should go to the most capable combatant and leader in the Isles. To that end, we decided to hold a tournament, a grand melee. The victor shall be declared the king or queen. I am in the process of organizing the Grand Melee.

OOC Notes

• After some frustration with existing organizations, I began to consider creating my own game. Then Robb told me about the High Fantasy Society. HFS split from Amtgard in the 1990s. They use a clone of the Amtgard rules but each park is completely independent. It sounded exactly like what I wanted all along. Robb and I then decided to form our own chapter. We will use Amtgard v8 rules (perhaps with some tweaks) but will not be subject to the Amtgard corpora.
• We envision the lore for the kingdom as a spin-off of Caligo and Ember Shoals, which is how we came up with the idea of a mist-shrouded archipelago (hence the name). We use the term "Free Kingdom" to emphasize that we are independent.
• Our kingdom will be ruled by a Council, with the Chancellor acted as chief executive. Units (and free fighters) will have representation on the Council, The monarch is merely a figurehead, added for medieval ambiance and because it's fun. Once we get our practices going I'll schedule the Grand Melee.
• I made a comment about the islands governing themselves. This is a veiled reference to units. Each unit will have a lot of freedom about their own ranks, etc. We will have a kingdom-level system of knighthood and other ranks, but they won't be exclusive. If a unit wants to knight their members, we won't stop them. They just won't be part of the kingdom-sponsored order of knights. This philosophy also solves the problem of foreign knights (those knighted under other systems but are now members of the Isles). They can retain their titles. Our lore is very flexible with the units. They can actually created their own island which will be part of the archipelago. Thus, there is a lore justification for different ranks and titles.
• If you are interested in the Free Kingdom of the Shrouded Isles, check out our Facebook page.

Foundation of Freehaven

Our campaign against the monstrosities of the Faedwyr has taken its toll. Their creatures had been diminishing in numbers, but this has triggered reprisals from the Faedwyr. They have sent raiding parties into the hinterland of Ember Shoals to hunt us down. They also unleashed new horrors into the land. We are constantly forced to pick up and move, which is placing nearly unbearable burdens upon our civilian populace.

Recently, we found a solution to our dilemma. While sailing back from the Sentinels' outpost in the High Forest, we discovered a new island* The crew landed and investigated, finding a peaceful land with fertile fields, bountiful forests, plentiful game, and more importantly no hostile inhabitants. Reporting back to the Ironheart Accord, they informed us that it is a perfect place to settle. After some discussions, we decided to move our civilian population there.

Currently, we are under way building our first settlement. We have called it Freehaven, because it is a haven of freedom for our people. Buildings are going up, crops are being planted, and life is returning to normal, without the fear of Faedwyr raids.

We have even had contact with neighboring islands, and there is talk of uniting to form a mutual defense front.

We have not given up our quest to free Ember Shoals from the Faedwyr. We still send out combatants on raids and monster hunts in the Shoals and will continue to do so until our enemies are defeated, But at least we now have a safe haven for our civilians.

* The geography seems to change randomly in the lands around Caligo. New islands crop up from time to time, and Freehaven seems to the one of these that just appeared out of nowhere. We have discovered that Freehaven and Ember Shoals are just a couple of islands in a large archipelago.

OOC Notes

• Given the open-ended nature of the Caligo setting, I have been toying for some time with creating my own island for RP purposes. I just came up with the story to explain it, and will be developing it in future installments. Don't worry; Rufus will still be involved with Ember Shoals!
• I have some additional news but plan to save it for a later post.

Not A Lifetime Achievement Award

In most medieval recreation games, knighthood is treated as a kind of lifetime achievement award (LAA). You spend years doing x, y, and/or z (whether that is being a skilled fighter and winning tournaments, creating masterworks of the arts, or providing extensive services, etc.) Once you have accomplished certain tasks over the span of your medievalist career, you are rewarded for your efforts by being knighted. I'm fine with the concept of a LAA, but it has absolutely nothing to do with knighthood.

To me, knighthood is about embracing the principles of chivalry.* A knight is one dedicated to living in a knightly manner by serving his/her community, treating others with respect (even those with whom one disagrees), and basically making his/her park a better place. You don't need to have a laundry list of achievements to be a knight, you just have to be a knight in your heart (kind of like the Dagorhir realm of Greyglades approach).

Unfortunately, this fundamental philosophical difference creates tension and conflict. The LAA requires a more ordered, hierarchical approach. Someone needs to determine the standards (what achievements are necessary to become a knight) and then monitor who has met those standards. A knight of the heart might not meet those standards, which proponents of the LAA feel undermines their approach. The LAA crowd feels that the knights of the heart haven't "earned" their title. Conversely, knights of the heart feel that the LAA threatens their freedom to pursue knighthood as they see it. The two sides find themselves at loggerheads.

I don't know if we'll ever reach an agreement between the two sides. I am toying with an approach that will require some achievements (based solely on service to the realm) but won't require as long as the LAA approach. I doubt that my proposal will end the debate. I guess that the only solution is to live and let live. Will the two sides be willing to do that?

* Although there are many varied lists of chivalric virtues, I condense them into the following - Charity, Humility, Valor, Loyalty, Responsibility, Integrity. Thanks to Robb for helping develop the list.

What I Want to See

With elections for Caligo and Ember Shoals officers in the near future, my thoughts have turned to the things I'd like to see in our park and in South Florida.

More Cooperation
A few years ago, the various parks in the tri-county area were very active in supporting each other. That support has faded, and it seems that the groups are increasingly insular. I would like us to reverse that trend. How can we do that?

• Bi-Monthly Joint Battles - We used to do these. Every other month, one of the local parks would sponsor a joint battle. The other parks would make a maximum effort to attend. This would result in much larger battles than our normal weekend fare. It would also forge ties among the members of the various parks.
• Annual Campout - Right now, the only larger, weekend-long events are held in central/north Florida. If you can't travel that far, then you miss out on the fun. Why can't we bring the fun south? Once we get used to cooperating with each other to host joint battles, we can consider holding our own campout.

I think that we should reach out to our neighbor parks in South Florida and start the process of organizing these events.

More Atmosphere

While it's fun hitting people, to me Dagorhir and Amtgard shine when we create a shared fantasy world. Thus, I would like to see more effort to create a medieval/fantasy atmosphere.

• Garb - Looking the part really evokes the correct atmosphere. Remember when Robb wore an orc's mask? It made it a lot easier to believe we were fighting the dreaded raider Tarhogg Spearchewer rather than Robb. Well, an easy way to do this is to wear garb. It doesn't have to be difficult to put together a basic kit. I want to come up with creative ways to encourage garb. I don't want to punish or prevent people from playing. Perhaps give more incentives for garb. I'd love to hear your ideas.
• Game Names - I believe that using game names can also evoke the proper atmosphere. If you don't have one yet, let's talk. I'll help you come up with one. If you have one, get used to using it, and encourage others to use it as well. One way to do this is to refuse to respond to your mundane name while you are at the park. If they persist, you can say "I don't know who that is. My name is ________."
• Titles - When I was in the Adrian Empire, titles were far more common than in Dagorhir/Amtgard. As you walked around at an event, you'd hear people referred to as Sir ____, Lord ____, or Lady _____, etc. I felt that it helped foster that medieval atmosphere. I'd love to have more titles at our park. Fortunately, we could use our independence to come up with our own Caligo titles (e.g. I'd like to start an independent order of knighthood dedicated to service to the realm).
• Lore Battles - I love battlegames with a lore element to them. They have a backstory and the results of the game affect our shared fantasy world. They can be difficult to plan, however, so I don't know if we can do more than what we are already doing. I still want to continue with them.

What do you want to see? How can we achieve it?

The Astromancer's Armil

Among the many denizens that have been harassing Ember Shoals since the return of the Faedwyr, the scalor have been a particular nuisance to our seafarers. These fish-men, who live in the shallows along the coast, will often raid ships at anchor. And so it happened a couple of months ago, but this time there was a crucial difference. The leader of the raid carried a driftwood staff with a glowing spherical object on one end. The unfortunate crew identified it as an armillary sphere.

An armillary sphere

The survivors of the raid were rescued by members of the Ironheart Accord. I, Rufus, personally interviewed them. When they told me about the glowing sphere I immediately thought of magic. Could it be the Astromancer's Armil, one of the three Druidic relics that could defeat the Faedwyr? I decided to find out.

I organized an expedition and we set out for the site of the raid. From the coast, we could see the wreck of the victims' ship; It had settled into the shallows with the masts sticking above water like a monument to the tragedy. We used incantations that allowed us to move (albeit slowly) and breath underwater. We then ventured below the waves, and were immediately attacked.

The scalor were upon us like we were minnows. We fought as best as we could but were driven from the waters. But we would not give up. We strengthened our magics and returned to the fray. This time, we were more successful, and were able to make some progress to the scalor's lair. But their defenses stiffened and we reached a stalemate. Beyond the line of scalor, we could see their leader gesturing at us with his staff, the sphere still atop it. He grew so angry that he ripped the sphere from the staff and tried to throw it at us. Nevertheless, the scalor defenses were too strong and we were driven back to shore.

Or so I thought. As I stood dripping upon the beach, an object suddenly was flung from the depths and landed on the sands. I walked over and picked it up. As I touched it, I could feel the magic flow through me. I knew in an instant; this was the Astromancer's Armil. But who was the brave hero who retrieved it and tossed it ashore? I have not yet found that out.

We now have 2 of the relics in our hands. We just need to find the Gardener's Rod and then we can assemble the Faethorn!

OOC Notes

• This was the Lore scenario for April, organized by Xhorja (aka Robb).
• The scenario was essentially heavy object, but was set "underwater." The Ironheart Accord had movement restrictions and had to reach an air pocket to breath. This gave a decided advantage to the scalor.
• Xhorja told me that he (as the scalor leader) threw the sphere at us and it was recovered. I did not see that part as I already had been shattered. That's why I took so long to post this; because I did not witness it I was unsure how to portray it. Ultimately, though, I needed to write something because this was a very important Lore event.

Pirates vs. Pixies

Following their victory over the enemy ship, the crew of the Starbreeze rounded up and imprisoned the captives, tended to the wounded, and repaired any battle damage. That done, they decided to celebrate with a little rum. They opened the hold, and were greeted by a horrific sight.

The rum was gone!

They searched high and low, but could find no sign of the rum. Then, they looked ashore and saw the culprits. A band of pixies were flying into the forest, carrying a cask of rum!

"Get them!" shouted Captain Vandar. The crew raced ashore and tracked the pixies to a clearing in the woods. Scattered throughout was their store of rum. The crew rushed forward to recover their precious cargo. Suddenly, pixies swarmed upon them, stabbing them with slim, sharp swords. Then, the Faerie Queen appeared; she began shooting the pirates with her magical bow.

The Faerie Queen as played by Artemis

Stung by the onslaught, the pirate crew retreated. Then Captain Vandar arrived. With a lash of tongue and the flat of a blade, he turned the crew around. This time, they made methodical sorties, and bit by bit were able to recover most of the rum. Then Vandar ordered a withdrawal to the beach,

But the pixies followed the pirates, continuing to hound them mercilessly. Because of these attacks, Vandar realized that his crew could not make it back to the ship with the rum. As he surveyed the battlefield, he could see the Faerie Queen urging on her pixies. Vandar knew what needed to be done.

"Kill the Queen!" he commanded.

The pirates turned their attention upon the pixie leader. Shots rang out from their pistols, forcing the Queen to dodge and duck. The pirates surged forward, beating back pixie attacks and pressing toward the Queen. Finally, a shot struck her and she plummeted to the ground, The crew rushed her and struck her down. Triumphantly, they returned, only to find the captain bleeding upon the ground. The pixies had rushed him and cut him down.

"Get me back to the ship." he moaned. The crew picked him up and brought him back to the Starbreeze.

That night, as the Starbreeze sailed away from the cove, Vandar rested in his cabin. Though weak, he knew he would recover from his wounds. It had actually been a good day. He had captured a ship and rescued his rum from the pixies. But, would he be able to use the cove again, or would the pixies return to deny him his hideout?

OOC Notes

• This account reflects the remaining 2 scenarios of yesterday's Amtgard Day
• First (of the above), the pirates had to rescue bottles and kegs (made from rolls of camp pad). The pirates did well, recovering 1 of 2 kegs and 5 of 6 bottles.
• The second was a Kill the King scenario. The pirates won this one.
• The players used their standard classes, but they had additional abilities depending on their side.
• Pixies also had the ability to fly, but they could use no armor nor could they break shields or armor.
• Pirates had "pistols," represented by magic balls. Pistols shots worked like Force Bolt.

Battle for the Cove

Captain Vandar, the notorious pirate commander, sailed his ship the Starbreeze into the isolated cove on the coast of Ember Shoals.

Captain Vandar as played by Robb Rodgers
Photo courtesy of Lea Anne Pitt

Suddenly there was a cry from the crow's nest.

"Ship ahoy!"

Vandar started in surprise. Why was another ship using his secret cove? He could not let that stand.

"Beat to quarters! Prepare for battle!"

The drummer beat the alarm. The crew primed, loaded, and ran out the guns. The ship bore down upon the interloper. Vandar could hear the alarm coming from the other ship. But they would be too late!

The Starbreeze sailed within range. "Fire!" called Vandar. A salvo burst from the mouths of the guns, raking the enemy ship.

"Prepare to board her!" commanded the captain. He wasn't going to waste time in a gunnery duel; he planned to take the battle to the foe. His ship surged forward, and rammed the enemy bow to bow. Grappling lines sailed across, drawing the ships close. Vandar's crew rushed forward, but the enemy had formed a shield wall. The crews hacked, slashed, pushed, and shoved, but neither side could make headway.

One of Starbreeze's crew released the lifeboat and brought it to the side of the enemy, Using it as a bridge, the rest of the crew could outflank the rival pirates. Now there was a two front battle going on. The crew pushed forward, determined to take the other ship. But suddenly the enemy broke through and rushed upon the deck of the Starbreeze. The situation was dire, but the crew fought valiantly and defeated the rush. Once again, a stalemate set in.

Vandar suddenly had an idea to break the stalemate. He sheathed his sword, grabbed a shield, and dove into the water. Using the wooden shield as a makeshift raft, Vandar made his way around to the enemy's stern. This diverted attention away from the main battle. With this distraction, the crew of the Starbreeze was able to rush forward and take the enemy ship, including their fine store of rum!

OOC Notes

• This is an account of the first scenario from yesterday's Amtgard Day. The theme of the day was Pirates and Pixies so we began with a boat battle.
• I took some artistic license for this account. The scenario wasn't about taking the ship; the objective was to steal the other side's rum. I just thought that a battle of conquest made a better story (and it makes more sense in conjunction with the other scenarios, which will be posted at a later time).
• The part of Captain Vandar was played by Orion in this scenario, although it was actually Robb who jumped into the "water" and "swam" around the ship. Robb would take over the role of Vandar in the later scenarios.

Updating the Chronicle

I have been remiss in updating my account. Ever since the formation of the Ironheart Accord, I have been inundated with responsibilities and have not found time to write. We have been clearing out some of the monsters that the Faedwyr have released into Ember Shoals. This has attracted the Faedwyr's notice and now they are hunting us. We have to keep moving from camp to camp, keeping one step ahead of our enemy.

The archipelago of Ember Shoals still remains off the coast of Caligo, allowing us to maintain contact with the Sentinels of the High Forest. We have received reports of their activity. Here is one of the reports:

After a succulent feast of dire turkey, and the successful rescue of Father Wyntor, the Sentinels enjoyed a well-deserved rest. The tidings were good, and the feasts were merry, however such goodness can only last so long in the corrupted land of Caligo. One night during yet another merry feast, a strange visitor stumbled in, and collapsed. To the surprise of the Sentinels their visitor was a wounded Dwarven cleric, when pressed on how he received these wounds, he spun a tale of awe and woe… 

While his people had been mining the darkest depths of the world, they had stumbled upon an ancient kingdom, once belonging to the Nubian spider people. The strange magic of the realm corrupted their king, and forcibly transformed him into the Spider-Lord. In an act of desperation, the cleric had taken his holy weapon Thunderclap, and used its powerful magic to seal away the Spider-Lord. left unchecked, the spiders would eventually find a way out, so the wounded and weary warrior found his way to the Sentinels of the High Forest to beseech them for aid 

Compelled by their mission against evil, the sentinels armed themselves for battle, plunging into the depths of the world to smite unrivaled evil, not knowing how many of them would return.... 

The Sentinels must aid the cleric in retrieving Thunderclap, using it to open the throne room, and smite the spider lord once and for all, putting to rest the unfortunate Dwarven king.

I have since heard that the Sentinels' expedition was a success. One of their allies, a mighty warrior named Raven, struck down the Spider Lord.. The Sentinels recovered then recovered Thunderclap.

While this was good news, I recently received dire tidings. A band of orcs led by one Tarhogg Spearchewer has been raiding throughout the Shoals.

Tarhogg

Their latest raid is an act of horrendous infamy. They crossed a ravine over two bridges and cornered a unicorn in a small clearing. They were attempting to capture the creature when a patrol from the Ironheart Accord heard the commotion. Investigating, they intervened and managed to drive the orcs back across the ravine. But the filthy, corrupted monstrosities refused to give up their foul designs. Spurred on by their venomous hatred of all that is good, they renewed their efforts. They counterattacked, and this time the Accord was forced to retreat. This left the unicorn at their mercy. With the Accord temporarily neutralized, the orcs roped the unicorn and dragged it off to their lair. We are now trying to track the orcs but haven't succeeded yet. Tarhogg is a cunning brute and covered his tracks well. Our quest continues however.

I do have some good news to share, which shall be my next account.

OOC Notes

• The account of the Spider King comes from Orion. It was a scenario that we ran in January.
• I don't have accounts of the February or March scenarios. Feel free to send one to me if you have it
• The account of Tarhogg's evil was from our May scenario. It was essentially a heavy object bridge battle with 2 bridges. The unicorn was the object.
• Thanks to Artemis for designing the scenario
• Kudos to Xhorja and Orion for dressing up for their roles as Tarhogg and the unicorm, respectively. Thanks for adding to the atmosphere of the scenario. If anyone has pictures of them, please send them to me so I can add them to this account!
• Speaking of pictures, Xhorja posted the one above on the Ember Shoals Facebook page. It was so good I had to share it. Please let me know who the artist was.

Getting by with a Tabard

Why Garb?
Foam fighting, whether Amtgard or Dagorhir, is about more than beating your opponent into submission. It is also about creating a shared fantasy world in which players interact.* One of the best ways to make this fantasy world come alive is to look the part, and that means dressing in medieval/fantasy clothing (garb). You don’t need to do a lot to meet this goal.

* Some fighters may deny this goal of a shared fantasy world. If they were correct, however, the rules of both Dagorhir and Amtgard would not mandate wearing garb!

Starter Garb - The Tabard
A tabard is the easiest way to start with medieval garb (more specifically European medieval garb for men, although women can also use these ideas, especially for fighting garb). A tabard is simply a large rectangle of cloth with a hole in the middle. Put your head through the hole and you're ready for fighting!

A tabard (laying flat)

There's not much to making one, In its simplest form, just cut out a hole in the cloth. As shown above, it works better if the hole is slightly off center. You may want to hem the edges and facing. This tutorial provides more information about making a tabard.

What to Wear under Your Tabard
A tabard alone won't make you look medieval if you are wearing it over modern, mundane clothing. For example, a tabard over cargo pants looks out of place. Fortunately, you can create a decent look by pairing your tabard with regular clothing that is not too modern. The key is to find modern clothing that approximates medieval styles.

Some examples of medieval clothing

One thing you may notice in the picture above is that the men typically wear long sleeves. You want to emulate that if you want to look more appropriate. In contrast, wearing your tabard over a short-sleeved t-shirt will look like a mish-mash of modern and medieval.

Here is an example of some garb I quickly threw together

The tabard is made from a bedsheet and thrown over a long-sleeve shirt. I find it surprisingly effective!

There are ways to make your tabard-shirt combination look more medieval. Here are some tips:

• Cover the shirt’s modern cuffs and collar. In the picture above, the gloves and mask hide the cuffs and collar. You can also hide the collar with a hood (see the Accessorize section below).
• Make the tabard long enough – knee-length is good. Yes, it will look like a dress; get over it. We already look silly running around with foam weapons; might as well go all out.
• Create a more medieval look by flaring out the bottom, like so:

• Convert the tabard to a surcoat by joining the sides on the bottom half of the garment. It will look like a sleeveless shirt. You can either sew (which will be sturdier) or use fabric glue.

Appropriate Pants
To complete the look, you want pants that don’t appear modern. Cargo pants or athletic shorts just won’t cut it.

If you look at the examples of medieval garb above, you'll notice that the men are wearing legwear that fits tight to their body. They are wearing the most common form of medieval men's legwear known as hosen or chausses. It is very easy to replicate this look using modern clothing; just get a pair of tights. If you are scared of wearing tights you can call them compression pants.

There are a few of things to look for:

• Stick with plain, basic colors (like black) - even though medieval people liked bright clothing they would not have had access to vivid fluorescent colors or wild patterns.
• Avoid or hide logos - again, we want to be basic. However, logos on the waistband are OK because those will be hidden by our tabard
• Try to find material that is not too shiny - natural fibers don't have a sheen like modern synthetics do.

Accessorize

Another way to dress up your medieval garb is to add accessories to your outfit. Here are some ideas.

• A leather belt - belting your tabard will prevent it from flying around, exposing your mundania. It also creates the common medieval silhouette. You want a long belt so you can follow medieval fashion and leave the end hanging down
• A hood or other headwear - medieval men typically wore some kind of headwear. One of the most convenient is a hood, It hides our modern collar and it just screams medieval, You can buy one or find a pattern online (here is one example). You don't have to go with a hood, however. Any medieval-style headwear, even a simple leather circlet, will evoke the proper mood.
• Shoes - medieval footwear is a tall order for beginners so it's fine to wear modern shoes. The key is to avoid something too modern. Stay away from white sneakers! Instead, find plain back or brown footwear (boots are fine).

Upgrade Over Time
The ideas above will get you started with medieval garb. From here you can upgrade over time, adding new and better pieces as you go.

The Ironheart Accord

After reporting my discovery to the Sentinels at Landfall Castle, I Rufus returned to the main island of Ember Shoals and headed toward Heron Hall. I passed ruined fields and the remnants of once-prospering villages. All human habitation was now in ruins. Of people, however, I saw not a trace.

On a couple of occasions, I was attacked by fell beasts. Apparently left on the island by the Faedwyr. These I managed to slay with sword and arrow. I made it safely to the remain of Heron Hall. I strode through the now burnt and blackened corridors. The heron tapestries of the Great Hall lay in ashes upon the floor. All was in ruin, or so I thought.

I next visited the chapel, and found it remarkably preserved. The altar, the chalices, the pews, and the ornamentation were all untouched. I gazed in wonder at this miracle.

"Holy ground. The Faedwyr cannot enter." a voice spoke from the doorway. I whirled around, unsheathing my sword and dropping into a fighting stance. As light shone on the speaker's face, a flash of recognition passed over me.

"Brother Jaromir?"

"Brother Rufus?" he replied. "Is that really you?"

I sheathed my sword, rushed over, and grasped his hand. "Aye, it is me!"

After a very brief, happy reunion, Jaromir grew serious. "Come, let's leave. It's not safe. The Faedwyr keep Heron Hall under watch." He led me out of my old home and into the woods.

On our journey, Jaromir explained what had been happening in Ember Shoals. The Faedwyr had killed or enslaved most of the people, but some had escaped into the wilderness and had formed scattered settlements. The Faedwyr (and their fell beasts) still appeared, seemingly at random, so it was unsafe to travel far. The settlements eked out a meager existence in the shadow of the enemy.

I was greeted warmly at Brother Jaromir's settlement, located in a concealed clearing deep in the woods. It was a ragtag group that included a wide variety of the citizens of Ember Shoals. Wardens rubbed shoulders with corsairs, farmers, adventurers. You name it.

At dinner, I mentioned my resolve to fight the Faedwyr and reclaim Heron Hall (and all of Ember Shoals). My statement was greeted with mirthless laughter.

One of the settlers stated: "We cannot fight the Faedwyr. They have dark, mysterious powers. It's a hopeless dream."

"A dream perhaps," I replied. "But not hopeless." I told them about the three druidic artifacts and the Faethorn. I saw a glimmer of hope in their eyes.

"Come friends, let us band together. Though in the past we have had our differences, let us put those aside and join as one. We will forge weapons of cold iron so that we can stand up against our enemy."

Brother Jaromir interrupted me at this point. "We will need more than iron weapons to be victorious. We will need hearts of iron."

"Yes!" I responded. "And that we have in abundance." I gazed around at the gathering around the fire. I saw a few nods and smiles.

"Therefore, let us form an alliance of the ironhearted men and women of Ember Shoals. Together, we will find the artifacts, fight the Faedwyr, and free our home!"

Cheers greeted my statement. And on that night, the Ironheart Accord was born.

A Topsy Turvy Order

One of the things that irks me about knighthood in most medieval re-creation organizations is that they are misplaced on the order of precedence (which shows how the different titles rank in the official hierarchy).

Let's take Amtgard as an example and compare it the the actual hierarchy in England

Amtgard Order of Precedence

• Barons
• Knights
• Baronets
• Lords
• Warlords
• Masters
• Squires

Source: http://amtwiki.net/amtwiki/index.php/Order_of_Precedence

English Order of Precedence

• Barons / Lords
• Knights of the Garter / Knights of the Thistle
• Baronets
• Knights
• Squires

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_precedence_in_England_and_Wales#Barons

Notice the relative position of knights. In real life, they rank below baronets and lords while Amtgard has them above. In Amtgard (and other medieval re-creation organizations) this creates a topsy turvy hierarchy where there are more lords than knights, and lords get less respect. A more realistic structure would have a smaller number of lords, each having a retinue of knights, squires, and men-at-arms at their command.

I'd also like to point out that the English order of precedence actually has multiple levels of knights. For simplicity I only show 2 (regular knights and Knights of the Garter / Knights of the Thistle) but there are more. Most medieval re-creation groups only have 1 level. This is one thing I liked about the Adrian Empire - they had a 3 level system of knighthood. For example, a combat knight would start as Knight Bachelor, progress to a Knight Banneret, and then to a Knight Champion. A multi-tiered system would allow a player to have further goals after getting that initial knighthood.

I have a lot more thoughts about knighthood but I'll be splitting them across multiple posts. Stay tuned.

A South Florida Kingdom

Hearkening back to my previous post, I mentioned that I prefer smaller kingdoms than we see in Amtgard. Ideally, in my opinion, a kingdom should be no more than 2-3 hours drive from end to end. This would make it easier for most chapter members to attend kingdom events. Thus, I see the tri-county area (Dade, Broward, Palm Beach) as an ideal span for a kingdom. Alas, we don't have one. So what can we do about it?

I hear talk about forming a South Florida Amtgard kingdom. We would need to go through a bunch of hoops to do this. Increase our numbers, become a principality under Neverwinter, and then after a number of years we petition the Circle of Monarchs for admittance. Personally, I just don't see this happening any time soon.

But why should we wait? We can create an independent, cross-gaming kingdom right now. We just need to get the various foam fighting groups in South Florida to join together, come up with an acceptable format, and implement it. The main objective of the kingdom (as I mentioned in my previous post) is to coordinate events and encourage chapters to visit each other.

Having our own kingdom has a number of advantages. We don't need to travel so far for kingdom events. We unite and encourage cooperation among the various local groups. We can develop our own system of awards and titles. We are free to do as we please.

There is one drawback - our awards and titles won't have any meaning outside our kingdom. That's not a problem for me because I don't seek affirmation from a bunch of strangers and don't care if I lose any titles should I move to another kingdom. Some people, however, want to earn nationally recognized titles. Well, there is nothing to preclude them working on another title (e.g. an Amtgard knighthood) while within the South Florida kingdom. I do believe, however, that if we build up a strong kingdom then our titles will carry some weight and people won't care about other awards.

Note that we don't have to call this organization a kingdom. We could call it the South Florida Foam Alliance. The main objective would remain the same - coordinate the disparate tri-county chapters. As its first order of business, I would love to see it reinstate the bi-monthly JUBs (joint unit battles). It's easy to do - let's create a Council consisting of 2 representatives from each South Florida chapter. Set up a Council Facebook page and have the Council elect a President. Then the ball will be rolling.

What are we waiting for?

My Ideal Organization

I'm taking a break from lore stories to jot down some thoughts on foam-fighting organizations.

Soon Ember Shoals will send its petition to join the Amtgard kingdom of Neverwinter. I must admit to having reservations about this move. Not that I have anything against Amtgard - I actually love the v8 rules. However, Amtgard's "government" is the antithesis of my ideal organization. The issue boils down to centralization and standardization vs. decentralization and local autonomy.

Amtgard is a model of centralization. There is a national board of directors and committee (Circle of Monarchs) that govern changes to the rule book. They have a nationally standardized system of awards and titles (including knighthoods). They have far-flung kingdoms that reign over a number of local chapters, verifying that the chapters submit the correct paperwork and controlling higher level awards. Amtgard has devised a rational system that ensures that the local chapters play correctly. Sounds good, right? I loathe it.

I much prefer a decentralized system where local chapters have the autonomy to play the way they want. They should have the right to modify the rules of play as they see fit (although they should be wary of reducing safety regulations). Instead of a nationally standardized system of awards and titles, I think chapters should have the freedom to give out those that they feel are justified (even knighthoods!). The chapters should be allowed to determine the standards they wish to follow rather than have them imposed from above by a faceless administrative body.

Furtthermore, I dislike Amtgard's kingdoms. They are just too large. For example, Neverwinter spans from Georgia to Miami. Its size makes it impractical for a majority of the population to attend kingdom events. This creates a dichotomy between those who can travel and those who cannot. I would like to see smaller kingdoms but because Amtgard imposes restrictions on becoming a kingdom this is difficult to implement. A park could opt to be a freehold, but Amtgard essentially punishes them by making it impossible to gain higher level awards.

I would like to break away from the Amtgard model and see a different structure for foam-fighting,

• The rules of play should be open source.
• A new chapter would not need to sign a contract to play the game.
• Chapters would have the right to tweak the rules as they see fit.
• Chapters would be autonomous.
• They would have the freedom to give out awards and titles as they see fit, without needing approval from a higher body. (The rules of play could include a suggested awards system but the chapter could modify it as desired).
• Without having to report to a higher authority, the chapters would have less paperwork.
• Nearby chapters could ally together to form a kingdom in order to coordinate events.
• Kingdom size will likely be smaller, and therefore more accessible to a greater percentage of the population.
• Kingdom boundaries will not be imposed from above but will grow organically from the bottom up.
• Chapters will not be forced into a kingdom they dislike, and they can always leave as they desire.
• Kingdoms do not have to threaten chapter autonomy. 
• The chapter will maintain full authority over its internal affairs (including awards and titles).
• Kingdom officials will simply focus on organizing events.

Ironically, this sounds a lot like Belegarth. Pity it doesn't have classes and spells like Amtgard.

A Surprising Discovery

I, Rufus, have made it a practice lately to ride out from Landfall Castle and patrol throughout the great forest. Last time I rode eastward. Where I would normally turn back after a day or so, something urged me to continue this time. I rode through the forest and reached a coastline. I gazed eastward through the fog, and saw an unsuspected sight.

There in the distance was an island. That's not the surprising part though. I recognized the island's coast How could that be? I hadn't patrolled here before. Then it struck me - it looked like the coast of Ember Shoals!

My curiosity was piqued. I rode along the coast until I found a small, abandoned boat. I clambered aboard and set out. Landing upon this strange yet familiar shore, I strode inland. The landmarks were familiar. I kept going until I crossed some farmlands, apparently ravaged by war. Then in the distance I saw it. Standing upon a dominating hill lay the ruins of once-proud Heron Hall, home to the Wardens! I don't know how it managed to end up off the coast of Caligo, but it was truly there. This was no dream!

I rushed back to Landfall Castle and reported the news. Now that I can reach Ember Shoals I intend to return, and find out what happened to my home.