Now that I’ve officially re-entered mundania, laundry done, tent aired out, and had that first hot shower, I’ve had a chance to reflect and realize how much this Pennsic truly filled my soul.

A New Camp

Emeline and I started the year by joining a new encampment, opting to camp with our home barony of Settmour Swamp. After eight years with Bhakail, we of course missed our familiar friends in the Serengeti, but we took the opportunity to build new relationships and spend more time with our local friends. We weren’t entirely sure what that would be like. Settmour welcomed us with open arms, and that was that.

A few months ago we put in our letter of intent to run for Baron and Baroness of our local group, so being camped with the Swampies had a practical upside too. We were close by for our Baronial candidate meet and greet, and for court, which was filled with the sort of shenanigans that make Swamp court as unique as can be. The Swamp was also gracious enough to host Emeline’s vigil and elevation ceremony in camp, which was exactly as she’d hoped it would be.

Emeline’s Elevation

It takes months of planning to coordinate an elevation (menus, regalia, logistics, speaker confirmations) and I’m deeply thankful that Emeline’s Laurel, Vivian de Dunbar, coordinated the regalia and pre-vigil planning. With such capable friends handling food, beverages, and regalia construction, plus a host of gifts to celebrate the achievement, Wednesday’s event went off without a hitch.

Enormous thanks to Lord John Renwick for his delicious food, and to the cooks who assisted him: Teresa, Nico, Juliet, Charis, and Fiona. Thank you as well to everyone who pitched in day-of to clean up and set the stage. Lord Jon Fox coordinated setup with help from nearly everyone in camp. It was a genuine team effort. There are so many others to thank: Markus, Aiden, and John and Nina for their brews, and everyone who made a gift for the day. A special shout-out to Juliet for her beautifully embroidered veil, and to Melora for an impressive hand-painted portrait of Emeline (which, if you haven’t seen it, is on display in our tavern at home.)

Leather, and the Pursuit of a Shoe That Fits

I also had the chance to make some gifts, most notably a girdle belt and a pair of 14th century pierced leather turnshoes. I’ve been studying and working more on my leatherwork lately, and I’m enjoying learning about period shoes and the techniques used to make them. I even got to take a class with Master Dru at Pennsic, which gave me a lot more to chew on.

The belt was hand-dyed with a water-based leather dye and sealed with carnauba wax. The end fittings are replicas of 14th century originals from Armor and Castings, and the chain was handmade by Hekja.

The shoes were my favorite piece to construct. I patterned them and made a muslin mock-up to check the size. I then made the first pair, at which point it became clear they were, in technical terms, enormous. I adjusted the pattern and made a second pair that fit Emeline’s foot considerably better. The goat leather upper is a little thinner than would have been typical for outdoor shoes, but that’s common for indoor slippers and more formal occasions. The shape is the J-shaped upper typical in 14th century French footwear, with a single seam at the instep. The heel still needs adjusting, it doesn’t quite give enough coverage to keep the shoe on her foot when she walks, but I’ll keep working the pattern and keep making them. Footwear is one of those details that really finishes an outfit, and a bespoke shoe always catches the eye.

On Sunday I got to see Her Highness’s shoe entries for the Arts and Sciences exhibition and talk with her about her process. It’s always useful to see how someone else works through the same problems, and what tips and tricks they’ve picked up along the way.

The War Point

For the War Point itself, Emeline displayed her Cennini backdrop, complete with handmade brushes, paints, cartoon, and flogger. She discussed her process and the innovations happening in scenic design and stagecraft as documented by Vasari and Cennini, and displayed the full-scale color realization of Cennini’s comic backdrop, originally created for the Swamp’s immersive Venetian Carnevale event this past February. She hadn’t officially been elevated yet, so she competed alongside other Laurels in the category, and they took the war point!

An Unexpected Tuesday

Emeline’s elevation was the big focus of this war, but I received an award of my own in court on Tuesday: I was inducted into the Order of the Silver Crescent. I was gifted two beautiful medallions, including one crafted by my apprentice cousin Solveig and a legacy medallion from Brogain. A complete surprise, and an honor I’ll cherish for years.

What’s Next

Now that Pennsic is over, there’s plenty to look forward to. Ducal Challenge is coming up and I’m working on my entry piece. I’m also glad to be doing more fencing. I only barely scratched the itch this war, participating in Monday’s field battle melee with spears and RBGs, which was chaotic and enormously fun. Ducal Challenge should scratch it properly with some tournament-style fencing. I have a new 40″ rapier from Emeline for my birthday that I’m still breaking in; a few inches longer than my usual sword means my reach is a little better than my opponents may expect.

In early October, I’m autocratting Settmour’s Day of Champions, a small event where we choose our next champions for our martial activities. I’m working with Brendan, a newcomer to the barony, as my deputy autocrat so he can see how events run. Teaching the next generation how to run events is an exciting prospect and it’s how we make sure we can keep the dream going.

While we wait for next Pennsic, we feel fortunate to have a series of smaller events throughout the year, game and crafting nights with friends, and, of course, dinner in our basement tavern to relive some of the Pennsic vibes.