Pennsic photos
Aug. 27th, 2005 06:33 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
norsegirlFound a bunch of Pennsic pictures here. And by "a bunch", I mean SMACKLOADS, like 1500+! Sifted through them and managed to find a few shots of me and mine:
Some pics of me and discussions on my fighting at Pennsic
I believe this was near the end of the Mountain Pass battle, Ealdormere was told to fall back and guard the flag. This is during a hold, but I'm doing what I was told, which is why there are no enemies and it just looks like we're relaxing. I was totally in the battle, I just didn't do much.
A close-up - see, look ME!
Earlier in the week I entered a tourney. The "fighting laurel's prize tourney" which I figured would be relatively easy, being most laurels are not knights, but every knighted or apprenticed laurel came out to this thing. In a field of 17 fighters, we had two kings, countless dukes, a handful of knights, a couple of squires and maybe 4 total joes, including myself. Tangwystl sponsored my entry into the tournament and I was really proud to fight for her, but at the same time terrified that I would make a fool of myself and tarnish her honour. She kept telling me how proud she was of me for being brave enough to get out there and I kept feeling like a total fake as I put on my bravado and quaked with fear inside.
The first fight I was mercilessly one-shotted by a duke sir "I'm 7 feet tall and you're a shrimp". I think my second fight was much the same. By the third fight (I think) I finally got to fight someone without a white belt, but I was so disheartened and totally on the defence that he got a walk-through. Pictured below:
At this point Tangwystl had other plans and took her leave from the field, and about now is when Jason made an appearance. The next fight was against a florentine duke. I'd never fought against anyone with two swords before (come on, I've only been to three practices already!) and I didn't have a clue what to do. I got legged, lost an arm, and cried because it was my bad wrist and I was feeling pretty emotional. And called "good" on a head shot he thought wasn't because I needed to get off the field and pop my helm NOW!
Me getting legged
Going down to my knees
Jason had to spend the next while fetching me kleenex while the water-bearers went mad with worry - "I'm not dehydrated or hurt, it's a girl thing, I don't want to talk about it, please go away." Though one of them wouldn't take "go away" for an answer and kindly brought me a cup of ice and that was really relaxing against my face and did help calm me.
The next fight I also lost, and lost it again on my way off the field.
The next fight by some miracle I won. I'm still not sure if I won it or if he gave it to me, but as my usual agressiveness had finally made a reappearance it is possible I found a legitimate opening. And despite winning, I also left the field crying. So now it's not pain, or being disheartened at losing, now it's just pure, raw emotion. Incidentally I fought brifly with him and his brothers (kinda, I drifted a lot not having a unit of my own) in the mountain pass battle. He seemed like a really nice guy. I can't recall his name, but he was a squire in yellow and blue chequey.
I think there might have been one more fight, which I lost. But by the end I had regained my composure enough that I wasn't in tears, though my breathing was probably still all jerky and ragged.
After it was over I had a moment with one of the other female competitors, Marie, who gave me a ring and some words of encouragement. I fought a few pick-ups with her before packing up the armour and calling it a day.
Marie is in the red and white.
I came in last place but still got to pick a prize as all entrants had to also provide a prize. The beads I had made went pretty far down the list of prizes, behind a necklace made of *maybe* some handmade beads and a lot of commercial spacers. I guess in future I should string them if I want them to be more attractive. I got a shuttle for weaving, which I'm not sure I will ever use as the wood it pretty rough and I imagine it will snag the work. Would it be wrong to sand someone else's carving to make it smoother? Should I try to make it a useful piece or keep it as a piece of art (it is quite pretty, even if it isn't practical at this point)?
I was also awarded a pretty knitted pouch for "grace and poise on the field" (according to Jason's recollection, I was too fried to even take it in). I'm not sure if that was sarcasm and/or pity or if they were impressed that I stuck it out and kept coming back despite the tears.
Anyway, it was a good experience overall, but I'm not sure I'll ever enter another battle at Pennsic as it was just too much (and not a lot of real fighting as units, I like being part of a greater whole, not just being a guy on the field with a shield and no direction). Though I might bring the armour again next year so I can at least try the Ironrose tourney. I'd really like to be good enough to place in the newbie tournament.
And finally, I found Brigit in the background of one of the shots:
Some pics of me and discussions on my fighting at Pennsic
I believe this was near the end of the Mountain Pass battle, Ealdormere was told to fall back and guard the flag. This is during a hold, but I'm doing what I was told, which is why there are no enemies and it just looks like we're relaxing. I was totally in the battle, I just didn't do much.
A close-up - see, look ME!
Earlier in the week I entered a tourney. The "fighting laurel's prize tourney" which I figured would be relatively easy, being most laurels are not knights, but every knighted or apprenticed laurel came out to this thing. In a field of 17 fighters, we had two kings, countless dukes, a handful of knights, a couple of squires and maybe 4 total joes, including myself. Tangwystl sponsored my entry into the tournament and I was really proud to fight for her, but at the same time terrified that I would make a fool of myself and tarnish her honour. She kept telling me how proud she was of me for being brave enough to get out there and I kept feeling like a total fake as I put on my bravado and quaked with fear inside.
The first fight I was mercilessly one-shotted by a duke sir "I'm 7 feet tall and you're a shrimp". I think my second fight was much the same. By the third fight (I think) I finally got to fight someone without a white belt, but I was so disheartened and totally on the defence that he got a walk-through. Pictured below:
At this point Tangwystl had other plans and took her leave from the field, and about now is when Jason made an appearance. The next fight was against a florentine duke. I'd never fought against anyone with two swords before (come on, I've only been to three practices already!) and I didn't have a clue what to do. I got legged, lost an arm, and cried because it was my bad wrist and I was feeling pretty emotional. And called "good" on a head shot he thought wasn't because I needed to get off the field and pop my helm NOW!
Me getting legged
Going down to my knees
Jason had to spend the next while fetching me kleenex while the water-bearers went mad with worry - "I'm not dehydrated or hurt, it's a girl thing, I don't want to talk about it, please go away." Though one of them wouldn't take "go away" for an answer and kindly brought me a cup of ice and that was really relaxing against my face and did help calm me.
The next fight I also lost, and lost it again on my way off the field.
The next fight by some miracle I won. I'm still not sure if I won it or if he gave it to me, but as my usual agressiveness had finally made a reappearance it is possible I found a legitimate opening. And despite winning, I also left the field crying. So now it's not pain, or being disheartened at losing, now it's just pure, raw emotion. Incidentally I fought brifly with him and his brothers (kinda, I drifted a lot not having a unit of my own) in the mountain pass battle. He seemed like a really nice guy. I can't recall his name, but he was a squire in yellow and blue chequey.
I think there might have been one more fight, which I lost. But by the end I had regained my composure enough that I wasn't in tears, though my breathing was probably still all jerky and ragged.
After it was over I had a moment with one of the other female competitors, Marie, who gave me a ring and some words of encouragement. I fought a few pick-ups with her before packing up the armour and calling it a day.
Marie is in the red and white.
I came in last place but still got to pick a prize as all entrants had to also provide a prize. The beads I had made went pretty far down the list of prizes, behind a necklace made of *maybe* some handmade beads and a lot of commercial spacers. I guess in future I should string them if I want them to be more attractive. I got a shuttle for weaving, which I'm not sure I will ever use as the wood it pretty rough and I imagine it will snag the work. Would it be wrong to sand someone else's carving to make it smoother? Should I try to make it a useful piece or keep it as a piece of art (it is quite pretty, even if it isn't practical at this point)?
I was also awarded a pretty knitted pouch for "grace and poise on the field" (according to Jason's recollection, I was too fried to even take it in). I'm not sure if that was sarcasm and/or pity or if they were impressed that I stuck it out and kept coming back despite the tears.
Anyway, it was a good experience overall, but I'm not sure I'll ever enter another battle at Pennsic as it was just too much (and not a lot of real fighting as units, I like being part of a greater whole, not just being a guy on the field with a shield and no direction). Though I might bring the armour again next year so I can at least try the Ironrose tourney. I'd really like to be good enough to place in the newbie tournament.
And finally, I found Brigit in the background of one of the shots:
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Date: 2005-08-30 03:41 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-30 03:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-09-04 06:15 am (UTC)