AZ-RUNE

Whew it's 2012 and I am still at this road to knighthood.

I have been given another piece of Duke Aaron's armor to work on and it turned out pretty good.

http://az-rune.deviantart.com/gallery/34704035

You can see all the before and after pics there.

Thanks,

AZ_RUNE

Well first let me preface this post with - unless you're in the SCA you won't get this.

My knight is Viscount Sir Jerry the Inverter of Kilkenny, whom has been Prince of the Sun in Atenveldt, Baron of Atenveldt, Knight of the SCA and for a significant portion of my life a surrogate father when I needed one deeply.  An injury took him from the field for a good number of years and during that time for my own reasons (mostly girls and chasing skirts) I fluttered in and out of the SCA.

Coming back for me is like showing up at a family reunion and everybody grew up, got married, and moved out of mom and dad's.  Dad's much older and can't help teach you some of the things you were to dumb to listen to growing up. So what is a squire to do?

I headed out and began meeting people again.  I began to meet a number of people that started to help me get better as a fighter.

In the Barony of Sun Dragon:
Duke Jonathon Von Trotha (whom was also a squire of Sir Jerry and we served House Inverted as squires together)
Duke Aaron Graves (awesome left handed fighter and mass weapons)

In the Barony of Atenveldt:
Sir Shawn of Kilkenny (the current head of House Inverted)
Squire Duncan (I can't pronounce his SCA name, which is bad for me because he is the minister at my upcoming wedding!!)
Sir Elias and his monday night practices
Squire Pelagius - Queen's Champion of the 84th Crown of Atenveldt & the Baronial Champion of Atenveldt

In the Barony of Tir Ysgthir:
Duke Eduard Gostomski (his WHOLE household has been very welcoming, and helpful. I owe Sir Ivan more talk time about hand made tools, hahaha!)

In the barony of Twin Moons:
Baron Morgan of Twin Moons (has been helpful but mostly because when he would say something to someone else I paid attention)
Count Tristan Dragonheart (for figuring out my stance issue that had developed - trying to fight sword and shield like I was holding a pole weapon)
Sir Kazmir Konstantinov(short Kaz - and this is whom the remainder of this article will be about)

Look at that list!  Now I will list a list a few name not on this because how they helped did not directly work with fighting: Baron Brion the Pious of the Barony of Granite Mountain, Thegn Tighearnain of the Barony of Tir Ysgthir, Baron Dongal of AESIR Metalwyrks, and Sir Johannes of Windrose Armoury. Baron Brion, Duke Edward and Sir Kazmir have kept up with messages asking how I am doing and taking a personal interest in me, and I am not their personal squire. This says volumes to their commitment to the SCA and its future fighters. Both Tighearnain and Dongal answered questions for me about what the differences were for them on the chivalry and the other peerages in the SCA. Sir Johannes simply said pulled me into a room at his shop and said, "You want to be a knight do this list long enough and it will be the best route I can suggest."

1. Show Up! We can't help you if you're not here.
2. Practice! This will mean weekly beatings at fighter practice and pell work in between.
3. Be Better! This will take a while since it means the beatings at fighter practice will happen less because you're getting better.
4. Qualify to fight in crown! Even if you don't win no one will know your name if you don't make a showing in tournaments and in time start getting farther and farther to the end of them.
5. Find a knight you click with and stay with it.

He told me my appearance looked good, Baron Dongal added I needed to keep the helm polished after each fight. Well I have been showing up and wow there have been a score of people to help me!

Well I got to know Sir Kazmir Konstantinov through Baron Dongal. He introduced me to him when I was looking to get a center-grip teardrop shield made from wood like Sir Vitus Von Aztinger is know for making.

I had even considered joining Duke Eduard's household in Tir Ysgthir, but he asked me to talk with Sir Jerry and Sir Shawn (whom let me borrow his pell).  After those conversations I decided to stay and try an provide inspiration to my household I grew up with. I have since talked further with Sir Kazmir and he took a vow not to take a squire for a year and a day which will end at Saturday, Estrella War 2012. I talked with him about being a foster knight and I his trainer squire that he could get use to what that would mean to have one.  An accord was struck and my training commences forward. Right now he wants me to use only wrap shots and rather than question it I am merely trusting my foster knight and waiting to see the wisdom in it. I just see no point in arguing with Mister Myagi about why 'paint the house' is important, just do it.

The road to KSCA continues forward thanks to everyone in this post.

I want to be a knight.

Okay.

How do I do that?

Well, that's the funny thing is there is not one set path and the road becomes different for each person but one path seems more traveled than others.

Okay, what is that well traveled road?

You could become a squire, an apprentice or protege if you will, to a bonafide knight.

How do I do that?

Well you have to ask one of them and hope they say yes. They will most likely give you some tasks to see what you are made of and whether they can train you. Then they tend to let you know if you pass and or fail the challenge to serve them.

So this is a job?

Well what did you think it was a checklist? A gathering of points until you become a level 2 human? This is no game however, thinking about it like a challenge you WILL overcome tends to help.

So it's not a job but a challenge?

No, its not any one thing. So it's not just a job, but also a challenge, a path, a lifestyle, a career, a calling, and so much more.

Then how do you become all those things at once?

Choose to be them and live them each day.

Huh?
I make a choice and poof I am a knight?

Yes and no.

Wait you can't have it both ways how is it yes and no.

To quote a movie: "You find a great many truths we cling to depend greatly on our point of view." Now while you make a choice to be a knight how can you choose to be one when you don't know what it is you are choosing to be? Now the "Squire" makes a lot more sense to have a guide along the path. Someone to help you discover what being a knight means.

Well yes when you put it that way.

 There are some basic tenants you must follow, but if you follow the rule of doing unto others as you would have them do unto you then you're well on your way and didn't even know it.

Alright so if I treat someone nicely it is because this is how I wish to be treated, right?

Correct, but what if they treat you rudely, they are saying they wish to be treated thus?

Wait, if they are rude and I am nice might they be nice as well.

Perhaps, but if no one is there to show them the way then they may stay rude forever.

Oh I am choosing to be the example, right?

Correct, but this is still just the beginning of the journey and you have yet to face a trial when no one else is there to watch you, do you do the right thing or the easy thing.

Ok I need to find a guide, a knight.

And when you loose your guide and you know the journey is not over, what of the bond between knight and squire?

I am not sure try to carry on in their name, their ideal, I guess.

When you find yourself asking questions and you have no to answer them what then?

Do I find another knight or muck around in the dark?

Only you can answer that, and it may be the hardest question over doing what's right or what's easy.  Welcome to your first trial.


 To this day I keep asking the question and I am not sure about my choice...

Well, I was finally getting good enough that there was not a single fighter on the Barony of Sun Dragon field for FP that I lost every fight to. I even managed to dis-shield one of the fighters using a center grip oval shield! His grace, Duke Aaron Graves has been kind enough to show me hand and a half fighting style and makes sure to train me a bit personally each week.

I can't thank him enough so when he asked for some repairs to his armour I was only to happy to oblige since this what I love to do. I tried to dye the outside coal black and then to match the color scheme of his armour I gave him red straps stitched into the vambraces. More to come as I work on other pieces as a way to say thanks.

Before:












After:













Lord Iosif Volkov, Squire to his excellency Viscount Sir Jerry the Inverter of Kilkenny
House Inverted
Baronial Guard of Sun Dragon
Kingdom of Atenveldt

Here is the review of the Verix2 Linux Gaming/Mobile-server/etc laptop from ZaReason, by Joe "Zonker" Brockmeier.

http://www.linux.com/learn/tutorials/473692-review-zareasons-verix-2-linux-laptop-hits-the-spot

Linux

Laptops

W00T!!!


Lord Iosif Volkov, Squire to his excellency Viscount Sir Jerry the Inverter of Kilkenny
House Inverted
Baronial Guard of Sun Dragon
Kingdom of Atenveldt

http://www.jonobacon.org/2011/07/30/open-source-health-with-fitbit/

This is a cool little contraption that can be hidden in your armour to test the effects of fighter practice on your body.  Also, whether or not you are pushing yourself at fighter practice or just showing up.

Well, John of Windrose Armoury said when sat in on circles of Chivalry, that they ask how potential knights support the other order of the peerage: Laurels and Pelicans.

I have donated my time at events before and I LOVE doing demo's whenever I can. The S.C.A. doesn't grow on trees you know!! :-P

Today, however, I entered my first A&S (Arts and Sciences) competition. I entered into the Baronial A&S Champion for the Barony of Sun Dragon (West Metro Valley) and while I did not win champion I did win for the categories of food and jewelry.  Wow, food that was my first attempt at making butter with shaking the creme, grinding the mint, and then adding honey as I mixed it together and froze it.

I was also given the award of the Honor of Sun Dragon (1st level - Red Ribbon / service award; think Pelican) and the Order of the Dragon's Scale of Sun Dragon (1st level - Red Jewel / A&S award; think Laurel).  Now I am working on some aluminum shoulder plates to display them from the left side.  The more important issue is that I have taken another step into a much larger world.

Then at closing court yesterday I was also awarded for winning the Sun Dragon Art Botega and gifted with a box that I shall mount hinges and a latch to so it may hold links for me.

Till next time.