Happy Summer, Altavia!

Warmer weather means busy days and we have seen a lot of activity since our last meeting! We had our first in-person anniversary in 3 years right after our last meeting and it was a glorious day full of Highland hi-jinks! There were Highland games, a silent auction and bake sale that helped raise much-needed funds for the barony and a snow cone sale that cooled us down on a worm day and helped raise funds for the kingdom! We have new champions – Duke Sven for Armored, Don Nathaniel for Rapier, Her Ladyship Amabel for Unarmored and Master Sir Niccolo for Arts and Sciences. Many thanks to Lady Amber for stewarding this event after a long delay and everyone who helped out before the event and day of, especially Dame Lynnette for running the auction, Lord Pieter for creating and running the Highland Games and especially Mistress Cecilia for all the little and big things you did to make sure this event happened. Everyone in the barony worked so hard to pull this event off and you should all be proud of the fun day we created for the kingdom.

After our anniversary event came Wintermist, where we saw yet another baronial changeover. We said thank you and “Job well done!” to Baron Einarr and Baroness Sunnifa and welcomed Baron Ajax and Baroness Fabia as the took over the helm of the lands to our north. It was a great day with much friendship and laughter and sharing of shade with our Cousins of Calafia.

The next week saw some of us traveling down south to Potrero War. We very much missed His Excellency (damn that plague!) but had a nice, if small, camp with our friends from Angels. It was great to get to know their Vicaress, Honoree, better as well as meet new friends Meggan and Rob…Camp Angeltavia was so much fun! We had a few folks out on the armored field and I even got out on the rapier field for a fun day of “sword tag” Thank you to all Altavians that camped with and for House Valentine being a home away from home on several evenings!

Following Potrero, a few of us travelled down to Gyldenholt where we once again combined forces with Angels for low-key hangout day. We once again missed His Excellency especially as we saw his protégé sister Morgana elevated to the Pelican that day.

Finally, this past Saturday, His Excellency, who we were so glad to see feeling better!, Our Captain and I travelled down to Gyldenholt once more for Collegium. It was a great day full of learning and hats off to Dame Gwen and her team for pulling off a lovely in-person Collegium once again.

On a much more somber note, we learned during Collegium that another shining light of Altavia and Caid has gone out. Baroness Aelfwyn Wodende, 3^rd baroness of Altavia, passed away last week. While I didn’t have a chance to get to know her outside of Facebook as she was already out of kingdom when I started playing, I have heard so many wonderful stories of her time as baroness and all she did to help start the youth combat program here in Caid. I have been touched by the many remembrances I’ve seen posted since the news broke and our hearts go out to Baron Duryn, Dame Lynnette (her chief lady), and all who knew and held Aelfwyn dear. If we hear of any local plans to honor her or for memorials, we will keep you informed.

On a sadly similar topic, if you hadn’t already heard, Baron Llewellyn of Naevehjem passed away suddenly while were at Potrero. Our hearts go out to all in Naevehjem that have lost so much in the past few years, and we will likewise keep you apprised of any plans to honor him as well.

As always, we are here for you if you need to chat, need a hug, or any help in anyway. It is hard when we suffer loss but it also illuminates what a strong and loving community we have when we see how immediately people offer help and shoulders to cry on when these tragedies occur.

Never forget that we love you, Altavia, and we will be here for each other, always.

Yours in Service,

Baroness Briana MacCabe

Baron Nikolaos Phaistos

Happy Birthday, Altavia!

In just a few short days we will be celebrating our wondrous Barony’s 39^th birthday with our first in-person Anniversary in three years! We are so looking forward to all the fun we’ll have and memories we’ll make at this Highland Games-themed event. As His Excellency is so fond of saying, it’s going to be a grrrrrrrreat day!

Looking back on April, we had quite the busy month starting out with Dun Or. It was a lovely yet breezy day…quite the theme in Caid these days as you’ll hear. Thanks to Amabel, we were able to present our Cousins with some lovely custom dice which they loved. Thanks to all who came out and helped and hung out with us!

The next week it was up to Wintermist for me and my ladies as we saw all the amazing artwork being produced in Caid. Our own seneschal, Sibylla, entered the costume review event in the arts&sciences faire and acquitted herself quite well!

The following weekend, His Excellency headed out to al-Sahid for their anniversary on yet another blustery day. However, the wind couldn’t keep our good Niko down and he came away with the title of al-Sahid’s rapier champion for the year!

The next two weeks saw His Excellency and I travelling to two back-to-back baronial investitures, first in Starkhafn and then in Nordwache. Starkhafn was a lovely day full of ceremony, humor, and yes, more wind. Nordwache was a calm and lovely day with much marshalling for Niko and much arting with our friends from Dreibergen for me. Our newest Cousins of Starkhafn, Thomas and Catylyn, and our newest Cousins of Nordwache, Cormac and Dalla, very much appreciated the market bags created by Edith, the chess sets created by Amabel and Edith and the lovely painted boxes by Sibylla and Marianna. Once again, thank you all for you generosity with your art.

Oh, I forgot to mention that on Sunday after Starkhafn, we spent a lovely day in our own backyard at Woodley Park celebrating Robin Hood Archery and Thrown Weapons tournament with our friends from Angels. It was a bitter-sweet day as we said good to our Cousins Johannes and Sophia who sadly needed to move out of kingdom. Honoree stepped in as Vicaress for Angels and there will be a full investiture of new baronage for Angels this September at their anniversary.

Last weekend, His Excellency and a few Altavians made their way out to Darach Anniversary. I hear it was a lovely day with a light breeze and much fun was had by all.

Coming up this month, besides this weekend’s momentous occasion, we have Wintermist Anniversary on May 21…. which is also an investiture. We hope that you will all be able to join us up there and while the site is small, we will still have some shade in the form of a pop-up.

Then, later that week, is something I think a lot of us have been look forward to for years…the return of Potrero War! I will be travelling down with Cassandra and Monique, your trusty camp mistress, and we are aiming to be there at noon on Thursday. Even if you are not camping with the Barony, please stop by camp and say, “Hi!” We’re hoping to have a potluck populace dinner in the dragonwing on Friday evening so look for more info on that on the Book of Faces as we get closer to war.

These notes are a bit epic already, so we’ll save more comments and thank yous for Saturday…save for one more. You might have already heard His Excellency and I mention this but on Saturday, after 4 eventful and joyful years of service, we begin our search for heirs. More will be posted about the details after the event but the general shape is that we will accept letter of intent through mid-August, do polling in the fall, announce heirs at Yule and then have the changeover next May. If you are interested, please feel free to ask us any questions you may have. We hope that there at least a couple of folks out there interested in taking on one of the best, most challenging, and rewarding jobs in the whole of the SCA.

Please know that we couldn’t do any of this without you and we are eternally grateful for the time you all give to the Barony and the trust you have placed in us as your Baron and Baroness.

Yours in Service to the Dream,

Baron Nikolaos Phaistos

Baroness Briana MacCabe

Spring has sprung. The COVID restrictions have been lightened. People are starting to gather together once again. The temperature has been optimal for outside activities. The birds are chirping and there is the songlike sound of swords bashing shields.

We started the month with Crown tourney. It was a spectacular spectacle of swordsmanship where His Highness, Prince Adam (not of Eternia) was victorious for his inspiration Her Highness, Princess Staena.

West Coast Culinary Symposium happened online this year.. It was well attended by individuals from around the Known Word. We are sure some great food and recipes were had. Excitement and fun flowed through Zoom and anticipation grew for the next live symposium in the West.

A number of Altavians went to Gulf Wars. From all the stories and photos that were taken, it looked like a great time was had. Our contribution of largess to the Crown was happily received and appreciated. The Queen was well looked after. Thank you for representing the Kingdom and the barony so well. Your hard work makes this game happen.

We had a great Arts and Science class this month where we made largess. It was a very productive evening.

Altavia knocked them over at Gyldenholt/Calafia Friendship tourney! Our kubb game was a big hit. We received so many compliments on how fun it was. We even saw a few Altavians helping people learn how to hit a pel. You guys are AWESOME!!

Dun Or Anniversary was a blast. We had a great many Altavians there to fight and have fun. And much fighting was had. THL Griffith and Lady Amabel fought valiantly in the heavies bear pits. We had a handful of rapier fighters, and Don Nathaniel Longbow made it to the rapier finals. It was a spectacular day.

Last weekend a small but mighty crew of Altavians headed up to Wintermist for Caid’s premier Arts and Science event, Pentathlon and Arts and Sciences faire. The arts we saw and heard and tasted up there was simply amazing! There are not enough words to describe the talent and the bravery of Caid’s artisans put themselves out there for all to see. Our very own seneschal, Lady Sibylla, entered her first Arts and Sciences faire in the Costume Review category with an amazing Burgundian gown. Congrats on a first place Journeyman placement on your very first entry, Sibylla!

We will be trying something new for our baronial council meeting this month. It will be both in person at a new venue as well as on Zoom. It should be lots of fun and we should be able to get through all the events on the agenda in a timely fashion. (Here’s hoping!)

Now we look to the future. Al Sahid and Starkhafn anniversaries are coming up as well as Robin Hood Archery Tournament. There are quite a few investatures this season and we plan on attending as many as we can.

Remember, if you want to come to an event, but don’t have a ride, talk to us. We will try to get people together for carpools to save on gas. As always, Thank you all for all your hard work and service. You are Barony and you make it shine!

Yours in Service to the Dream,

Baron Nikolaos Phaistos

Baroness Briana MacCabe

Hello, Altavia!

Spring is just around the corner and, after a relatively quiet February, event season is about to go into high gear!

Since we last met, we’ve attended two events. The first ever Red Star Rapier War in Wintermist and last weekend’s Crown Tournament in Naevehjem.

Rapier War was a blast with many fun times both on and off the field! It was so much fun facing off with our baronial cousins from Dreibergen and then getting to laugh and dance and sing with everyone in the tavern at night. It was great community building event for the kingdom and we both highly recommend attending next year, even if you aren’t a rapier fighter. Thank you to all the Altavians that came out and played!

Crown Tournament was windy and cold, but all our hearts were warmed by the excellent fighting and chivalry shown on the field. We cheered on our marshal, THL Griffith and his lady, Amabel, in the lists and then watched as the finals came down to a three-way Many congratulations to TRH Adam and Staeina! Thank you to all who huddled with Altavia on that chilly day and to our Cousins of Dreibergen who provided hot drinks to all who needed them. On a personal note, thank you to everyone who wished me a happy birthday both online and in person and especially to all those that came out to karaoke at the Moose Lodge to celebrate with me!

Coming up this weekend is the start of Gulf Wars where TRM will be in attendance and the online West Coast Culinary Symposium. If you are interested in period cooking, I highly suggest checking it out (info is posted on the book of Faces) and consider moderating a session for them as I know they are still in need of people to help out with that.

The following weekend on the 19th of March is the Gyldenhot/Calafia Friendship event. While there will be some fighting, mainly in the form of melees, the focus of the day is the living history artisans village. Come hang out with us in the dragonwing and investigate some new skills during the day. We will bring the baronial kuub set and perhaps get a bit of a friendly tournament going on with that!

That will take us to the end of March but April promises to be busy with two baronial investitures at the end of the month plus lots of planning for our own Anniversary on the horizon. We will need a lot of largess in the coming months, and I have spoken to a few people on some special items. Thank you to all those that have already contributed largesse this year including Niko, Edith, Allesandra, Battista, Caterina, and many more!  I will also try and host a couple of ring-making events so we can get a good stock of those going and I am always happy to hear suggestions for other items we should be gifting. Please reach out if you’d like to help!

We hope that you all have a grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreat month and don’t forget to spring ahead this weekend.

We love you, Altavia!

Yours in Service to the Dream,

Baron Nikolaos Phaistos

Baroness Briana MacCabe