Seated far from high table,
No fanfare or fuss,
The used up viscountess is left in the dust.
Her eyesight is going,
Her hair has turned gray,
She still attends court
But can't hear what they say.
Her circlet is rustly,
But what can we say?
Her only attendant
Finally got his A.A.
She said a cross word
And he left on the run.
She's forgotten that we
Volunteer to have fun.
Camped away from the royals,
Her pavilion is shot.
The poles are all broken
And the cloth has dry rot.
The used up viscountess
Long since had her day.
Now she clings to the mem'ries
Of the old SCA.
Back to the August XXXII (1997) Gatekeeper
Letter from Far Drachenwald
I apologize for the neglect I have shown in reporting the occurrences and actions of my trip thus far. My only excuse is that I have been busily attending to my scholarly duties in an effort to ensure that I may return to my Lady and my Barony at the earliest possible convenience.
After a week's stay in An Tir, visiting my ancestral home, I proceeded to Londoninium via a magical flying drakkar. It was an arduous trip, and I was sore tempted to throw many of my fellow passengers over the side, but felt that the mundane authorities would not take kindly to such acts, no matter how just the cause.
I arrived in Londoninium at the port of Gatwick, and was taken via a large multi-chariot (which was pulled by a large, smoke-bellowing beast) to the center of town, where I stayed at an inn for the night. I was unable to spend much time in this city, but forsoothly I was much relieved when I was beyond the limits of that place. I have only once been in a city so large, and that was in the service of my father's-brother Sam, when we guarded the southern portion of a small peninsula from a threatening northern invader known as a Com-mie. There are indeed wondrous sites in Londoninium, but I would indeed prefer to be in the company of more of my friends when I visit there.
On the next day, I met a fellow traveler, a mundane from Oertha who has been in the fair city of Edinburgh since July. He is a scholarly type, and well-versed in the mundane Laws of Oertha, and is in Edinburgh for a time to both learn and teach at the university there. We traveled together from Londoninium to Edinburgh, again via the large chariots so prevalent in this land. There I stayed for 2 days and nights, and was able to do some small bit of touring. I wandered the streets a bit, sampling the fare and admiring the work of the carpenters and masons here. I walked along the King's Street, and saw the court where traitors and rebels against the English crown were hung. There is a small mosaic of brick in that courtyard honoring those brave dead who gave their life in efforts to free Scotland.
On the second day, we hiked to the top a a small knoll, from which you could see the whole of the city. It was indeed an incredible sight. We then walked down to the town and saw the location of the new Scottish parliment building, which is to be located in a very tragic location, for they plan to raze the oldest Grove in the city to make way for the new building. I walked amongst the Grove for a time, and spoke with them, and felt their age and their majesty. This will indeed be a tragic loss for Edinburgh.
Whilst there, I also visited Edinburgh Castle. It is indeed a well-made and defendable fortification, one that would have been difficult to take in any day. However, no place is completely indefensible, and I regretfully inform thee that Edinburgh Castle has fallen. It has been overrun by merchants, who palm their wares on the unsuspecting traveller, and by people with scholarly facades who will, for a small fee, lead thee around the place and tell thee fine tales of kings and queens, battles and betrayals. It is still worth seeing, but the commercial flavour leaves a foul taste in one's mouth. I need to return there, however, to properly sketch the massive cannon that lies there, as my initial sketches did not turn out well due to an improper type of paper and the artificial lighting in the room.
The following day I traveled to the fair city of Aberdeen. Aberdeen is slightly larger than the city which is the capital of Eskalya, although Aberdeen takes up far less space on the land. I was met at the chariot station by my local host, and they took me to the inn where I was to stay whilst I located a place to live for my duration. They had made arrangements for me to stay in a 'flat' belonging to a friend of theirs, however that friend had gone out of town and his daughters-husband had rented the flat to another person but 2 days before I arrived. And thus I was left scrambling for a place to stay, and unfortunately ended up packed into a small flat like a pickled herring with 5 other students, all much younger than I.
While I have been spending most of my time with my studies, I have some how earned a reputation here already as one who is scholarly-wise as well as worldly-wise. And for some reason both my flat-mates and the people in my office regard me as someone not to be trifled with, which is something I do not mind but find difficult to understand, as I have done little outside of work. Has the reputation of Lord Ewok spread so far as to strike fear in the hearts of men half a world away?
I have been down to view the statue of William Wallace that is here in Aberdeen. If you could send to me the address for Viscountess Nori, I would send her the sketch she requested. There is rumored to be another statue, one commissioned for this last summer's anniversary festivities of the Battle of Stirling Bridge, however I have been told that it is not worth going to see, as the artist used as a model on Mel Gibson, much to the chagrin of the local Scots.
The only other trip of note that I have made thus far is to the Sands of Forvie, which is a dune-system which lies to the north of Aberdeen. Amongst these dunes, lying in the heather, is a circle of stones that were placed there in the 3rd Century before the beginning of the Christian calendar. To stand in this ring and to feel the power of this ancient land was truly amazing, and an experience I shall describe in more detail at a later date.
Those are my journeys thus far, and I shall attempt to report more regularly on the happenings here.
I hope all is well in Winter's Gate, and please give everyone my heartfelt regards.
In service to Winter's Gate and Oertha,
- Grimr
Back to the November/December XXXII (1997) Gatekeeper
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