Letter of Intent send by the honorable Lord Svartr Ormsson and Lady Maerwynn to Their Majesties Steffan and Branwen.
Greetings to Your Majesties Steffan II & Branwen II, to Your Excellencies Rudiger & Alyenora and to the populace of Ildhafn and Cluain does the Honourable Lord Svartr Ormsson & Lady Maerwynn bid good tidings.
We are pleased to be able to submit our nomination to become your next Baron and Baroness of Ildhafn. In this we trust you will find our
nomination and formal letter of intent acceptable for your consideration. Within you will also discover our background in the SCA, along with some of our ideas so that you may come to know us better.
By way of an introduction to Your Majesties and to the populace at large we have been involved with the society since late 2004 (A.S.XXXIX). As a family our first event was Yule, held in Cluain, and we have been formal members since early 2005. Our friends introduced us to the SCA and it was heavy combat that was the initial catalyst. Very soon after, the world of heraldry, persona research, armouring, costuming, dancing and attending local gatherings and trying new food that got us enthused. Though it was meeting new people with diverse interests that got us hooked.
Svartr's view from the scribal pot… Noting none of this would have been possible without the support of my lady and of numerous others who I now call friend. Marking our first true taste of service in 2006, Cluain held its first Coronation event in which King Draco II and Queen Asa II were crowned. My lady and I both received an Award of Arms and tokens of Their appreciation, which we still wear fondly. Just prior to this an event, affecting our Reeve and current Baroness, altered my SCA world as I volunteered to take on the role of Canton Reeve.
Service through participation is one of the pillars of the society and I have been fortunate to also hold the role of Canton Seneschal, Chatelaine, Marshal at large and Scribal warden. I've filled the role of Kingdom Reporting Deputy, assisting 4 Kingdom Seneschals, and am stepping down as SCANZ Inc. Corporate Treasurer as I'm in my 3rd two-year term. I have also stewarded or co-stewarded a number of local events - predominantly St Johns on 3-4 occasions and also a couple of one-off events. For this service to date I have received 2 Aldermans, a Golden Tear and a Silver Pegasus.
I am currently protégéd to His Excellency Master Bartholomew Baskin and we have discussed the effect this submission will have if my lady and I are successful. In this we acknowledge we will need to wind up this formal arrangement.
Maerwynn's view from the fire pit… Early in my SCA life I was recognised by Their Excellencies, Sir Inigo and Baroness Cecilia, with the Alderman, Ildhafn's Baronial Service Award. When I reflect back this small act on their part enriched my feeling of being part of the greater Barony, particularly since we resided in the Canton of Cluain.
Over the years I have run a number of meal plans for the Canton. Here I have learned how to accommodate those with allergies and how to serve tasty period dinners on time, when cooking over a fickle fire. In gaining an understanding of medieval flavours and how recipes from the same country work well together, I have enjoyed challenging myself by catering to themed events. It was through my ability to cater for varying numbers, with minimal leftovers, whilst keeping under budget that I was awarded a Golden Tear.
I am looking forward to being creative and broadening my skills and knowledge in new areas of the SCA…
By our fealty we would swear to obey the Crown's lawful commands, ensuring we faithfully hold and administer Ildhafn, Your Barony, supporting all people of Ildhafn in their various endeavours, bringing their good works to the notice of Their Majesties and, being mindful of the harmony that springs from our own deeds, to treat all courteously, whatever their degree or station.
This paraphrases the Baronial oath and the responsibility for which we are nominating ourselves. We would see it as a great honour to represent our existing and future friends within the Barony in the court of Their Majesties and likewise represent Their Majesties in their lawful requests. All of whom we would come to defend in times of adversity and rejoice with in times of prosperity.
We have considered our strengths and weaknesses in conjunction with these responsibilities to try and provide a balanced understanding of how we can best serve. We are also mindful of the dynamics of the Barony we have been part of for these past 13 years and the unique partnership Cluain and Ildhafn have. Through this we acknowledge we will need to increase our presence within the City of Ildhafn. Skype is a resource we already use and the book of faces is a resource we will adopt to expand our communication tools.
Through good communication and continued nurturing in the right areas we know the Barony will remain strong and grow. Membership growth and a sustained public presence will be key, in our minds, to showcase the Barony and to gain new members. So too will be promoting combat in all its forms, though not at the exclusion of the arts and sciences or indeed the care and nurturing of our officers.
Our style of court will adopt forms of intrigue to encourage other parts of the Kingdom to interact with us or to instill a local interest in this facet of the SCA. This will also allow us to flex our persona development and hopefully encourage others to do the same.
With the next part of the process we hope to be able to flesh out some of these ideas and address any further questions Your Majesties, Excellencies and indeed the Populace may have.
In service to the dream.