Barony of Stormhold

The overriding theme in Stormholds' A&S activities and competitions will be one of persona development. Inspired by other competitions around the known world, the aim is to explore what your persona may have known about, experienced, or done in your chosen time period.

A&S meetings will still be held once a month, and will act as an introduction to topics that can be further discussed or worked upon at Kensington Hall, and there is a chance to show your new skills with a competition held at Monthly Bash. A lot of these competitions are documentation-based, as they deal with persona development.

There will be 8 themes for the year:

• Introduction to persona and documentation
• Decorative arts
• Costuming and Clothing
• Entertainment
• Literacy, Numeracy and Language
• Occupations
• Knowledge of foreign cultures
• Technology

They may sound scary at first glance, but these categories have been chosen to be broad enough to accommodate a wide variety of interests, and the wide variety of skills that our barony members have.

The dates for the A&S meeting and the competition deadlines have been sketched out below, however they are flexible and can be moved if they clash -- e-mail me [rebe.lucas at gmail dot com] if you have any concerns.

As from June, the monthly meeting will be on a Thursday night at the Clifton Hill Church Hall, Corner Michael & McKean Street.

Introduction to persona and documentation
14th December 2007-- A&S meeting covering the basics of how to research, how to write up your research, and what sort of questions could you ask about your persona.
Note: Date changed so as not to clash with Krae Glas' Summer Twilight Tourney.
Handout is now available online!

3rd February 2008 -- A&S competition at monthly bash.

Decorative arts
25th January -- A&S meeting about various ways of decorating things, like silk painting, embroidery, calligraphy, drawing, or other activities.

7th March -- A&S competition held at St. Barts Newcomers' Tourney

Costuming and Clothing
With Rowany Festival fast approaching, what better time than to look at ways your persona would have dressed to keep warm, or cool depending on the weather? Then, fter Festival, when feeling inspired by the clothes you saw other people wearing, discuss what you would like to do with your wardrobe. Also, footwear will be discussed at one meeting.

Friday night meetings: 28th March and 25th April
4th May -- competition for clothing theme held at monthly bash.

Entertainment
How do you pass the hours at a feast? tourney? in the hall of your castle? Games such as chess, backgammon and cards are possible, as are more active pursuits such as dancing, singing or falconry.

June 26th -- A&S meeting
July 6th -- Competition day, at monthly bash.

Occupations
Are you a butcher, baker, candlestick maker, or an alewife?
Are you a baroness with an estate, or a freeman with a farm plot?

24th July -- A&S meeting
20th September -- competition, at the Stormhold Baronial 20th Birthday.

Literacy, Numeracy and Language
What language do you speak? Do you know more than one language?
Can you read and write? What sort of script would you use? What would you write on? How do you count? Do you own any books, and what are they like?

28th August -- A&S meeting
5th October -- competition at Monthly Bash

Knowledge of foreign cultures
What countries, tribes, or cultures are your neighbours? Would you consider them friends or enemies?
This topic is mostly to give people a taste of other personas that may interest them.

25th September -- A&S meeting
2nd November -- competition at monthly bash.

Technology
Metalworking, woodworking, siege engines, astrology, astronomy and anything else that doesn't fit in with the other categories.

30th October -- A&S meeting
6th December -- competition at William Marshall

Three more important dates
27th November -- planning meeting for the year ahead
18th December -- A Christmas party?
4th January 2009 -- winner of 2008 competition announced at bash? (OR at William Marshall.)