The Gate Keeper [Image of a Medieval herald holding a horn with a banner hanging down that reads] Camelot 89 CRC Village Green May AS XXIV ________________ Officers Seneschal LD Isleif Brimstone ℅ Gypsey Teague HHC CFA APO SF 96358 KNIGHTS MARSHAL Erik Connor MacSwasey c/o Michael Labny A Co, 4/58 AVN APO SF 96358 MINISTER OF ARTS/SCIENCES Clayton Smith A Co, 304 Sig Bn APO SF 96358 MINISTER OF CHILDREN Ursa Little Paw c/o Gypsey Teague HHC CFA APO SF 96358 CHRONICLER See Seneschal HERALD See Seneschal ________________ Contents Officers Seneschal KNIGHTS MARSHAL MINISTER OF ARTS/SCIENCES MINISTER OF CHILDREN CHRONICLER HERALD Contents From the Minister of Arts & Sciences This is The Gate Keeper, a publication of the Canton of Warrior's Gate, Barony of the Far West, of the Kingdom of the West, of the Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc. The Gate Keeper is available from the Chronicler. It is not a corporate publication of the SCA and does not delineate SCA policies. Subscriptions: .25 per issue to cover the cost of a stamp if mailed outside of MPS jurisdiction. ________________ From the Minister of Arts & Sciences I extend my greetings to all. The last few weeks that we have met have not been the most productive meetings due to the fact that we have had no mail. Well, that has changed!! Myself and Isleif went to Seoul and picked up 50 kilos of mail and ordered 50 more. Anyone needing mail please contact Isleif. In weeks to come we are planning trips to Seoul, photo shoots of our models, and silk-screening. The silk-screening will be done in accordance with the medieval faire in May. We are screening tabards for all the workers to wear during the med faire. It promises to be a most enjoyable event. We are also planning to have the fashion show in May so work up your garb. Remember, anyone interested in joining can come to the meetings on Thursday night at the CRC Arts and Crafts building at 1830. Yours in service to the Canton; Clayton Smith Minister Arts & Sciences ________________ From the Chronicler GREETINGS ONE AND ALL: I hope the new titles meet with everyone's approval. I shall attempt to vary them from month to month to keep from getting stale. If any of you out there are calligraphers, well then I don't apologize for last month's issue. It was fun to put together, even if it may have been frustrating to read. Hey, we all have to have a little fun in our lives. I promise not to do it again his year, however. I still need submissions. I am running out of things to put in this lovely newsletter. Let’s hear from some of you out there. Thanks to Joe for his submission last month. I swear that I typed his name correctly when I started the issue. The bit mice must have gotten to it after that. Sorry about the typo on your name. This month is Camelot 89. Let’s all go out and have a good time, but look for things to write about when it’s all over: your impressions, ideas, stories, etc. What I really need is fillers; short things such as cartoons, art, poetry, that will fill half a page or less. Some of these pages end up not being filled, since we can’t all talk for ever like the Herald. That is where we need things. Finally to Elizabeth, when are you going to get together with Little Paw and start some small activities. You’re the main small in the Canton and I’d like to start a smalls page with reactions and ideas from your perspective. See me or him as soon as you can and we can work something out. Till next month when we will start planning the summer event season, I remain your norse to news: Isleif “Scoop” Brimstone ________________ Oyez! Oyez! Says the Herald The coat of arms is read like a book. That book is called the blazon. To blazon, theretore, is to describe the arms in words. Before any design is placed on a shield the shield is painted either a colour, metal or fur; this is called the field. Once that is accomplished the shield is divided in a number of ways. The more prevalent ways are shown below [Image of a shield divided in half vertically] Per Pale [Image of a shield divided horizontally] Per Fesse [Image of a shield divided diagonally from upper left to lower right] Per bend [Image of a shield divided diagonally from upper right to lower left] Per bend sinister [Image of a shield with the bottom divided by two lines coming off the sides in the shape of a chevron] Per chevron [Image of a shield divided into horizontal stripes] Barry [Image of a shield divided into diagonal stripes running top left to bottom right] Bendy [Image of a shield divided into diagonal stripes running top right to bottom left] Bendy sinister [Image of a shield divided into vertical stripes] Paly [Image of a shield divided into quarters] Quarterly Now you have a field and how the field may be divided. These divisions are performed with either straight lines of partition as already shown or with a ________________ Number of alternatives. Some of these are shown below [Image of a shield with a wide line down the middle vertically. The sides of the line are wavy] a pale engrailed [Image of a shield with a wide line in the middle horizontally. The sides of the line are zig zagged.] A fess dancy [Image of a shield with a wide line running diagonally from the top left to the bottom right. The sides of the line are wavy.] A bend wavy [Image of a shield with a wide line running diagonally from the top right to the bottom left The bottom side of the line is straight. The top line is notched in regular oblique breaks.] a bend sinister raguly. [Image of a shield with a wide line running horizontally. The bottom side of the line is straight. The top line is notched like crenellations atop a castle wall.] A fess embattled [Image of a shield with a side line running horizontally. The line appears twisted like a rope.] a fess wreathy [A shield with three diagonal lines in the upper right. Lines run from top left to bottom right.] three bendlets enhanced [A shield with two thick lines forming an X on the diagonal corners. The lines are made of semicircles with the points facing outwards.] a saltair engrailed. In a blazon the order of description is as follows: the division of the field (if any), the configuration of the line (if not straight), and the colours, the top dexter being first. The shield is identified by the following areas. Dexter is right and sinister left as seen by the holder of the shield. [Image of a shield with the following labels. The left side is marked as dexter, the right sinister. Chief: Top ⅓ of shield. Fess: middle ⅓ of shield. Point: midpoint of shield. Nombril: point ½ from fess point to base. Base: bottom ⅓ of shield.] Next month we will discuss charges. (no not the kind you pay) ________________ From the Seneschal GREETINGS UNTO THE POPULACE: Well this is it as the song goes; Raise the roof, light the lights, this is it, we’ll hit the heights, etc. Med Faire is just a few scant days away. What does this mean for us; a lot of hard work. Let me explain this month's calendar. 1. 18 May - this is the night that we finalize what needs to be completed, i.e.tabards for last minute helpers, who will work with me on the ground crew on the 20th, who will work what hours and doing what for the event. 2. 20 May - this day will be used to lay out the Village Green. I will get the final ground plan from DPCA on the 19th. I will then paint the dividing Iines on the ground and measure out the proper booth space. This should take about 4 hours, with help. 3. 25 May - by this time everyone should be on post that will be working with the event. That includes off post personnel,, i.e. Yongsan. All day we will help the vendors and units place their equipment and iron out ruffled feathers. Thurs night will be last minute planning for the event. 4. 26 May - everyone will assemble on the green in the a.m. to set up our booth and prep the ground for the opening ceremonies. There will be a lot of lost people so be helpful. The event kicks off at 1600 and all should be there in tabards and garb to look good for the press. There are other days of importance but they will be worked out week by week. You should see by now that it's hard work having fun, but the rewards are great and glorious at the end. Remember, an event is to have fun at, but our event is to make sure everyone else has fun also. Stay friendly and have a good time. Isleif Brimstone Seneschal/Autocrat ________________ FROM THE JOURNALS OF LORD ISLEIF BRIMSTONE, WANDERING ICELANDER It was the winter equinox that we reached the base camp of the local tribe of the Taehan Minuk, the people that live in the land called Chosun; the Morning Calm. There were forty of us, twenty Norse raiders from the Second Chance and Odin's Beard, two of my ships that have been rebuilt since our shipwreck three years ago. The other twenty of our party were local warriors that guarded the area that we were to explore. These people were less than honest or hard working, although they hated the people to their north more than we hated Saxons. This was shown to us many times in their actions of captured prisoners . The prisoners were tied hand and foot and left in shallow ponds or streams with the southern natives taking bets on when the individual would die. Ursa stayed with the ships to protect them in case of sea attack. We kept three of our best and hardiest fighters with him and watched from the bow as we trekked out of sight into the mainland. The mainland of Chosun is rugged and mountainous, similar to our homeland, but without the fjords . This time of year is usually brutally cold, however a warm spell had set in and the ground, although snow covered, was wet with mud and slush. This made traveling difficult and we made slow progress all that day until late at night then we reached the huts of the outmost patrol area. After a meal of rice, soup, fish, and kimchi; a form of pickled cabbage or turnips in garlic, we headed for the Wilderness, the no mans land that separates the two countries. All night we patrolled, looking for infiltrators or search parties that we could ambush, capture, and bring back for interrogation, and then death. Unfortunately for our hosts no enemy was sighted and by morning we headed back to the ships. Ursa, on the other hand, had his paws full with trouble. The Immun Gun,, the enemy forces operating in the area we were anchored in had seen us approach and had brought in a small squad of fighters intent on taking the two ships. When we arrived our four warriors were hip deep in bodies and one ship had already been boarded.The four had been on the Second Thought when the Inmun Gun attacked and had found the occupied ship first. It wasn't until scant moments later that [continued on next page after notice from MOC] ________________ From the Minister of Children GREETINGS TO ALL SMALLS WITHIN THE CANTON: There is still only one small in the Canton, but this month is CAMELOT 89, therefore, I want all of you to pay attention to the potential that you will encounter. This is a country heavy with smalls. They seem to spring from the ground. (my mother told me something about cabbage patches, I wonder now if she didn't have something there) We need to be attuned to these potential SCAers and show them that the SCA isn't just for adults. Talk to the parents, explain what we do and how we can benefit their developement, and most importantly, speak to them on their level. A small is more intelligent than you may think. Remember they are the heirs to the kingdoms. Till next month I remain Ursa Little Paw MOC the shore party had discovered their mistake and sent fighters to Odin's Beard. We must have arrived without being noticed, because when we cleared the beach we found ourselves in the midst of the enemy. Immediately Fiori One Thumb, whose mother had been an Italian princess, pulled his axe and waded through the unsuspecting party. Immun Gun died in droves as we joined the fray and slaughtered vast numbers. In order to, stabilize their ranks the battle on the Second Chance had to be postponed and Ursa was able to lead his group to Odin’s Beard and recapture the ship. By moon rise we had successfully driven back the horde with no losses to our ranks, and three losses to the Taehan Minuk. We counted sixty one dead and seventeen wounded that we threw into the crab basins north of our anchoring point. More importantly we were able to capture three healthy prisoners that we tortured until they described their attack plan. That information and eight bags of gold and silver jewelry and coins we took from the dead made the journey most rewarding. In closing. Ursa states he is looking forward to again journeying to the land of the Morning Calm for a peaceful few days, away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. ________________ Starry Starry Night … a filk song Sung to the tune of Vincent Starry starry night. Paint your tabards black and gold. Look out on the young and old With eyes that know no fear or fright. Shadows in the night, Fighting arms to swing a sword. Peasant, slave or knightly Lord, That goes to battle fiercely at first light. Now I understand, What you tried to say to me, And how you suffered for your misery, And how you fought to keep men free, By lending them a hand, Teaching them a kinder way, And when they ran you calmly stayed To save the lives of folks as me. Starry starry night. Bury dead on hills of green. They were neither kind nor mean, Just different and therefore they had to die. Now a peaceful mound. The sun will shine the birds will sing, The valley will forget the ring Of dieing on that brutal piece of ground. Now I understand What you tried to show to me. That there’s much more to life than slavery, From tyrants living in a distant winter land. I will stay and fight Now that I have seen the road And I have helped to bear the load, Of others on that starry starry night. Ld Isleif Brimstone ASXCXIV May [Calendar for May 1981. The 1st is on a monday, the 31st a Wednesday] All Sundays: Fighter Practice 1500 HRS - ???. Parking lot outside of C3 Bunker. Be in garb if possible. Thursday May 4: Business meeting Thursday May 11: 6/1 mail pattern Thursday May 18: Pre Med Faire Planning Thursday May 25: Camelot Panic Meeting Friday May 26- Monday May 29: Med Faire Camelot ________________ From the Knight Marshal Greetings to the evergrowing Populace; I will be gathering information from my Crown on what to do with this land during this month, so whatever you did in April will be a big surprise to me. I hope my armour was used while I was gone and there was some good instruction given. I trust Isleif not to lead our aspiring new fighters astray while I’m gone, and I hope to be able to get a fighter practice with more than 2 participants. I am expecting a copy of the Marshal’s Rules in the mail, or I may get a copy while I am home. Either way, those persons wishing to fight on a regular basis should be familiar with the rules. This is a requirement to be authorized to fight, however, that should not be a problem here. Erik Connor Macswasey Knights Marshal Quiz 1. What is dexter? Sinister? 2. What is the difference between barry and bendy? 3. What and or where is the Nombril? 4. What does it mean to blazon? 5. What is a field? Bonus Question: What colors are sable and az? Answers page 14. Last month I didn’t give any answers to the quiz. It was April, too bad. ________________ Notes and Challenges I challenge everyone in the Canton to have their tabard completed by the time you read this. ICB I challenge everyone in the Canton to recruit at least one member in the month of May. You may do this by either cajoling, bribes are nice, or threats; if they’re not bigger, stronger, or uglier than you. I need artwork and fiction/articles. I will offer a full page of free praise to the first individual who gives me three usable pieces of work. Answers to Heraldic Quiz 1. Right. Left. 2. In a barry the lines go parallel to the top of the shield, in bendy they go at a 45 degree angle. 3. Point ½ from fess point to base on the shield. 4. To describe the arms in words. 5. The blank shield painted with either a colour, metal or fur. BONUS: Black and azure. ________________ Populace Isleif Brimstone Renee Baciu c/o Gypsey Teague HHC CFA 732-7898/6887 Renee Baciu HQ EAST USFK/J2 -IP APO SF 96204 723-6111/725-8045 Erik Connor MacSwasey c/o Michael Labny A Co, 4/58 AVN Jay David Wray HHC CFA 732-6224/6234 Ursa Little Paw c/o Gypsey T'eague IHC CFA 732-6887 Barbara Stewart A&C Dir, HQ 3d BDE Cp Howze, AP0 SF 96251 734-5215/2-1421 Clayton Smith A Co, 304 Sig Bn 732-6641/6095 Joe Kempton A Co, 304 Sig Bn 732-6641/6095 Debbie Galloway B Co, 532 MI Bn Amaryllis Marinaro c/o Ruth Cantu 362 Sig Co (TANGO) APO SF 96301 724-8000 All APO SF 96358 unless otherwise shown. Telephone numbers listed are work/home. Blank spaces denote non applicable. For corrections/additions Contact Chronicler. [Newsletter also included a SCA Membership Application. If a transcript of this application is desired please contact the Palatine Barony of the Far West Web Minister.]