May Gamers (also known by some as May Bardic) took place yesterday. It was a smallish affair, but also kind of awesome. It was one of those events where just about everyone ended up doing all sort of stuff.

I ran my first games tourney as Lions Gate games marshal. I decided on making a format that encouraged volume of play over skill. I called it a Gluttony Tournament where the goal was to play as much and as many of the games provided. The games I included where 9 man morris, Tablut (tafl variation), shut the box, Pall MAll, and three kinds of boules (Siege, Carpet & Jeu de boules).

I had three different ways to win in the tournament

1. Righteous Indignation over a loss, (Malie over a bad stroke during a pall mall game… mallet flying, arms waving, bellowing disbelief… simply priceless)

2. Obessed over a single game, Ylas over carpet boules (looked like Lucien was going to take the title til Ylas did a last minute marathon).

3. Glutton, most sets played of all 5 games, Agnes Cresewyke did 3 full sets and was partially done two more sets.

The winners all are getting game boards I will be making customized to their persona’s time, place, and preference.

The new Bardic Champion is James Wolfden.

32 pictures after the jump (not in any particular order… Drag and drop is having issues today)

Elinore hanging out at the Games List table. Siege Boules, Jeu de Boules, & Pall Mall waiting to be played.

The siege weapons tested out with rubber chickens (no idea why…)

The Bardic competitors being sworn in (John Mail, Aelana de Cordova, Dianora, Malie Rennick, James Wolfden)

Aelana’s single entry was a story with a picture book to go along with the story.

Game Board competition. People were supplied with materials and encouraged to make their own boards. Dr. Carus made a 3 man morris board out of a pie, and girl guide cookies. Awesome lol.

Baron Griffin, Malie, and Lucien loitering around gate.

Dirty Mary being a jack ass as per normal

Hanging out at the lists table. Wearing the new nausea inducing games marshal tabard. Need to place crossed pall mall mallets on the front. and games boards on the back.

Agnes, and Mariko deciding to play a non games tourney game gluckhaus. This reminds me I need to make gluckhaus boards for the barony as we have none.

What’s an event with out a marriage proposal.  Big old woot for Kevin and Leigh.

Agnes and James playing Pall Mall

Roaming Jeu de Boules game with the MacAndrew clan

James and Agnes having a go at Siege Boules

Lucien & Ylas were hard core into carpet boules.

Baroness Caitrin ran a children’s game tourney. Here she’s trying out the hunker down game.

More Game Board art.

James, Bryn, Lilly, & Viscountess Bernadette trying out the pall mall pitch.

Baroness Caitrin inflicting math upon the children with Shut the box

The game board tourney judging table. I love the purple & white board. Reminds me of turnips.

The games list. We had 38 people playing games  that registered.

Picnic out back.

I stepped down as Baroness Caitrin’s personal champion of science (A job I feel I did quite pourly… damn self involved mary)

The new baronial officers being sworn in .

There was a best dinner spread contests too. Agnes and her minions did a late period germanesque table, and the other entry was an early period norse like table. The Baroness ruled they were both equally awesome and gave glass vessels to both entrants.

Three children entered the tourney,all walked away with prizes.

During a lull in court were were treated to a performance from the kingdom bardic champion.

Past bardic defender Kevin thanked the two single bardic entries for stepping up and doing their first ever bardic competition.

Kevin then stepped down as champion and joined the order of the lions fang (Former champions of Lions Gate)

James was then brought forward to become the new Bardic defender.

Way too go James!

• September 27, 2009 -- Tir Righ Fall Coronet Tourney 2009 (0)
• August 30, 2009 -- Tir Righ Summer Investiture 2009 (2)
• July 20, 2009 -- 1st weaving project (2)
• July 5, 2009 -- Turned Thread Spools & Drop Spindle (0)
• March 23, 2009 -- February Woodworking Display (0)
• November 17, 2008 -- X-Chair v1.0 Small Prototype (0)

• April 11, 2010 -- Siege Engine Boules (0)

Another good weekend has passed me by. I spent the majority of the weekend in the dusty depths of the wood shop. One major item I got off the list was making a set of Pal Mall mallets. It would have been easier to buy a set, but the commercially available set have such ludicrously short handles on the mallets. Longer handles = win.

I also got to play around with my axe, lathe and froe.  I cut up stump I had in the shop and turned a half round into a bark rimmed bowl. I had thought of Poll Lathe turning it…but I was lazy. I also used the froe to break of a thin strip of wood, and then tried planing it down to a flat board. That’s a skill I need a whole lot of work on.

Months ago, Morweena gave me a number of pine shelves to use in my evil plans. They sat there mocking me for months. I finally showed them whats what and cut them down and trimmed off the rounded edges. Now I have a bunch more room where the shelves had been living and a bunch of ready to go 1×3.5″ boards…. Woot.

I also got to move around a lot of plantage. The mulberry tree is starting to grow, ruhbarb has transplanted, and new bark mulch was installed in all the areas that needed it.

I also got some work done on the up coming games tourney, The mini siege engines got some more work done on them, and I started to read up on what it would take to make a siege engine company.  I need to start making armor that’s for sure. Dose it make me a bad person if I am late period English, dressed in Ottoman Turk Garb, and Fight in Japanese armor?

Good Weekend.

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• April 20, 2010 -- Siege Engine Boules Beta Testing part.1 (1)
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I have an evil plan to run a siege engine boules/ golf tourneys at up coming events. Since I have only so many weekends off before camping season starts, I needed to get on with it.

I cut up one 2×2 board into (2) 20″ lengths, (6) 8″ lengths, and one 11″ section of 2×3. Two of the 8″ sections had 45′ angles cut off them. These will be used to help support the uprights.

The 2×3 piece of wood then has notches drawn on, by plunking a 2×2 piece in the corners. Once traced, I then used a carpenters square to straighten the lines out a bit.

The notches were cut out on a band saw

The 20″ lengths were marked 3/4″ in from both ends, and 1/2″ from the sides. I then drilled pilot holes, and countersunk them so we can cover the screws later on.

Assembly starts with the bottom base screwed together.

I then place the uprights on the base, and took the angled supports to figure out were I wanted the uprights to sit. I then took a pencil and marked the uprights position.

I drilled two more holes through the base on each side (pilot holes, and countersunk)

The uprights then were fastened with more screwage.

Before I started playing with the supports, I decided to attach the strike plate to the uprights. This way I could rest the onager uprights flat on the bench.

At this stage I place the supports in place, and since clamping angled piece a can be difficult, I used painters tape to hold the upright in the right place. Lots of tape is good! (forgot to take a picture… my bad.

Angle pilot holes and countersinks at 90′ to the supports.

I marked the tension rope hole approx 1″ back from the uprights. I think I should have gone a bit farther back as the strike arm now angles back slightly. I am not sure, but I think you want the strike arm to have a slight forward angle optimally.

Since this cheap nasty 2×2 is made of super soft hemlock (I think) I am using metal washers to protect the sides. I also drilled to smaller holes either side of the rope holes. This will keep the pressure rod in place.

Everything I need but the tension rope. 2 washers, 2 pins, 2 pressure rods (allen keys). I also have hammered in a nail atop of a 12″ wooden dowel. Just need to cut off the end.

The first one is almost done. The rope is small 1/8th braided stuff.

The final step is glueing in some dowel plugs to cover up the screw heads.

The first two are done. I only need two for siege engine boules, but a few more if I run a golf tourney later on.

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Sherbert the Entari is slowly chugging along. Its possible it will be done for investiture, but I am starting to doubt it.

I didn’t kill my Mulberry Tree over the holidays. It is starting to bud in the carport. This means the Silkworm project may be only one more year away. It all comes down to how much growth I get this year. I really should get it in a bigger pot soon.

I am working on a turning project for my mom. It involves hundreds of pencil crayons being glued together. I have turned alot of stuff thats been laminated together, but never anything quite like this. It just might kill me =D.

I am building a game board based on a version of Hnefatafl, but it reminds me more of the Irish game Fidchell. I am calling it Boot Licking Toadie in tribute to the whole weirdness of the C______ War politics. The bootlicker with the help of the Toadies have to avoid being captured by the significant Minority all the while trying to suck up to the assorted senechals living in the corners of the game board.

Working on a Pilgrim Badge cast in a stone mold. Stove broke, so I am stuck for the moment.

More research on the Turkish Rug. I think I have my design sorted out except for the center element. Still looking, and thinking of dying my own wool. I have to figure out a rough estimate of the wool I will need, and then figure out if I have enough capacity to dye everything at once. If I can I dye, if not maybe not. Don’t want to thave the colors change mid carpet.

Still going to give the orange turmeric dye one more shot, then I will share the good and badness of my recent dyeing stuffs.

etc….

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I have been going through the vast array of game boards that the Barony possess, and have come across a game I don’t recognize, nor can find by flipping through my game books.

If you know what this is called, I would be grateful.

• December 20, 2009 -- Gamemaster (3)

The Baron and Baroness (with seneschal in tow ) have unwisely given the post to me.

I don’t know how well of a job I will do, but I am pretty sure I will live up to the reason why they gave me the job over two other candidates.
Baronial paraphrasing “Everyone who holds the post does the same old thing…You can’t help to do thing differently”

Too True.

Let the Dwyle Flunking commence.

• January 29, 2010 -- Mystery Game Board (2)