janewilliams20

Last weekend was Spalding weekend - my first event with the Four and Twenty Blackbirds, demonstrating Tudor cookery at Ayscoughfee Hall.
Yes, I did get the kirtle finished. That went over the existing C13 linern shift, Dave's Dark Age boots, and I found some suitable linen headgear and a belt and pouch that were (amazlingly enough) from the right period. Eating gear and a couple of apples in the basket, suitcase packed with mundane kit, and off we went Up North.

( It got long )

Friday - it took many attempts to get us a room, as the double near the main event had been converted to singles, the University-managed room-booking desk closed till 2 (registration opened at 1), and while the Continuum staff (hi Loz!) were helpful and organised and useful, the University staff.... let's not go there. Ended up in a place (the Knoll) which while amazingly scenic, was far too far from Continuum Central to walk, and had the most unequipped kitchen I have ever seen.

Maddie and I did the food prep for the evening in there (after an Asda trip to obtain things like a frying pan, some cutlery, and so on), the Gophers (mainly Dave) transported the results over to the centre, and the "Hearts in Glorantha" launch party went well, even if most of the contributors didn't show up. (Which in a couple of cases is fine by me). newt producing something of that quality, charging a fiver for it not £15, and still making a profit, will, I hope, make other publishers sit up and take notice. Photos of the food are still on my camera, and will stay there for a bit.

Saturday morning, off to the Greydog Inn, and an unfortunate murder. grahamrobinson reckoned he could write a free-from that I could enjoy. He was right - but no more comment, he's running it again this morning, and I'm not allowed to do spoilers. I'll just mention in passing that silverhippo as a Trickster was brilliant.

Lunchbreak, and Dave grabs me - they've found us new rooms! Dash over to the Knoll, pack, dash back, grab bits for the Duck Point Boat Race, stagger into the entrance looking for somewhere to put the game (due to start in 5 min according to my timetable) - no, it's OK, afternoon slot starts at 2 not 1. Phew. I'd got to the point of "sit down or fall over", with crying starting to be an option, so the chance to grab some hot stodge and a drink was a Good Thing.

The game was great fun. I'm glad I didn't over-plan it, the players invented most of the plot, as expected. Many invented their own boats, never mind their own factions, the sabotage options were wonderful, and the eventual Baboon craft (a stolen newtling reed boat, with the ballista mounted on top and covered by a horseskin and some bits of inexpert carpentry, then "decorated" and mostly manned by Humakti, is something I'd like to see an artist make a stab at. No boat finished the race: most sank, and one got disqualified for cheating (the captain will be crucified in a few weeks, when they've finished interrogating him). The Storm Bull team tell me that as stag nights go, that was the best ever (they're currently stranded in the middle of the Upland Marsh with no boat and no sense of direction but quite a lot of beer). If anyone can claim to have won, it was Utta Rutta, token male baboon, who thinks he's found the love of his life. Or possibly it was the NPC Humakti racing team, who now know how to build and shoot a ballista, including how to use it to launch a crack squad of Death Drakes through the Governor's bedroom window.

Saturday evening - collapse, sleep. I'm getting old.

Sunday morning - I'm playing in Darren's "Winter Warriors"! HQ2 game, and all about Inora - the one game this weekend I REALLY wanted to get into. And in the afternoon - Duck Point, the re-run. I had so many on the Reserve list, I thought I'd do a repeat. Play test comments have been noted. Then the story-telling in the evening... the harp is in the back of the car and I MUST have a few more goes at it before then. I'll be telling a story about Boldhome Pie (which was delicious, by the way) - must finish writing that, the details of Sartar history are causing me trouble - and reading some from the "Twelve days of Xmas" series.