Letters of Intent
Updated 12 March 2012
Malachai and Sorcha
Unto Their Majesties Eikbrandr and Runa and Their Highnesses Savaric and Julianna of the Middle Kingdom, Baron Lamorak and Baroness Isabeau, Baron and Baroness of the Middle Marches, THL Gunnar, Seneschal of the Middle Marches, and the populace of the Middle Marches come greetings from Lord Gwalchmai ap Bledig (called Malachai) and Lady Sorcha inghean ui Dhonnchaidh.
We would like to make it known to all that we seek to be Baron and Baroness of the Middle Marches upon the retirement of Their Excellencies, Lamorak and Isabeau. Many of you already know us, and we welcome those who do not to drop us a line or say hello to us at an event and talk with us.
Malachai is now in his second incarnation in the SCA. He received his AoA in AS XXV (1991) for helping with the organization and chartering of the Tirnewydd Bardic Guild. He has long been into book heraldry, has volunteered at Herald's Pointe at Pennsic, and encouraged (some might say poked with a spoon) the submission of names and devices from the members of the Shire of Mugmort and The Barony. He was awarded the Purple Fret for his service in heraldry.
Malachai is also an avid cook, archer and brewer; earning a 1st Place at Kingdom A&S in brewing, and winning the Divisional Championship at Kingdom A&S for Domestic Arts & Sciences for both cooking and brewing entries. He has been Baronial Archery Champion and received a Warden of the Marche for archery and an Order of the Willow for cooking.
He has served as Mugmort Pursuivant, Deputy Seneschal of Mugmort, Baronial Chronicler/Webminister; the head cook for Red Dragon (x2), Ahh a Snake!, Mugmort Melees, Baronial Twelfth Night, Middle Kingdom Heraldic & Scribal, and Spring Faire, Hall Steward for Mugmort Melees (x2) and Red Dragon (x2) and the Autocrat for Mugmort Melees (x2), and Baronial Twelfth Night (x3). He has assisted in the kitchens of various events both within and without the Barony and filled in as head cook for Mistress Gwyneth at Harvest Days when she was placed on vigil for her Pelican.
Malachai is currently apprenticed to Mistress Gwyneth Banfhidhleir, a member of Team Anubis, the deputy autocrat and site coordinator for Known World Dance and Music Symposium 9 and the Middle Kingdom calendar secretary.
Sorcha joined the Society in 2002 and insisted that Malachai had to rejoin if he was going to date her (Yes, it IS her fault). She earned her AoA in AS XL (2005) and also was awarded the Order of the Willow for Middle Eastern Dance later in AS XL. Sorcha has been a teacher and troupe director of Middle Eastern Dance and drum in the modern world for over 20 years (as Chandara Gamal) and loves to share her knowledge with any member of the Society who wishes to learn. She enjoys field heraldry, archery, singing, and suffering through Malachai's cooking and brewing experiments.
She has served as a judge for Kingdom A&S competitions, Deputy Autocrat for Mugmort's "Ahh! a Snake", Autocrat for Mugmort Melees, Webminister for the Shire of Mugmort, Baronial Chatelaine, has volunteered as a water-bearer, kitchen staff, field herald at various events, at Herald’s Pointe every Pennsic she can, and participated in fundraising activities for the Shire of Mugmort. She is currently a member of Team Anubis and World Music and Dance Coordinator for Known World Music and Dance Symposium 9.
Some of our goals as your Baron and Baroness would include:
• Help the Barony and Shires develop the next generation of autocrats and officers by establishing a training/shadowing program.
• Develop a Baronial siege weapon presence
• Establish a Baroness' Challenge for A&S Activities
• Encourage registration and greater display of personal and Baronial heraldry
• Refurbish or replace the Baronial Regalia as needed.
• Increase the sharing and growth of skills and knowledge among the populace
• Some form of tasty meat in every carnivorous pot, and more vegetables for our vegetarian brothers and sisters!
Mindful of the importance of the Middle Marches fighters to The Midrealm Army, and the fact that neither of us are currently authorized in the arts martial, Sgt Gunnar Sigurdsson has agreed to be our warlord until such a time as Malachai’s knees (and Sorcha) allow him to take up arms for the Barony himself.
We realize there will be many challenges as Baron and Baroness, not the least of which is time and commitment. We look forward to meeting these challenges and will not hesitate to seek help and ask for wise counsel when needed. We pledge to do our best to serve the Society, the Kingdom, and the good people of the Middle Marches however and wherever we are needed.
Yours in Service,
Malachai and Sorcha
Luca and Sarai
Greetings to Their Majesties EikBrandr and Runa, to Their Highnesses Savaric and Julianna, and to the proud and noble subjects of Their Excellencies, Lamorak and Isabeau, the assembled Lords and Ladies of the grand Middle Marches upon the feast of St. Valentine,
Those closest to us have known that we, Lord Luca Sogliano and Lady Sarai Tindall, OW, aspire and are laboring to be the next Baron and Baroness Middle Marches, and are honored to be considered for this office. While we have journeyed throughout the Barony, surely many still do not know us as well as we would like. We hope that this letter gives insight into our goals, and our vision for the Barony we are proud to call home.
We both take separate paths in the SCA, and so have been called to serve in different ways. Our combined involvement, as a student and a squire, a Heavy Weapons Champion and an A&S Champion of the Day, an Event Steward and a teacher, as Chatelaine and as Minister of Arts and Sciences, have allowed us to experience and serve in many of the diverse areas of the Society. To follow Lamorak and Isabeau would be another such avenue for service, one we strive to fulfill with integrity and honor.
We believe the role of the Baron and Baroness is to support and advance the people of the Barony; to find new opportunities for those who wish to serve, to find ways to expand the skills of those who wish to learn, to praise those who have worked, and to encourage those who strive. Our Barony has a long record of meeting such lofty goals, assuring the Middle Marches an important place in the future of the Midrealm.
The Middle Marches is laden with history, and with the promise of glorious days yet to come. We are the birthplace of the Baronies of Ohio, filled with tradition and culture both martial and gentle. It is these traditions that have inspired us, and which we seek to honor and maintain.
As one of the largest Baronies in the Kingdom, we are not without challenges. One such challenge is in keeping our shared Baronial identity with our brothers and sisters who attend meetings so far away. To that end, we would be pleased to continue the Baronial Barbeques that Sir Diglach and Mistress Una started at Blackstone Raids. We commend their Excellencies Lamorak and Isabeau for extending that wonderful tradition to other events such as Baron Wars and North Oaken War Maneuvers, and we would continue to work to bring our Barony together as often as possible. In support of this goal, we have made it our practice to travel to meetings throughout the Barony, and we will only redouble those efforts as your Baron and Baroness.
Continuing to foster the spirit of community at the heart of our Barony and the SCA, we will strive to magnify the Baronial presence at events. Providing shade and comfort for our warriors under the red chevron of our banner does more than prevent heat stroke, it strengthens our bonds as a Baronial family, and gives us a place to rally ourselves and call home, even when we have travelled far. To that end, we would provide our progress to the Baronial Webminister, to encourage members to travel with us both throughout the Middle Marches and beyond.
We thank you for your reading of our letter, and your consideration of our candidacy. We have a great many ideas for our time as Baron and Baroness, yet we will always rely upon the wise council of our friends and Baronial kindred. To discuss these matters with us, you need only to find us, or to contact us online.
In service,
Luca Sogliano Luca.Sogliano@gmail.com
Sarai Tindall Sarai.Tindall@gmail.com
Dracus and Eilis
Unto their Majesties Eikbrandr and Runa, Their Highnesses Savaric and Julianna of the Middle Kingdom, and the populace of the Barony of Middle Marches do Sgt. Dracus and Eilis the Stone send greetings. May this missive find you well and prosperous!
After consideration and counsel, we offer our service to the Crown and to the people of Middle Marches as Baron and Baroness, in succession of Their Excellencies Lamorak and Isabeau. We would be greatly honored to take on this duty and we stand ready to serve, should we be called.
We have served where we may in both Kingdom and Barony for the last ten years. Both on the field of battle and in the workshop; we have done our best to capture the SCA experience for ourselves and those around us. We are interested in, and support all of the arts martial. We have both fought with the Middles Marches on the list field. Dracus has served His Excellency Lamorak as the Baronial Warlord for the last two years, and served as Baronial Heavy Weapons Champion the year before that. When we saw a need to fit the younger soldiers with baronial colors, Eilis set to work sewing Middle Marches tabards for them, so that all who see our soldiers on the field know who is marching “to the fore.”
We appreciate and participate in the wondrous arts and sciences of the SCA. We have researched and endeavored to portray both of our personas as accurately as possible. Costuming, armor-making, leatherworking, and woodworking are the arts we love to practice currently. At every meeting and event, both of us try to learn something new about another medieval art. We have come to understand and appreciate the skill and hard work that go into every art and science from a good brew, a beautiful scroll, or a well-stamped coin.
We serve where we can, both locally and at events. Dracus has served as group marshal and herald for the Shire of Tirnewydd, while Eilis has served as the group exchequer and is currently on the finance committee. Eilis has operated event gates and Dracus has served as marshal-in-charge at many local and baronial events. We understand the sacrifices made by the dedicated people that put on an event or administer the needs of the local group.
We firmly believe that the Middle Marches is a Barony full of wonderful, fun-loving, and hard-working gentles. It will be our primary goal to promote the success of our current members and to support the continued recruitment efforts of the Barony. We hope to see our Barony grow in both numbers and prestige; our arts and sciences to become a jewel for the Midrealm, and our armored and rapier armies to become the sharpest teeth of the Dragon. We will encourage every event and group meeting to start implementing youth activities. We will challenge the populace to learn new arts and science and to submit their efforts at events and fairs. We will recruit new and veteran members of the populace to be more active on every list field. Archery, thrown weapons, armored and rapier combat are all areas in which our Barony excels. It is time for the rest of the known world to see it!
We also recognize that the Middle Marches is a geographically large and diverse Barony. We will make it our goal to permanently improve the ability of our various shires, officers, guilds and households to communicate with one another. We will review and streamline the communications process between the shires and the various officers in the Barony. We will work to encourage a more robust and user-friendly internet presence; both as a communications and recruitment tool. We will actively seek out and use the advice and counsel of the pillars and titans of our barony. Many wise and experienced peers live and work within our borders, and it would be foolish of us to ignore their wisdom.
We conclude this letter with our strongest thought. We have been blessed from the beginning of our time in the SCA with wonderful experiences. This is largely due to the amazing support and love from the people of this barony. We were welcomed with words of encouragement, advice, and loaned garb and armor. We were both pointed in the directions we needed to go to live the Dream. We would love to serve our Kingdom and our Barony by being the open-arms needed to encourage our populace to live their Dream. If it is your wish, we humbly stand ready to serve.
In service to Crown and Kingdom,
Sgt. Marcus Pinarius Draconarius, called Dracus
XO, Northern Oaken Army
Warlord, Middle Marches Baronial Army
Squire to Curra Diglach mac Cein
Eilis the Stone
Tirnewydd Exchequer
Squire to Curra Diglach mac Cein
Diccon and Aasa
Unto Their Majesties EikBrandr and Runa, and Their Highnesses Savaric and Julianna, and the populace of the Barony Middle Marches, do Lord Diccon de Reinport and Her Ladyship Aasa Sorensdottir send warm greetings.
As our beloved Baron Lamorak and Baroness Isabeau prepare for a well-deserved rest, and the impending Baronial change-over approaches, it is our desire to offer ourselves as candidates to be considered as their replacements. We have a great love for our Barony, and her people, and believe that our combined experience and leadership of more than 50 years would make us very capable stewards. We know that it is the job of the Baron and Baroness to represent the Crown as well as the populace, and would do so with patient, thoughtful, and objective counsel.
As we travel quite frequently, both within the Barony and around the Midrealm, we are aware that the Barony is sometimes under-represented, and feel that it is time that the rest of the Kingdom becomes aware of the talents and prowess of the people of the Middle Marches. Thus, we would actively represent the Barony as best we could, and encourage a more visible presence of the populace, specifically in the display of the Baronial arms; the wearing of Baronial livery and use of banners as primary examples.
We envision a Barony that functions as a unit, and a populace that works as a family. We understand that the geography of the Barony is very large, making it difficult for some to participate as frequently or at the level they may like, but nevertheless we will strive to work with the shires to achieve a high level of familiarity and unity.
We also plan to work with the Baronial army to develop a combined -arms force that integrates infantry, combat archery, and artillery. As MK DEM of Siege Combat, and an active archery marshal, Diccon has established a good network of combatants within the Barony and Kingdom with which to work.
We would endeavor to increase opportunities for youth participation in the areas of service, the arts and sciences, and marshal activities, and recognize excellence within our younger populace.
Lastly, we would like to develop a program of training and mentoring to encourage and cultivate new event staff.
As the Barony is vast, it is possible that there are members of the populace who are unfamiliar with our faces and deeds. We are members of the Shire of Mugmort, with deep roots in both the Marche of Tirnewydd and the Barony of Red Spears.
Aasa joined the Society in the autumn of AS XX, in Tirnewydd, and was a member of that group for nearly 25 years before moving to Mugmort. While in Tirnewydd, she held the offices of MOA (back when the MOA and MOS were different entities) and Exchequer. Always active in the arts and sciences, she has been a constant presence at A&S Faires as an entrant, a judge, or, on many occasions, both. She is a very active cook, having started in the kitchen at her very first event. She has been on duty in well over 30 feast kitchens, including being the Head Cook at four Red Dragons, a Harvest Days, and two Mugmort Melees, helping with the Investiture dinner in the Barony of Sacred Stones, Kingdom of Atlantia, last spring, and providing appetizers for the State Dinner at Pennsic XL. She was the second Baronial Cooking Champion in the Middle Marches, and currently serves as Deputy MOAS for the Shire of Mugmort. In addition, she is a newly minted scribe, an active teacher at many local events as well as events outside our Barony, such as the Newcomer’s Symposium in Flaming Gryphon and the MK Cook’s Symposium held in Ayreton, and was published in the cooking issue of Artes Draconis. She is apprenticed to Mistress Melisande de Marmande, and is a protégé of Master Ian the Fariner, of the Outlands. She is a member of Holt Heroetus, the service-dedicated household of Duke Syr Talymar.
Diccon joined the Society in the autumn of AS XXI, in what was then the Marche of the Crossing of the Red Spears. He was a founding member of the Barony of Red Spears, and was involved in many events, including being the Autocrat of one. After moving to the Middle Marches, he participated briefly in Tirnewydd before joining Mugmort. He currently serves as the Kingdom Deputy Earl Marshal of Siege Combat, and his efforts in promoting siege has led to an increase in authorized siege engineers as well as marshals. He is our Barony’s most recent Archery Champion, having passed the title along in January. He is also the Archery Marshal for Mugmort, and has been Archery MIC for many events, not only for Mugmort, but also for Tirnewydd, Dernehealde, and Catteden, in Red Spears. He also makes mead and does woodworking. While some may not know him by sight, rest assured that the Barony, as well as the Society, has benefitted from his years of quiet, behind- the -scenes service. Diccon pitches in and does what needs to be done, regardless of the location or hosting group of the event. He is also a member of Holt Heroetus.
We are aware that there will be great expectations of us, and can only promise to do our very best to uphold the laws of the Kingdom and Society, and, through keeping to the customs and traditions of the Barony, the Kingdom, and Society, continue to make participation in the Dream a fun and rewarding experience for everyone.
Yours in Service, Diccon and Aasa
Awards:
Diccon: Kingdom awards: Award of the Purple Fret, Order of the Dragon’s Barb, Award of Arms; Baronial awards: Warden of The Marche
Aasa: Kingdom awards: Order of the Evergreen, Order of the Willow, Award of the Purple Fret, Award of Arms; Baronial Awards: Pillar of the Marche, Watchful Tower, Gilded Reed, Flaming Brand (from Flaming Gryphon)