Their Excellencies letter to the populace from The Quill May 2003

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Good Tidings and Salutations from Their Excellencies Rodrigo and Khadijah,

WOW! What a busy month it has been. So many people to thank and so much news to give! As we cover many Baronial topics in our letters, we have decided to keep an archive of all of our Quill Letters on Nordskogen's web site, http://www.minstrel.com/Nordskogen, on the bottom of the 'From Their Excellencies' web page.

First of all we'd like to thank our College of Tor Aerie and our Canton of Nordleigh for their wonderful events and all the people who made them both such a success! It really supports a Barony of our magnitude when it's Canton's and College's step forward with such enjoyable events of their own. In addition, we really want to thank all those who supported these local groups by attending these events. Lastly, we are incredibly appreciative to Their Stellar Highnesses, Robert and Isabella, for honoring us with permission to hold a Regency Court of the Principality of Northshield in Their names at Nordleigh's event, Scurvy Squirrels.

At our College of Tor Aerie's event, Don't Drink the Water, we held our Rapier Combat Champion Tournament and our Armored Combat Champion Tournament. It gives us great pleasure to announce our new Baronial Rapier Champion, Warder Simon Morcar, and the continuation of our Armored Combat Champion, Lord Vladimir Radescu. Congratulations to both combatants and we'd like to extend a huge thank you to all those who competed in those tournaments, and for the honor and skill shown on those fields that day.

On the subject of our Armored Champion, we'd like to introduce the Nordskogen Baronial Fighting Unit in which the Nordskogen armored champion will be commander of. First we'd like to explain what the baronial fighting unit is not. It is not a household, it is not an exclusive fighting unit, and it is not limited to fighters from Nordskogen, nor is it an attempt to replace or supplant a household or fighting unit. What it is, is a group of armored fighter's who for any given melee that are wearing Nordskogen fighting unit tabards. Viscountess Eilika von Lutsen made approximately 50 baronial fighting tabards that will be loaned to fighters when the fighting unit is asked to form up. We encourage all our armored fighters to dawn a tabard during these melees that we may show our pageantry and cohesiveness as a Barony. If there are existing fighting units, households, or groups of fighters that work together, we encourage them to work as a unit within the baronial fighting unit during such melee's where we call forth the baronial fighting unit. Not only will this show the known world the legion of Nordskogen fighter's in all their splendor, but it should give a little change pace for many fighters to fight the occasional melee as a much larger unit. We'd like to dedicate our first battle, taking the field in a sea of blue tabards and white snowflakes, to Viscountess Eilika in appreciation for her labor in making this vision a possibility.

We are holding our Nordskogen Archery Champion Tournament at the Archery Moot on Saturday, May 10th at the Bloomington Range (see the announcement on page ??? for details), there will be a potluck BBQ afterwards. Please come and shoot, compete, or support our archer's. Once again we'd like those competing in the tournament to be announced with their awards, accolades, and accomplishments as a member of our society sited. We look forward to a great day of shooting and marksmanship!

Finally we'd like to thank all those who threw their names into the ring to fill all the vacancies that we had come up this past spring. Each and everyone of these candidates holds the effervescence of the Barony of Nordskogen in their hearts by being willing to serve the Barony and give of themselves. Congratulations to Lord Leolin Geofar, Pursuivant, to The Honorable Lady Adela de Warren, Minister of Arts & Sciences, to Lord Iyla Mstislavich, Knights Marshal, to Master Owen Alun, incoming Seneschal, to Lady Cealfind ni Mullen (called Alanna), incoming Rapier Captain, to Lady Eustachia de Westwic, incoming Archery Captain, and to Lady Ellen de Wynter, Warlords and Warrior's Member-at-Large. We have tremendous gratitude for the service given to the Barony by Lord Aedan ban, Lady Saraidh ingen Guairi, Lord Vladimir Radescu, Lord Yehudah ben Yitzhak, Lord Benedict Gray, and Lady Flori de Josselin within their respective offices. Vivant to all of these fine gentles!

We have but one more officer changeover in our near future, Lady Caoilfhionn inghean Cheallaigh ui Mhordha will be stepping down as Chronicler, and candidates for Chronicler will be voted upon next business meeting. Once this office has been filled, as promised, we will release our job requirements and application process for the highly sought position of Baronial Executioner.

There are two events coming up this month within our lands, so the excitement is not over yet. With both the Principality of Northshield Coronet & Investiture AND War Camp occurring by the hard labors of many of our members, please, please, please remember to volunteer some of your time to help these events go off smoothly and give relief to those sacrificing their time in service.

May sunshine always grace your face so shadow never will.

Rodrigo and Khadijah.