Who’d have thought that a mere one week after the last issue of the Raven Roundtable, we’d be living in a wholly different world? The events of September 11th have a had a profound effect on me, as certainly they must have on all our lives. While my family members narrowly escaped the carnage of that day, over twenty friends, both personal and professional, were lost to me. It’s been a... surreal time.

I’m thankful that I have had all of you in House Corvus to see me through. Between phone calls and e-mails, you truly buoyed me during the tumultuous weeks that followed.

I don’t think I’ll ever really get over it and, to be honest, I don’t want to. In the days that followed the tragedy, it was a wonderful time in America. People showed so much camaraderie. I couldn’t listen to the radio without weeping I was so full of a potent mix of hurt and despair. But the whole time I was equally bolstered by displays of such unabashed patriotism. It reminded me of everything I love about being American.

It’s a mixed blessing, the American resilience. While we strive not to let such events break us, I think I was surprised at how quickly everyone seemed to get over it and go back to the routine that is their lives. I didn’t want to lose that sense of community so soon.

I am blessed, however, to know that feeling every day. I pray that each and every one of you in House Corvus experiences even a fraction of the joy I feel knowing that you’re a part of my life. It’s sad that, as a nation, it took such a huge loss for Americans to know that same brotherhood that House Corvus exemplifies everyday. I hope we never take it for granted. I know we’ll never lose it.

Obligations, professional, private, and SCA helped to guarantee that I too get back in to the swing of things in due course. It was difficult, I’ll admit. The SCA seemed so trivial in light of national events. I felt guilty that I could indulge my hobbies while others were dealing with such huge losses. Slowly, but surely though, I tried to focus on the tasks at hand. So, the Mountain Mayhem cover got drawn, my poem got written, and Labyrinth got autocratted.

Of course, it could never have been done without the love and support of you. Oshi created yet another spectacular feast. I know it drove him crazy to tackle such an ethnic menu, but his efforts yielded exactly the Grecian feast I had envisioned. Sine tended to all of the serving details and, naturally, it all went off without a hitch. I don’t know what I would have done without the eleventh hour scrambling of Signy! She coordinated all of the creatures for the rapier scenario in the Labyrinth and the event had the largest fighter support of any event ever held in the southern reaches of Atlantia. Over one hundred fighters in all with over fifty rapier fighters! Simply amazing.

With the help of some of their friends in Nottinghill Coill, Eldred and Ealdthryth expertly ran Troll. Ealdthryth even made the feast tokens. They were beautiful medallions based on the labyrinth at Cnossos that looked like pottery shards. A well run troll is crucial to any event’s success since it is the first impression any guest gets of the event. I was so grateful for their awesome efforts.

Krystyne helped run the A&S while Rhiannon tended to Their Majesties. And God love Alys and William who worked so hard on projects for the event only to have me cancel them to keep the event on schedule. Everyone worked so hard right across the board, but my especial gratitude to Peter for always being right there to help me. And as a special bonus, both Michael O’ and Robert made it to the event. Of course, they too soon found themselves drafted. Una arrived to help Misko set up a fab High Table. Although I think Alessandra had the most fun with her assignment as the Harpy in both the heavy and rapier Labyrinths. Along with many, many other members of both Sacred Stone and Hidden Mountain, the event was simply great. And, for the first time ever, I simply stepped back and watched as people I loved and trusted handled their tasks. It was a wonderful feeling. Not only did I know that everything would be just fine, I knew that you guys would make it happen. Thank you for being there for me.

The very next weekend, fourteen people from House Corvus traveled to Atlantia’s Crown Tourney. What a joyous weekend! And, no, not because I got my Laurel. That was just gravy. We took a definite step in the right direction at that event. It was yet another weekend where I could step outside House Corvus and look at it and know that we were on target.

So, where do we go from here? The same place we’ve always gone... towards the future. The world may have changed, but House Corvus stands the better for it. Never have our examples of honor, courtesy, and fraternity been more necessary and more valued. I hope you appreciate the fact that you make the world and the SCA a better place, not just for me, but for everyone. Thank you for that. --BRAN

Part VIII.

Can one mend the weary soul?
If, indeed, such things may tire;
Immortal spark knows such pain,
And ache dulls one’s holy fire.

I find succor in prayer,
The soothing breath of the Word--
But what peace finds other men,
Whose ears have in no way heard?

Divine light touches all hearts,
Whether believer or no,
Faith is no function of will,
Though the willing makes it grow.

Have I touched even one heart--
Brought one man closer to You?
Or am I too much apart,
My view point too much askew?

How may a man know his worth,
Ignorant of the divine?
Laboring dawn until dusk,
One piece of the grand design.

Too unbearable a life,
Without godly connection,
And far too random a world,
Without such introspection.

My mountain remains hidden,
Though God, in His charity,
Firms former resolve with faith,
And augurs of clarity.

Part IX.

Lord, help me to touch my Faith,
Let it pour out of my heart,
Let it flow over my rage,
And a measure of peace impart.

Lord, help me to regain Hope,
Let me see in each new morn,
Not the dark trace of evil,
But aspirations reborn.

Lord, help me to Charity,
Let wealth be counted in deeds,
And though a purse be empty,
In kindness, all treasure exceeds.

Lord, help me to know Prudence,
Let care control rash actions,
With forethought, we stay the course,
Avoid baser distractions.

Lord, help me to know Justice,
Meted throughout creation,
Not kept for heaven alone,
But for each earthly nation.

Lord, help me to Temperance,
Let Your Grace inspire restraint,
Let slip false zeal in Your name,
Rather Your Mercy acquaint.

Lord, help me to Fortitude,
Let courage replace my fear,
Bravery resurrected,
With the knowledge You are near.

For those who didn't know ahead of time about the ceremony, please forgive me. It was necessary to keep it on a limited distribution in order to ensure it would be a surprise to Bran. And there were many times I was just positive we weren't going to make it...

I managed to get WTB to close the office at noon on Friday, so I flew home to meet Peter for our departure. We left Asheville about 1 p.m. (after getting lunch, ice, etc.) and took off down I-26. MapQuest had indicated that going through South Carolina would be a better route, but when we approached US 74, Peter began to question the validity of that idea, so we opted to go the old familiar route. We hit the outskirts of Charlotte at about 3:30 and figured if we could get across town in 30 minutes, we'd be just fine. Bwahahaha! Of course, we hit every single traffic light and spent the next hour-plus creeping along in Charlotte.

We arrived in Oak Island and toured around the island a bit before we found our hotel. Peter was concerned about seeing that Anne had made it safely and I wanted to get us checked in so when others began straggling along, they'd have a place to go. Bran had gotten there about 4 p.m. and checked in all the rooms. Anne was also there. I knew I needed to see if we could detach ourselves and go see about setting up the vigil pavilion, but I simply couldn't figure out a way to do it. If one other pair had been there, I think I could've pulled it off, but I just couldn't figure out a way to ditch Bran without him wondering what the hell we were doing and being pissed off that he wasn't included. So, we hung out there and I prayed Oshi and Sine would find some helpful soul on site who would help erect the vigil tent.

A little after 10:00, the phone rang and, like an idiot, I let Bran pick it up. It was Sine, calling from the site to see if we could send Peter out. Trying to have that conversation with Bran in the room was stilted. Not to mention, I knew exactly the question that would come out of his mouth the minute I hung up. "Why did they go to the site?" I said they must've gotten the plan confused and sighed with relief when he bought it.

But it was 11:30 before I could get Peter apart and tell him why the call. At this point, we figured that it would be midnight before he could get out there and that Oshi and Sine would probably be done and on their way back... So, frustrated and feeling like I'd let them down, I went back to go to bed.

Anna, Rob and Xander had arrived by this point, and after we went to bed, I couldn't sleep, because not only was I concerned about Oshi and Sine trying to get the pavilion up by themselves, we hadn't seen or heard from the E's, Alriker or the Alys party (Alys, Una and Sarah). Knowing that Eldred and Ealdthryth were supposed to have left before Peter and I did, I was getting quite worried and when I heard a car door slam, went to the window to peer out.

Then, later, I noticed Rob hopped up and went to peek out because he had heard a car door. Shortly thereafter, Oshi and Sine and the E's showed up together. Thank goodness for the E's! They had forgotten the directions to the hotel, so had gone to the site and helped Oshi and Sine put up the vigil tent!

The next morning was also tricky, since Oshi needed to go buy the vigil food. So, I chose to drive to the site with Bran, who had to be there at 9:00a.m. and keep him occupied. This proved more challenging than I had anticipated. I thought I had an arrangement with the Queen that once she had possession of him, she wasn't going to let him leave her side. Surprise! That didn't happen...

Anyhoo, we got there and set up the field pavilion (the Pennsic gatehouse) and a table with six benches and spears with pennons and a Corvus banner. Then we checked in at troll and, about that time, Oshi and Peter pulled up. We were really thirsty, so Bran went to Peter to get something to drink out of the field cooler. Big surprise. Peter had dropped the field cooler and all that food off down at the vigil site. And caught completely flat-footed, Peter couldn't figure out what to tell Bran. "I've asked you three times where you left the cooler and you still haven't answered me!" Oshi stepped in and said they'd left it at a cabin where they were storing some stuff. Once again, the flimsy explanation worked and Bran went off to do his thing, while Peter and I went back and got the field pavilion and field food.

When we last left our valiant heroes, they were trying desperately to keep Bran in the dark and still set stuff up for the vigil... As we rejoin them, Rhiannon and Peter have hopped in the car to retrieve the field hospitality food; Anne waits patiently at the field pavilion; Oshi has gone to park the car; Bran has gone to the Royal cabin and the rest of our crew is hastily making the vigil site ready...

Peter and I grabbed the field cooler and raced back to the field, where we set out the food and tried to be nonchalant as Bran lurked around and asked repeatedly where everybody else was. Finally, it was time for the procession and Bran went off to do that. I watched the procession until the Dukes began processing and at that point, I went to HRM's side to wait for time to do the deed.

When the procession was over, they did the challenges and the fighters and consorts began to disburse. I then called everyone to attend TRM's and called Bran before them (incidentally, I never intended to make it a "court,” so never actually opened it; however, Galmr instructed me to close court on his way out, so I had to do so). They started off by telling everyone about Bran winning the Society’s William Blackfox award for his newsletter artwork and then said they wanted to recognize him for his poetry, at which point I called in the Order of the Laurel. You could see the light bulb go off in his head! As we walked to the vigil, he said "It all makes sense now!" and we all laughed.

The vigil was beautiful. Set next to a little lake, Oshi and Sine's pavilion made a perfect site. They had kept the back open for a breeze and with the one coming in off the lake, it was probably the most comfortable place on site! We had tried to reconstruct the Pennsic chapel as best we could, given that most of the stuff in the chapel was in Bran's possession. But Peter had bought Bran a beautiful silver chalice and with Guiseppe's medallion and Patriche's memory and vigil books, it was very special.

Sir Richard Fitzalan had penned a poem for the occasion and Duchess Simone calligraphed in into the memory book. Here it is:

Yes Knights and Kings upon the world's own stage
Do deeds of glory and renown and worth
But when they pass as turns the mortal page
What of their stories acted out on earth?

Yes Queens and Ladies give the same again
With deeds of glory and renown and worth
When Fate's sharp blade then severs their life's skein
Who breathes the words that gives their acts rebirth?

Yes all, the great and lesser, on this sphere
Depend on what's remember when they part
And so the Royal draw the poet near
Who gives them grace and 'membrance with his art.

Before you now comes one such skillful man,
With Laurel wreathe this noble poet, Bran.

The curtain closes on this lovely scene as our heroes enjoy the relief of a surprise maintained and the tourney begins...

When we last saw our heroes, the tourney was starting and Bran was ensconced in his vigil...

Her Majesty said Bran could come off vigil at 2 p.m., but he didn't bother to leave the site until after the end of the tourney. We will skip the tourney and leave that for others to detail...

So, around 3 p.m., Bran returned to the field pavilion and Peter and I departed for the Royal cabin to prepare for court. Now, why I had to go, I wasn't sure, but HRM requested that I come along to tell her if the people she wanted to reward were present. Hmmm. I see my title of "Kingdom Know-it-All" still stands unchallenged... This, however, is a bit of a stretch of my talents.

As is calligraphy. There was this big thing about "finding a pen" and then when it came time to do the promissories, we found out why. She assumed all heralds can callig. So, instead of bringing Eldred (who offered), she was relying on Peter to do it and when he couldn't, she turned to me... If you could have just seen our faces... I'm sure we looked like we were facing a firing squad. Fortunately, the previous Queen was in the room and she can do calligraphy. So, I hung out there for a while and then started back for court. The hike was incredible. It was farther out than our damn camp at Pennsic! But I made it back before court and waited for the ceremony. I was supposed to be 4th on the docket, going in as Pelican principal, to present the proceeds of a fundraiser the order had done ($780!), but instead, they called in the Laurel and then Bran.

I escorted Bran in and knelt behind the Order. Suddenly, I felt something hit me in the back and Duchess Simone skidded to a stop behind me. She had tripped over her dress coming in to court and landed unceremoniously right beside me. Anyway, Her Majesty then asked me what the progression was and I was taken aback once again. I had asked that the Laurel prepare cheat notes of the ceremony for the Crown, but they didn't and I was caught unprepared. Fortunately, Byrum was right beside me and he whispered Chivalry and I squeaked that out.

Sir Alfred of Cres stood to speak for the Chivalry and said wonderful things. Alfred's a pretty wonderful guy, but he's a triple-peer and to our amusement and his horror, he welcomed Bran into the Order of the Pelican!

The next worthy was Duchess Caterina for the Pelican. She was a last minute add-in, because Duke Baldar was supposed to come and speak, but he didn't make it. However, even being caught with no prep time, Caterina was as always, gracious and eloquent.

Then came the Order of the Rose. Instead of a Lady of the Rose present speaking, I asked leave of Their Majesties to read the words dictated to me on Friday, which I read as follows:

“Your Majesties, I humbly offer my heart and hand to this moment, in harmony with all who have assembled here, to utter the words artisan as we style this man, a master with the word, a creator without peer. I am humbled by the gift of speaking for Master Bran Trefonnen. I am daunted by the task of summarizing the character of this man. A man who is a sculptor with words and someone I aspire to follow, when I write and when I speak.

“You do not seek clarity on his worthiness. He has been deemed a peer by another hand, who bore another Crown. The words I offer to you are only an echo of many others.

“There is a brilliant light that emanates from Bran. He has shown from the moment he entered our realm and those who know him are blessed to have been within the multitude of gifts he has created for this, our kingdom. There is an intuitiveness and a passion, which Bran gives to the people within his regard. There is a ferocity to his loyalty and a steadfastness, a permanence in his love. These aspects are in the heart of Bran, consistently flowing outward and consistently drawing others to him.

“Your Majesties, you seek to recognize Bran as a creator of emotion through the written word, to honor his gift of weaving together and presenting feeling as something tangible, something lasting and something so personal that the recipient is given a piece of himself through his pen. We would not be Atlantia without the presence and spirit of this man.

“These words I humbly offer and close with a quiet plea that the essence of worthiness would comfortably surround you in this moment.”

As I read, I could see Bran's shoulder shaking and tears running gently down his face, as he recognized the author of those words. A serene silence settled over the crowd, and many were seen to touch their eyes to check moisture which threatened to seep from there. I finished by stating that these were the words and message of Duchess Niobe Lais of Bellatrix, which brought gasps of pleasant surprise from the audience.

The last speaker was Mistress Ceridwen ferch Owain, who also received her Laurel for poetry and who was Bran's opponent in the poetry challenge at Kingdom A&S last summer. She was well prepared with wonderful notes, but said she nearly choked when she had to follow Niobe's beautiful words. [grin] Who wouldn't?

Then TRM's asked for the medallion and I was honored to present the beautiful Pelican/Laurel medallion Guiseppe had made. Eldred had made an incredible scroll, based upon the Arrest of Christ from the Book of Kells, but Her Majesty had forgotten it at the Royal cabin, so it wasn't presented in court. Damn shame, since it would have been impressive to present in front of the Order of the Laurel.

Back to our seats we trooped, only to have me called right back up to present the fundraiser money. Then, back to my seat and, oops! up again for two Golden Dolphins. Then I got to remain seated for a few awards, one of which was graced by a fly-by of a flock of egrets (that was incredible!).

Then, the Order of the Golden Dolphin was called again and someone was inducted. By this time, Bran was giving me the evil eye because I had sworn Adeliza was included in the day's inductees, yet she had not been called. Oddly enough, even though the Crown gave no indication, the Order did not act as usual and hop up immediately, but remained kneeling in anticipation as if they all knew there was one more to go. And sure enough, Adeliza was called and she stumbled into court in absolute shock. After court, she was positively beaming.

As the sun sets, our heroes contemplate the eve and what tasks they need to tackle...

When we last left our heroes, they were basking in the glory of a wondrous court and preparing to pack up and leave site...

Breaking down the field pavilion was much quicker than set up, but we still did not beat the setting sun and by the time we went to finish breaking down the vigil tent, we were working in darkness. Stakes are dreadfully hard to find in the dark.

But we finished and then went to retrieve the list field barriers since Baron Janos' vehicle had suffered a crippling injury and he wouldn't be able to transport it. So, forming a fireman's brigade, we loaded the pieces into Oahi and Sine’s trailer and then took off.

Bran and I got a little lost on the way back, but cruised in shortly after everybody else. There was a little restaurant across the road from our hotel and all fourteen of us trooped over there to eat dinner along with Pattie and Marcus, expecting to have to wait for a table. No! Not only was room not a problem, we got to eat altogether on the back porch overlooking the ocean, where we could be loud and rowdy and enjoy ourselves.

They were very, very nice and the food was really good! Then, after dinner, we trooped out on to the pier and looked at the stars and the ocean and the Oak Island lighthouse. The weather was perfect and we were content and happy.

The next morning, we ate breakfast at the same restaurant, once again, sitting on the back porch (patio) and watched flocks of pelicans and seagulls fishing in the surf. There must have been a dozen or better pelicans right below us on the beach!

Then we went shell hunting and were very successful, enjoying our walk down the beach. Finally, it was time to go back to the rooms and pack out. While we packed, a crow settled in the branches of the palm right outside our rooms and kept saying "uh-uh". We were really amused, and held conversations with him, which he refuted, but we found it quite symbolic to have a corbie talking to us and ending our weekend...

Final notes for the weekend:

- Many, many kudos to Rob and Anne, who were very helpful and a ton of fun to be around. Both hopped out of the car with hands outstretched and immediately wanted to know what needed to be done. They both had a great time, in fact, Rob said it was the most fun he'd ever had at an SCA event.

Rob has been in the SCA for 13 years and until meeting Corvus, had never held an office, never cooked a feast, or done anything participatory other than fighting. We have really opened his eyes to the possibilities and positive experiences and both he and we are benefiting from it.

Anne is Peter's fiancé and the SCA is new to her, but from moment one, she has been seeing it through Corvus and finding her place through and with us. I am glad we have been here for them and glad they have been with us.

- The Order of the Laurel (Atlantian, that is) must have really enjoyed this elevation because they didn't have to do a single thing! They didn't even remember to bring the cloak or the cheat notes for the Crown. Whew.

- Can't wait for our weekend in March! -- RHIANNON

I thought I would share with ya'll our experience in England after the terrorist attack on the WTC. Being in a foreign country (albeit the land of my birth) made it both easier and harder. It was easier because we were more removed from the events and were not watching TV most of the time since we were on the road traveling. I imagine that it was not as intense there as it was here. It was harder because we were afraid that a war would start and we would be unable to get home. It is a very strange feeling to start wondering how you will manage to live in another country. However, the outpouring of support and caring in England really made me feel part of the global community. It also made me more aware of the world outside the US.

We had a rental car but had not turned on the radio. Nor had we been watching TV at the B&Bs. We first heard about the incident when we stopped at a Services on the Motorway near Bristol Tuesday afternoon. As I was coming out of the building a man told me he was doing a survey and asked if I would answer a few questions. I stopped and he asked some questions about the bathroom cleanliness, etc. Then he asked if I was American. When I replied that I was, he asked if I had heard that a plane hit the World Trade Center. I said I had not and that was pretty much the end of the conversation. When I reached the car, I related the story. I assumed that either the guy was joking (you know how those Brits are!) or that it was a small plane.

The next morning my parents were late coming down to breakfast. While we were waiting, Eldred and I overheard the couple a few tables over talking about a plane crash. I don't remember now exactly what they said. I finished breakfast and went looking for my parents. That's when we started finding out the extent of the attack. At Hereford Cathedral there was a sign announcing that there would be one minute of silence on the hour at 11am, noon, and 1pm. On the hour the vicar went to the pulpit and asked everyone to stop where they were. He then said a few words and led one minute of silence. Several of the churches we visited during the next few days had votive candles available to light and pieces of paper on which to write messages. Some places had shrines with little US flags on them. I think it was at Hereford where they had placed US flags at the shrine of one of the saints.

On Thursday evening we watched part of a show on BBC called Question Time. There were quite a few anti-American people in the audience. It was a somewhat eye-opening view of what others think and believe. Unfortunately, one of the panel members was a former US ambassador who evidently had no idea what he was being set up for. He was nearly in tears by the end of the show, but I thought his response to the comments was very good. When two of the women in the audience started yelling at each other, Eldred made a comment about Jerry Springer and we pretty much dismissed the show as designed to cause trouble. The show caused quite a stir with demands for the producers resignation. The BBC even issued an apology. On Saturday when one of my uncle's friends found out that we had seen the show, he was horrified. He called it "disgusting" and assured us that it did not reflect the views of the majority of Britons.

On Friday there were 3 minutes of silence at 11am. We were on the road near Warwick. We pulled into a layby just before a roundabout a few minutes before 11. By 11 the layby was full and a semi even double parked. At 11, a bell sounded on the radio and it went silent except for the sound of birds chirping. After 3 minutes, the driver of the semi started his engine and pulled away, followed by the rest of the cars. That afternoon we stopped at a parish church in the village of Stoney Stanton in Leicestershire. The church was normally locked, but was open that day so that people could light candles and pray. There was soft music playing in the church as we entered.

On Saturday at the wedding reception a number of people (some of whom were not my relatives) talked with us and expressed sympathy and support. My cousin Adam and his wife Wendy performed at the reception. At the end of their show Wendy said that because of what had happened they had debated whether or not to end the show with their usual final song. They finally decided to do it anyway. Adam said something about Americans present, including family, and then Wendy said "don't let the b*****ds get you down". They encouraged everyone to come to the front and link hands in a big circle. They then launched into "New York, New York" with many of the audience joining in. It was very touching. -- EALDTHRYTH

My roommate, Tonwen, and I had our Halloween Party on Saturday [27 October] and it was Harry Potter themed. We decorated the house with hundreds of bats hanging from the ceiling. We made Roast Beef and Yorkshire pudding, pumpkin pasties and Butter Beer (Thomas Kemper root beer from a keg, half & half and butter all heated up until the butter melted.) Everyone brought something else to share.

We set up a series of "classes" - "Herbology" was carving pumpkins, "Spells" was making a wizard's hat from construction paper, "Quidditch" was a board game that was really dumb, "Potions" was from my bar where you had to make a drink with at least 3 different ingredients (Butternips, Mead, and Crème de Cacao for instance) and drink it, and "History of Magic" was a pretty good board game like Trivial Pursuit. Everything earned points for your house with maximums for each class (so it wouldn't be too unfair if one house got more members from an uneven sorting).

We made a sorting hat with a pocket shaped like a mouth. We wrote a bunch of different little rhymes and rolled them up into tiny scrolls and put them in the mouth. When a guest would arrive they would sit on the stool, put on the hat, then reach into the mouth to get sorted. It was amazing how well the sorting went, and how appropriately everyone was sorted into houses. I got sorted into Ravenclaw via the hat, too, and Tonwen was sorted into Gryffindor, the same as when we both went to the web site to get sorted.

We made ourselves robes with the Hogwart’s emblem made into a badge which we sewed on one side. I was in the process of making a Ravenclaw scarf, but it is only half done. Maybe by the time the movie is out I will have it finished.

Everyone jumped in enthusiastically and had a great time. Many people came dressed like British school kids, some like witches or wizards. At the end we added all the points and Hufflepuff won by virtue of finding the Golden Snitch in the Quidditch game. It was a total blast! I can't wait for the movie. -- MEDB RENATA

Several people have mentioned adding the following people to the FYC list including, Peter, Sine, and Rhiannon. Discussion on the House Corvus list has been very positive and I wanted to make sure everyone was on the same page regarding these House Corvus candidates.

Candidate 1 - Comments omitted from online version.
Candidate 2 - Comments omitted from online version.

NOVEMBER
3rd - Atlantian Crown Tournament.
17th - Feast of St. Dismas in Cyddlain Downs.
18th - Leonid Meteor Shower.
20th - Bran leaves for London until 11/28.
22nd - Thanksgiving Day.

DECEMBER
2nd - McKenzie’s due date.
4th - Bran’s birthday.
6th - Robert’s birthday.
8th - Feast of Saint Andrew. Bran is autocratting.
15th - Toys for Tots Tourney.
25th - Christmas Day.
31st - Helena’s birthday. New Year’s Eve Toast @ 11:55PM.

We spent some time at both Labyrinth and Crown discussing the idea of a House Corvus getaway weekend here in SC. As many of us as possible plan to get together and just work on House Corvus stuff and basically make it a grand non-event just for Corvus and other people we like and would invite. We’re already talking about inviting guests out for a fighting seminar. And we can have other special guests along those same lines from Trimaris, etc.

So, remember to keep the last weekend in March cleared for the House Corvus retreat weekend. While probably not convenient to everyone, we’ve determined that March 29-30, 2002 works out best for the House Corvus getaway.