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Trystan's Torrent of Totally Titillating Testimonials, Trivial Tales & Tribulations |
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2006-07-27 - 10:51 a.m. THIS DIARY HAS MIGRATED TO LIVEJOURNAL. My fiancee Christina completed her first pro jousting tournament as well! ![]() I also survived my third pro combat jousting tournament more or less intact. (more than less) It was the Gaath of Baal Annual Combat Jousting Tournament, at the Tennessee Renaissance Faire over Memorial Day Weekend, 2006. ![]() I wish I could say that I was ritually bathed in the purest mountain spring water by 4 virgins clothed in the finest samite, and then led to the innermost cathedral nave to pray over my arms and armor overnight and contemplate my new role in the universe, then been clothed in pure white samite and cloth-o-gold and brought before a suitably august and pious assemblage and consecrated by a Bishop or Cardinal before being Knighted by Queen Elizabeth. I wish that the experience was very deep and meaningful to me on all levels, giving me new places and ways to grow, but alas, for that was not to be. All it amounted to was a shift in the roster and being informed that I might now announce myself to the assemblage as a proper FreeLancer Knight of their Ordure Primus. It was still meaningful to me, even if I forgot half the time to introduce myself as Syr Trystan of Anglesey. ![]() Ok, so on to the tournament itself. It was hot. Africa hot. 100+ degrees of hot, on 2 of the 3-day weekend. So much sweat went into my eyes on days 1 & 3 that I could not see to drive after dark. My eyes just refused to work right any longer, they had shut down in protest of the salt assault that I forced them to endure. The closest I came to gettting blowed off of the broad back of the redoubtable Maximillian was while using a shield, (French Style) surprisingly enough. That is rather uncommon! No surprise, it was none other than the redoubtable Ripper Moore who zapped me good 'n proper like that, but I was able to recover in time and thankfully not fall "wuffwy to da gwound". Chris and I got to joust each other and it was fun because they introduced us as husband and wife and the crowd was totally into it. That happened on the blessedly cool and cloudy/rainy 2nd tourney day, and it was very dramatic because when it was our turn to enter the list, it got darker and the thunder was rumbling loud and long as they introed each of us and they gave us our first lances and it was a memory that I will find meaningful for the rest of my life. ![]() Chris and I both, at different points in the tourney, had heat/claustrophobia issues inside the helmet. We both had to dig very deep inside to maintain our mental health and compsure. You see, they make you put on your helmet right after you introduce yourself. They do this for the sake of show continuity because it is a Ren Faire. If you fight in the last round, that means you are sitting around in the sun on your horse and in your helmet for what feels like forever while rebreathing heated CO2 enriched air. I think my visor actually burned the squire's fingers when they finally went to take it off of me! Sometimes, the squires have to pour water on our armor before they can touch us! On Tuesday, I had small round scabs on both cheeks, one under each eye, from where the big shiny buff was concentrating the sunlight into my ocularia and burning my skin like a magnifying glass. I could feel brain cells dying in large formations like napoleonic troops charging a row of cannons firing canister shot. � � ![]() |