“O Januarie, what myghte thee devinaille
To them who to Oertha on shippes saille?
What delices and mirth dust you see
At Oerthes corounet feste and reveli? ”
-Faunus de Arden, Autocrat
The Principality of Oertha, Kingdom of the West--In the snow-washed days of the beginning of the new year the Principality of Oertha once again held a great tournament to determine the next Prince and Princess of Oertha by Right of Combat. While the outdoors was cold; many stayed warm with fine wools and furs as well as by the warmth in the hearts of many as the populace came out to witness a grand event. This Winter Coronet and Investiture, an event celebrating the reign of Kenric and Dagmar and welcoming in the new Heirs, was a diverse and exciting event and one that will be remembered fondly by many people.
Alongside many Oerthans from around the Principality there were many notable visitors from the other expanses in the Kingdom of the West. Our esteemed visitors included Roger and Zanobia, the King and Queen of the West, Princess Helga of the Mists, as well as long-time Oerthans including Viscountess Aryana Silknfyre and Mistress Anne of Bradford, as well as a variety of visitors grand and noble from far off and distant lands.
People entered the Great Hall and signed in and visited before things got started; all of them ready for the weekend’s activities to take part in and experience. People gathered and visited as they waited for the opening court of the day to start the event. Before opening court, Lord Sevastian Agafangelovich Golystin was named as a member of the Queen’s Guard, an honor bestowed by Queen Zanobia’s own hand.
Opening court took place amid the beauty of a mechanically devised aurora borealis accented by candles—one of the most stunning and beautiful hall decorations seen in a while. From the opening statements from the Prince and Princess of Oertha, as well as Baron Faunus de Arden, the Autocrat for the event, the Invocation for the Tournament was begun with pageantry and splendor. Each fighter presented his or her inspiration for entering the tournament. Banners were processed in with some of the fighters and grand speeches were made including one, while not extravagant with words, was quite memorable—when presented for the invocation; Lady Úlfhildr Sverradóttir, who was being fought for by Lord Nikor of the Isle of Oaks, told the royalty in perfect Nikorian fashion that “Nikor fight…for me.”
Those who fight in the tournament take the Oath and prepare for the tournament. Photograph by Yamano Yuki. January 21, 2017.
