Bard's Gate

Gyldenholt, Caid

16 September 1986, A.S. XXI

Unto the members of the College of Arms,

from Baldwin of Erebor, Laurel Emeritus.

My lords and ladies,

The enclosed materials were, obviously, completed somewhat later than the nominal date shown on the official cover letter ­­ etiquette requires that it be dated within my tenure, since it does contain a few official pronouncements, however mild these may be. The masters for the July LoAR were run on the 7th; those for the August LoAR and the cover letter, on the 14th.

Personnel

Please remove Mistress Eowyn Amberdrake from the roster. Her term as Clarion Queen of Arms having ended, she is returning to the relative calm of her remaining SCA pursuits.

Acknowledgements

Laurel may get to take most of the heat, but this had hardly been a one­man operation. A considerable number of people have served on my personal staff over the past two years.

Mistress Eowyn Amberdrake and Master Bruce Draconarius of Mistholme have been "my left and right hands and three­quarters of my memory," taking on a variety of special projects, and lending their invaluable counsel. I could not have done it without them.

During the time he was Crescent, Master Hrorek Halfdane of Faulconwood abstained from much of the discussion on Caidan submissions, so as not to gain an unfair advantage through his attendance at Laurel meetings; and he constantly reminded me of things said at meetings that needed to be repeated to the College. Such integrity is beyond price, particularly when one can play conscience and still remain friends.

Countess Leonora Morgana stepped into the breach a year into my tenure, giving up one to three evenings a week and many lunch hours to cope with the filing and try to bring some order to my correspondence.

Lord Wilihelm Roderick FitzLovel, Lord Akagawa Yoshio, and Lord Sebastian Blackwood were all regular attendees at the Monday night work parties. Lady Adelaide de Beaumont (who also handled the office finances), Lady Ceridwen Dafydd (who did yeoman's service labeling files), Lady Ceinwen Haele Cynwyth, Lord Cei Myghchaell Wellinton, and Lady Arwen Mildthryth Dafydd made up the complement for the monthly meetings.

My lady wife, Jerilyn, countenanced the invasion of her house, two nights a week and one day a month, by my staff; made desserts for the work parties and lunches for the meetings; tolerated the phone calls in the middle of dinner, the marathon sessions at the word processor, and the somewhat obsessive nature of her husband's conversation; and even found time to do some research of her own.

To each and every one of these hardy souls, for support both physical and moral, my thanks.

Et cetera

What do you call a former sovereign of arms, besides "(title) Emeritus"? Mistress Eowyn has observed that "trump" is a recognizable shortening of "trumpet" (the symbol of the SCA herald), making Alisoun MacCoul "Queen of Trumps", and Eowyn and myself "two no trumps".

Mistress Graidhne signed her first post­Dragon/post­Pennsic letter "Vegetable Herald". One of the people on my staff, with more wit than mercy, suggested that I style myself "Broken Pen Herald." I stared at him blankly, and he added, "Formerly known as His Nibs."

Now, if this were a regular SCA kingship, I'd be a Count. That's not how things work, however, so I'm left to close this letter as,

Your servant,

Baldwin of Erebor

No­Count of Arms

enclosures