Location:

Frederick 4-H Camp and Activities Center
3702 Basford Rd, Frederick, MD 21703

General Information:

Join the Barony of Highland Foorde for our first Highland River Melees in a few years! We return to the verdant forests of the barony with delight, for we have quite the variety of activities and diversions planned for all who join us. Whether you prefer the exertion of martial activities, or would rather repose with more gentle Arts and Sciences, we have something for you. Whether you spend your day in the forest fighting for your honor or learning with the Forestry Guild, we hope you stay for the culmination of the day: our feast! All planned activities are Shakespearean in nature, so be inspired by the bard himself!

Important Links:

Event Email

Highland River Melees 2022 Facebook Event

Highland River Melees 2022 Facebook Host Page

Official Event Flyer

Register via SCA-rs, The SCA Registration System

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Martial Staff & Activities:

Please Note: All Thrown Weapon activities have been canceled.

Equestrian MIC: Doña Zarra de la Vega 

The equestrian theme will be “The Taming of the Shrew.”

There will be two challenges:

• The morning competition will be a series of challenges that each rider in the role of the suitor, Petruchio, must accomplish in order to capture and tame The Shrew. 
• The afternoon challenge will be a gambler’s choice.  Each rider will be in the role of The Shrew, Katherine, and will have a time limit to collect as many points as possible to show her suitor, Petruchio, that they are perfectly capable of caring for themselves!
• There will also be a ground crew class for those who are interested.

Rapier MIC: Provost Ishmael Stedfast Reed

Theme – As You Like It

In As You Like It, various members of Court escape to the Forest of Arden where they can be free of societal constraints. Love triangles are entangled, genders are swapped, and ultimately everything comes out right in a triple wedding!

ACT ONE – A Wrestling Match! To warm-up, we will be fighting in a Battle Royale-style Melee. (From whenever court/authorizations/inspections finish until approx. 11:30)

• All fighters have 3 lives, including their starting life (out on 3rd death) Upon any death, retreat to the boundary and count to 30 to resurrect.
• Fighters fight individually, but may make momentary alliances as they please!
• Hitting the boundary of the arena while alive counts as one(1) death, and is subject to the same 30 seconds until resurrection.
• As different percentages of players begin losing their last lives and being knocked out, the Marshals will increasingly shrink the fighting area — from that point on, passing a Marshal’s stave will count as an out-of-bounds death. If a Marshal says you have died…you have died.
• Knee walking is not allowed, but DFB is.
• Last fighter with a life wins!

ACT TWO – The Pieces Move on the Board. Once we are all back in melee-mode, we will be fighting a Three-Team VIP Field Battle. (11:30-12:30)

• Three Teams: Duke Frederick’s Army, Duke Senior’s Lords, and “The Pastorals”
• All combatants save for the VIPs in this scenario are limited to single sword or defensive parry, soft or rigid; combatants may not use a dagger or case.
• VIP: Duke Frederick — leader of Duke Frederick’s Army. Can use any weapon form, and does not act out nonlethal blows to the arms or hands.
• VIP: Duke Senior — leader of Duke Senior’s Lords. Can use any weapons form, and does not act out nonlethal or lethal blows below the hips.
• VIPs: Rosalind(Ganymede) and Celia (Aliana) — leaders of The Pastorals. These two can use any weapons form, but must both be killed for The Pastorals to lose.
• Each team’s win condition is to kill or “capture” a specific VIP from another team. The winning team will complete their win condition more than either of the other two teams. Should two or three teams tie, a death match between those teams will determine the overall winner.

INTERMISSION – Lunch Break (12:30 – approx 2:00). There will be a meeting with Members of the Royal Academie d’Espee to discuss the major implications of the By-Laws, including discussing how to nominate yourself to run for the first Guild Executive Council. The field will be open for pickups as long as a signed-in marshal is available to watch it. 

ACT THREE – Into the Forest of Arden. (2-3pm). After lunch and a break, we will take the hottest part of the day in the Forest of Arden with a Capture the Flag Melee!

• Two Teams — Duke Senior’s Lords and The Pastorals
• There are 5 flags in the forest — one side is covered in Orlando’s romantic poetry, the other is bright red.
• At set intervals (5, 10, 15 minutes) Marshals stationed near each flag will mark whether they are in “poetry” position (point to Duke Senior’s Lords) or in the “red” position (point to the Pastorals)
• Upon death, combatants should touch a specific rez tree for their team to resurrect. Infinite resurrections.
• After 15 minutes, a general hold will be called and points tallied. Scenario will be run multiple times. Winning team will have the most points at the end of the scenario.
• No knee walking, but DFB is on.
• A marshal will remain near the open field for those who do not want to participate in the Woods Battle so the field will remain open for pickups.

ACT FOUR – Reconciliation (3-3:30pm). We will all have tired ourselves running about the woods, and will return back to the Duchy for some cool-down melee training.

• Asymmetric Small-Team Bear Pits
• People initially enter the pits in groups of three. Two of the fighters are the “Snake” and the “Lion”, the third fighter is “Orlando”. The Snake and Lion are working together to defeat Orlando. If either of them kills Orlando, that fighter become the new Orlando and a new fighter enters as the missing animal. If Orlando defeats both the Snake and Lion, two new fighters enter as the Snake and Lion, and the Orlando continues defending themselves.

ACT FIVE – All is revealed and healed! (3:30 UNTIL FIELD CLOSES) Pickups, Lessons, and Free play.

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Theme – As You Like It

In As You Like It, various members of Court escape to the Forest of Arden where they can be free of societal constraints. Love triangles are entangled, genders are swapped, and ultimately everything comes out right!

ACT ONE – A Wrestling Match! (30m-45m. 10m matches, run 3x?) AFTER COURT – 11:30

In Act One, Oliver and Orlando de Bois have inherented their late father’s estate, but Oliver, the eldest, has jealously kept all to himself, and Orlando is kept to the bare minimum. Orlando demands an education and the chance to better himself from his father’s inheritance, and Oliver plans to rid himself of his younger brother. Oliver gets Charles, the court wrestler, to wrestle Orlando – to the DEATH! Orlando wins, and in the process falls in love with Rosalind, who saw the whole encounter! Rosalind is unmoored herself, as her father was the old Duke whose younger brother, Duke Frederick, took over and exiled Duke Senior to the Forest of Arden, but kept Rosalind, his niece, for insurance and companionship to his own daughter, Celia. Duke Frederick suddenly thinks Rosalind is a threat, and exiles her as well. Celia, with love for her cousin, runs away from home with Rosalind, and Orlando runs from his older brother’s death threats, all to the Forest of Arden.

1. Scenario – Warm-Up Tournament
2. Style – Battle Royale  – RING MARKED OUT ON FIELD (Rope ring, or spray paint if allowed)
3. Conditions –
4. 3 lives (you can die twice, on third death you are permanently out). Rez is edge of ring

1. Hitting the boundary of the ring while alive counts as a death
2. The ring slowly closes as players are permanently killed – marshals are the edge; going past their horizontal stick is a death. 
3. Knee walking is not allowed, but DFB is. 

•  (1 hr approx) 11:30-12:30

In Act Two, Duke Frederick realizes his daughter has run away with Rosalind, and believes Orlando is involved. He sends for Oliver to answer for his brother, and in the meantime raises an army to go into the woods and end all his problems once and for all – to kill his older brother Duke Senior who remains exiled there, and find his own daughter again. 

In the meantime, Orlando, on the run, finds Duke Senior first, and joins his band. Rosalind and Celia, fearing for their safety, don disguises as Ganymede, a boy, and Aliana, the shepherdess. Finally, we meet Silvius, a young man in love with Phoebe, who does not love him back. 

1. Scenario – Melee
2. Style – Asymmetric Melee – Field limits marked out
3. Conditions – VIP Win Condition
   1. Three Teams:Band of Forest Lords, Duke Frederick’s Army, and the Pastorals.
      1. The first team to lose their VIP(s) ends the round. Winner determined by whose goal was met. 

INTERMISSION – LUNCH BREAK (12:30 – 2)

Academie d’Espee Charter and Bylaws Information Session – 1:30 – 2:00

ACT THREE – Into the Forest of Arden

In Act Three, Orlando meets Ganymede (Rosalind) and Celia (Aliana) and doesn’t recognize them, and instead asks for help wooing Rosalind. She, playing the boy Ganymede, agrees to pretend to be Rosalind so Orlando can practice his romancing. Orlando covers the trees in romantic poetry (much to Rosalind’s dismay at its quality), and Phoebe correctly rebuffs the guilt-trip of Silvius, because she is in love with the man Ganymede instead! Oliver, Orlando’s older brother, enters the Forest of Arden at Frederick’s command to bring back Orlando, dead or alive, who he blames for his daughter’s disappearance. (2-3PM)

1. Scenario – Melee
2. Style – Woods Battle
3. Conditions – Timed Capture the Flag with Point Accumulation
   1. Two Teams – Orlando’s Lords and Ganymede’s Band (sorted by award level)
   2. Orlando’s Lords are trying to “put up” poetry all over the forest, while Ganymede’s band is trying to “take them down”. 
   3. 5 Flags in the Forest – at set intervals (at 5, 10, and 15 minutes) Marshals stationed near each flag will mark whether they are in the “up” or “down” position. 
   4. At the end of the time for the round, marshals will gather and total points – all “up” position tallies go to Orlando’s Lords, all “down” position flags go to Ganymede’s band. 
   5. Scenario will be run 3 times. 

ACT FOUR – Reconciliation(3-3:30PM)

The tensions come to head in many ways in Act Four. Orlando (possibly!) begins to suspect Ganymede might not be who he says he is, and they enact a “practice” wedding ceremony. Orlando comes upon Oliver in the woods, who is about to simultaneously be killed by a snake and a nursing LION (no joke). Orlando fights off the creatures, and Oliver is so grateful he immediately forgets his plans against his younger brother. 

Meanwhile, Rosalind continues to find “pretending to be Rosalind” incredibly difficulty, as Orlando is just SO good she wants to keep giving up her disguise – good thing Celia/Aliana is there to remind her to keep testing him!

1. Scenario – Melee
2. Style – Asymmetric Small Team Pits
3. Conditions – Back to the Bear Pits from the Morning! People enter the pits in groups of three. Two of the fighters are the “Snake” and the “Lion”, the third fighter is “Orlando”. The Snake and Lion are working together to defeat Orlando. If any of them kills him, they become the new Orlando and a new fighter enters as the missing animal. If Orlando defeats both the Snake and Lion, two new fighters enter as the Snake and Lion. 

ACT FIVE (3:30 UNTIL FIELD CLOSES)

In act Five, all is revealed and healed! Rosalind and Orlando finally discover one another, and their love blossoms into a marriage. Oliver, Orlando’s reformed older brother, has fallen for Celia and they agree to marry as well. Phoebe’s love for Ganymede is…dampened by the revelation that Ganymede is actually Rosalind, and she looks on Silvius in new, appreciative eyes!  Duke Senior returns to his court in pride, as his brother Duke Frederick has had a literal “come-to-Jesus” moment and joint the clergy. The play ends with four marriages: the jester Touchstone and Audrey, Rosalind and Orlando, Celia and Oliver, and Silvius and Phoebe. 

1. Scenario – None
2. Style – Pickups and Free Play
3. Conditions – Marshal monitor the field for pickups, lessons, etc. Potential for small group melee instruction from Dragoons!

Archery MIC: Lady Sof’ia Dolgorukia of Ponte Alto

I am not choosing a specific Shakespearean theme for archery but I plan to incorporate plays, characters and themes into the archery targets. 

Prize Categories: best novice, best period bow, best crossbow and best open handbow.

Heavy MIC: Sir Carlyle Jamesson

MOLIC: Doña Mariana Ruiz de Medina

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Arts and Sciences:

General: Magistra Beatriz Aluares de la Oya

The Challenge:

“The object of art is to give life a shape.”

Sometimes people find it hard to “use” their persona at events, or to make their persona relevant to their SCA “game play”. In this challenge, we invite you to use your persona (or someone else’s) to investigate that persona’s world, in order to create small items that you might carry to or use at events to enhance our SCA “game”.

*Gubbins, meaning small items, easily picked up and carried about (mid-16th century word, from the obsolete gobbon ‘piece, slice, gob’, from Old French; probably related to gobbet). Not to be used in connection with live small animals.

Thanks to Shakespeare and others for the quotes used here throughout.

This Challenge is brought to you by Magistra Beatriz Aluares de la Oya, and is directly inspired by the Barony of Southron Gaard’s 2019 Persona Gubbins A&S Challenge. That Challenge was created and sponsored by Meisterin Christian Baier, Baroness Isabel Maria del Aguila, and Lady Amabilia Thexton, under the gracious patronage of Her Excellency Baroness Ginevra.

What to enter:

• You may enter the challenge by completing one (or more) small objects or items from the categories below. “Small” may be defined as you choose, and may include “medium”, “large”, and “gosh, look at the size of that thing” projects. 

• Entries may be items cross-entered in other competitions or challenges (such as the Atlantian Persona Challenge)

• All items should be for use at an SCA event. 

• Items may be for your persona, or for the persona of the person for whom the item is intended.

Who can enter:

• Anyone! Entries are welcomed from adults, children and youth.

• This Challenge is open to entry for anyone inside the borders of Atlantia

• Items may be made by an individual, or by a group.

How to enter:

Submit the following at Highland River Melees:

1. the items, and
2. a few brief notes about the item and the persona that inspired it.

Formal documentation is not required, but is welcome (because we’re all curious people who want to read it). EZ Docs is recommended.

Child and youth entries should be entered with assistance of parents.

Your recognition:

All entrants will be awarded a special token at HRM 2022. Those entrants who complete three projects, and those who complete five projects, from at least two distinct categories listed below, will receive an additional token.

Categories:

1. Do you think because you are virtuous, that there shall be no more cakes and ale?
   An item of food or drink your persona may have grown, prepared, consumed, or known of.

2. With silken coats, and caps, and golden rings, with ruffs, and cuffs, and farthingales, and things.
   A garment your persona may have worn.

3. With scarfs, and fans, and double change of bravery, With amber bracelets, beads, and all this knavery.
   An accessory your persona may have owned, made, used, or gifted.

4. What revels are in hand? Is there no play, To ease the anguish of a torturing hour?
   Games, toys, and other such entertainments.

5. ‘Fore God, you have here a goodly dwelling and a rich.
   Items your persona may have had in their home: housewares, furniture, feast gear, tableware, lighting, and such like.

6. To gild refined gold, to paint the lily, To throw a perfume on the violet,…
   At your toilette: hairstyling, make up, beauty products, skincare, ointments, unguents, perfumes, etc. Also items associated with bathing, cleanliness, etc: e.g. soaps, cleaning tools or products, laundering, etc for people, houses, livestock etc.

7. Is this a dagger I see before me?
   Items for self-defense or martial activities.

8. Get thee to a nunnery
   Religious or spiritual items, e.g. memento mori, devotional items, etc.

9. A garish flag, to be the aim of every dangerous shot.
   An item of heraldic display.

10. Throw physic to the dogs; I’ll have none of it.
    Items associated with health, medicine, or wellbeing.

11. I do remember an apothecary…
    And in his needy shop a tortoise hung,
    An alligator stuff’d, and other skins
    Of ill-shaped fishes; and about his shelves
    A beggarly account of empty boxes,
    Green earthen pots, bladders and musty seeds,
    Remnants of packthread and old cakes of roses,
    Were thinly scatter’d to make up a show.
    An item used in an occupation, trade, or task, e.g. a tool, equipment, etc.

12. I’ll note you in my book of memory
    A written item or document of some kind, e.g. a letter, a piece of calligraphy and illumination, etc.
    In particular, we would also encourage you to put together your own commonplace book or similar item relevant to your persona (a commonplace book is a collection of notable extracts from other works, and everyday handy knowledge for your personal use at events e.g. song lyrics, game instructions, recipes to share, etc).

Please direct any questions about the challenge to Magistra Beatriz Aluares de la Oya

Original challenge from Southron Gaard

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Bardic Madness at Highland River Melees

Ollam Lanea inghean Uí Chiaragáin calls all performers to come together as our kin do in Northshield.  Neither winner nor loser shall be recognized–we all rise together in victory. (Due to last minute necessity, Bardic Madness will be conducted by Baroness Fevronia Murometsa, Baron Igor Medved, Sir Volodya Cambionets, and Lady Gwailyn. The Barony of Highland Foorde extends its deepest appreciation to them!)

Fyt one: “The Fey”  Bring us songs, stories, and tunes of the blessed neighbors.  Please remember that they can and will eat you–be cautious. 

Fyt two: “Summer’s bounty” Bring us works of farming, heat, sun, water, love, or whatever else summer means to you.   

Fyt three: “The Highlands” Sing of mountains, heights, hills, spires, or whatever else seems apt. 

Lanea’s Geas: Lanea challenges all participants to attempt to reach enchanted ground during their performances.  Strive to work entirely off-book, to avoid the mention or use of things that would jar the company out of their reverie (cell phones, overtly modern contrafacta, etc.).  Those who meet Lanea’s challenge will receive additional esteem and reward for their efforts.  

The rules, as imparted to by our esteemed friends from Northshield: 

• A challenge is not a contest or competition; everyone who enters wins.   
• Sign-up sheets will be available at the Bardic space on Saturday.   There are a limited number of performance slots in each challenge.  You’re welcome to sign beneath the lines, but there’s no guarantee that there will be time for such additions.  
• Please limit your performance time to 3 to 5 minutes per fyt.  
• This is a bardic safe space.  Take chances, be creative, don’t worry if you miss a line (we’ve all done it), put your heart into it… and above all, have fun.
• Participants and spectators are encouraged to bring tokens of esteem to give to performers who impress them.

Class Information

Flint and Steel Firemaking 

Instructor: Elias de Birton, Armiger 

Time: 11:00 

Location: Firepit 

How To Write Poetry Like a Well-Mannered Brute: Shakespearean Sonnet Basic Training

Instructor: Master Morien MacBain 

Time: 11:00 

Location: Main Hall 

Medieval Inspired Gear for Backcountry Camping 

Instructor: Elias de Birton, Armiger 

Time: 12:00 

Location: Firepit 

Introduction to Fingerloop Braiding 

Instructor: Lady Scheiny of Dalhraidia 

Info: Kits available for a $1-$3 donation

Time: 12:00 

Location: Main Hall 

Night’s Black Agents: Espionage and Covert Action In the Elizabethan Age Instructor: Master Morien MacBain 

Time: 1:00 

Location: Main Hall 

Dance Instruction 

Instructor: Master Stefan of Cambion 

Time: 2:00 

Location: Main Hall

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Forestry Guild: Elias de Birton, Armiger

O Cassius, you are yoked with a lamb
That carries anger as the flint bears fire,
Who, much enforced, shows a hasty spark,
And straight is cold again.

– Brutus in Julius Caesar Act 4, Scene 2

This simile for a flash of temper that quickly fades would have been very relevant to an audience of Shakespeare’s day, but is perhaps less relatable in our modern era.  Learn about making fire with flint and steel (including what Shakespeare got wrong!) and other areas of interest pursued by members of the Kingdom of Atlantia Royal Forestry Guild.

Youth Activities:

hosted by Christian Stone and Jenna Line

Activity 1: The Bard of Soap

“I will go wash; And when my face is fair, you shall perceive. Whether I blush or no: howbeit, I thank you.” 

Coriolanus, Act I, Scene 9

This hands on class will have your little Hamlet or Beatrice composing their very own felted soap to take home. Please allow a few hours on site after the class for your crafts to cure.

Activity 2: To be, or not to be?

Your little hero or heroin will carve their own elder futhark runes from salt dough in this hands on journey and keepsake. We will touch upon basic meanings of several of the runes in class, and share ideas about how one can explore and connect to the energies within them

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Event Staff

Event Steward: Dame Elisenda de Luna

Event Steward and MIC: Epy Pengelly, Armiger

Feast Steward: Dame Alana Urquhart

Draft menu (subject to market availability at time of event)

• Manchet loaf (bread)
• Butters
• Savory Toasted Cheese
• Onion soup

• Cheese & Onion Tart
• Capon with Orenges After Mistres Duffields Way
• Boiled carrots
• Compund sallet

• Salt beef with mustard
• Fritters of Spinnedge

• Rice Pudding
• Tarte of Strawberry
• Cheese & Fruit

Head Reservationist: Lord James the Archer

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Miscellany:

Merchants:

We welcome merchants to set up in an open air pavilion that will be shared with Youth Activities and the general public. Please be sure to email the event beforehand to let us know you are planning to vend. 

Day Shades/ Pavilions: 

Due to layout considerations, please email us if you plan on bringing a day shade or pavilion to the event. Please let us know what size it is. We will do our best to accommodate those who wish to bring them.

Silent Auction:

Have you accumulated too many SCA treasures? Is your tourney box too full? Have you created some items you know others might appreciate? Do you have an abundance of crafting supplies, feast gear, SCA related books, fabric, or garb? Simply bring the items to the Newcomer’s Point inside the hall the morning of the event, and fill out a simple bid form.  

Payment for all winning bids are due in cash at the end of the auction.  Announcement of winners will take place immediately following afternoon court. Proceeds will benefit the Barony of Highland Foorde. 
Contact  Lady Caran DeBurg with any questions or concerns

Lunch / Day Board

No lunch or day board will be provided. Please plan accordingly.

Quiet Space

There will be a designated quiet area at a fire pit at the bottom of the event space. Please use headphones if using a listening device, and leave the area if you wish to have a conversation. 

Newcomer’s Point: 

Are you new to the SCA? Is this your first event? Lady Caran DeBurg is the Baronial Chatelaine and would love to meet you!  She will have a Newcomer’s Point set up inside the hall at the event. For those in need, Gold Key garb (items that can be borrowed) will also be at Newcomer’s Point.  Contact Lady Caran DeBurg with any questions or concerns. 

Hotels:

While there are a number of hotels and campsites in the area, the included hotel is one nearby that is more economical than other options. There is no hotel block. 

Comfort Inn (10 miles from site)
7300 Executive Way
Frederick, MD 21704

Driving:

From the East: Drive on I-70 West to US-15 South, turn right onto Mountville Road, turn left onto Basford Road, the site will be on your right.

From the South: Drive on US-15 North, turn left onto Mountville Road, turn left onto Basford Road, the site will be on your right

From the West: Drive on I-70 East to US-15 South, turn right onto Mountville Road, turn left onto Basford Road, the site will be on your right.

Dogs:

Well behaved dogs on leashes are allowed on site. Please clean up after them appropriately. 

Alcohol & Bottles:

Alcohol is not permitted outside of the feast. No glass bottles are allowed.