The Armour Archive

... in a NON fighting perspective? I mean, historically, if you were who you are portrayting, how would you make your living? Where you would have lived, what the economy would be like, well... at least your own little part of it anyway.

I'll start. I see myself as a Khan of a small group, family and bondsmen, probably a few slaves as well. I see us herding certain animals, horses sheep and goats mainly. I see our main source of revenue as the silk road. my group would 'protect' a certain part of that trade route and either collect tribute or just take the entire caravan should the mood strike us. I see us as retreating to the steppes if things got hairy.

I'm still researching though, and coming up with this is kinda helping me focus on where to look and what to read. So hopefully this'll get better.
Your turn!

Landowner. Rents.

I see myself as the executive of a medium sized succesful business venture. We cater to wealthy patrons who want the best. My company assists them in solving problems, generally dealing with land disputes.

Perhaps one day I will retire to a beautiful estate that has been hastily abandoned by is former owners. After making a few repairs, I will keep order by collecting a toll on the road, and perhaps assist the local tradesman with some protection for their businesses. After all, I wouldn't want to see something bad happen to them.

You forgot the part about Bacon being the legal currency of your lands, Nissan.

I've written, re-written, and redacted multiple "persona stories" attempting to make it sound more plausible for a 12th century half-Basque dude to be at high-apprentice to low-journeyman level in a handful of different trades while also practicing arms and aspiring to knighthood, but in the end what I most closely resemble is a circa 1830s gentleman of modest means playing at Romantic Medievalism.

I would have some land holdings which would provide a good, gentlemanly, income. In addition, I would spend a considerable amount of time in the direct service of my lord as a man at arms, doing as he wished: serving him in war, as an escort to him or another member of his household on their duties, in garrison in one of his holdings.

My persona is that of an English Warder on the English/Scottish border.

I'd "work" for the Crown, keeping order in a small, out of the way part of the kingdom. Of course the "order" I'd be preserving would be the responce to my own groups periodic raiding, but you can't have an omlet without raiding a few chicken coops.

Odds are I would have been a dead peasant farmer.

My persona is that of a Varangian Guardsman in service to Basil II. So I would get paid to carry a big axe, look intmidating, and keep people from killing my lord.

However, if my personality affects this at allI doubt who I would have been actually matches my persona. I like making things, so I think I would have been a craftsman of some sort.

My persona is a late 15th century Italian Nobleman of a lesser House. Through perseverance, skill at deception, and determined use of the blade, he became the personal bodyguard and go-to-guy for Vannozza dei Cattani (mistress to Pope Alexander VI).

Later, he oversaw the confiscations of property and moneys of Italian noblemen in an effort to boost the papal treasury, oftentimes imprisoning or executing innocent men under false charges in order to take their wealth.

Shortly thereafter, he took the field under the Pope's son, Cesare Borgia, in the sack of Ceri... at which time he was wounded, and left for dead.

He recovered at a local monestary, during which time, he reflected on his life, and the nature of his crimes to his Italian brothers. He in effect, changed his ways... becoming a good and honorable man. He eventually found employment with the Anguillara family in Ceri, and lived out the rest of his days serving as Condottiero to the Anguillaras.

horseshoes and nails. lots and lots of nails. occasionally a pot or pan or something interesting like hinges or door fittings.

village smith.

I’m fighting as a noble lord in England, just after the Battle of Towton, 1461 AD.

I’m armoured as a lord should be armoured, and at my leisure I dress comfortably in last year’s fashions.

I need to work on bringing my arrogance factor WAY up to help flesh out the presentation.

As far as income and protection against the Scottish armies, I’d have the servants raising sheep in my estates in the north of England, near the Scottish border. While we haven’t sold virgin wool in quite some time, the invading Scotts only visit my lands rather than invade, and are so kind as to kneel down on my property when they enter, often to the annoyance of the ewe in front of them. But they appear often ready to embrace the concept of rearing sheep, and frequently give demonstrations of their deep love of sheep while on my property.

Apparently I'm on the short list to be the "Groom of the Stool" for Edward IV, providing the right opening.

When I originated my persona, it was that of a seafaring man. In my persona story I run away from a monestary around age 12 or 13 and wind up going to sea.

My tales usually show me as being master of a vessel, though I've always been a bit vague about how I got there. My ship is a trading vessel, but my crew is well-armed and occasionally provides escort to larger ships carrying valuable cargoes.

And then one day I got involved in a small war between two lords, and the daughter of the lord whose side I took became my wife, and my life changed . . .

It is March, 1483.

I am the second son of a lesser genteel family, was bestowed just a single manor and its village to support it. Getting by in the world, important enough to stay comfortable and uphold the family name, but trying to stay out of politics. Nasty business that is.
Raising the daughters to be well brought up and hopefully marry above their station.

Loyalty binds myself the household to the house of York and Duke Richard, but since King Edward got sick on Easter things are not as happy as they were supposed to be.

We accompanied His Grace Richard in his Scottish campaign, which took us to Edinborough last year. This allowed me to take leave to do the required pilgrimage to Rosslyn Chapel, as male members of our family have done for a long time. I can't tell you anymore about that visit, as I am bound by an oath, except that the meaning of our arms has become clearer to me.

We are concerned about the Kings health, and what will happen if he dies, as we hear that he is gravely ill. We fear the barons may take over and start a war again. I wonder what His Grace will do if that happens.
I fear more trouble is in store for England before things settle down.

I am a young soldier fighting in Gaul, and when not fighting, I'm looking to round up as many slaves and trinkets as I can manage. I am of Equestrian birth, but I see none of its privileges until I leave the army and can marry.

We now hold extremely profitable land holdings in Cisalpine Gaul, as well as operating in the high risk/high reward import business of Greek luxury goods, and are looking to parlay that into a bid for Senatorial rank. It is for this reason that I support Caesar, though I am in favor of Republican government.

My hope is to rise through the army ranks, and enter a career in the Senate. Being a lion of the Mithraic Order should help me with that. More that I cannot say.

I'm Tibbie Croser, the illegitimate daughter of a laird and widow of a tenant farmer in the Scottish Borders in the 1540s. Henry VIII's Rough Wooing is making life more miserable than usual. There are foreign mercenaries fighting on both sides who don't respect any Border codes about not harming women. I have a son in his early teens, Colin, small for his age and girlish looking, who nevertheless is trying to learn the art of the sword so that he can protect us and our farm. If we have to flee our farm, we can't carry much on our ponies: some canvas for a shelter and a chest or two with our essential goods.

As a picked man on a Icelandic stead. I would not necessarily be a Gothi, that is to say a stead owner with leadership responsibilities, but rather a trusted man who takes care of things.

Mord.

One of those members of 14th century North German gentry whose income is tied to service of greater lords and plunder. My luck is tied to those who serve in Denmark, where I hope to grab holdings.

If things go really bad I may have to fall back Holstein where ancestral lands lie. Although preciously little is to be expected for younger member of the family.

Youngest son of lesser german/dutch nobility earning my keep in a free company during the hundred years war.

With luck I would have possessed a small allod in Gascony or Navarre circa 1150, making my living from rents of those who lived on that land.

Lesser knight/high end man at arms of the 1150s. Norman English, back from the Crusades. Having had enough of war for the moment, being a landowner, enforcing the taxes and tolls, and awaiting the call to arms from my lord.




Having both been to the Holy Land, Jerusalem and the surrounding area, as well as having been on a deployment, real life mirrors my persona.

Byzantine Jr Officer.

Pay, bribes, and extortion.

A Norseman, a Norwegian farmer, turned viking when the winter ice melts and the local jarl calls. Spends his summers a-viking, and his winters at the games tables and mead.

His wife is from Caithness, a thrall he was fortunate enough to claim, but has earned her place in the house as a free woman, and has born two children, a son and daughter. She is now his wife and has a full place in their steading.

Now his spring is spent tending to the farm, his summers a-viking, and his autumns at harvest, hopefully with a fair share of a good summer of raiding.

After receiving my manumission from my Centurion master, I return north to Ireland to live on in a coastal village with cousins of my father. I use my skills learned with the Romans and in the Roman military to help my tribe, as a translator and tradesman. I travel often to Roman towns in Britannia, several times a year, for trade and other matters. Part of me longs for the gifts of the Roman world, but I am content to live outside of the Empire’s reach. I may hire myself out to successful merchants both as a body guard and negotiator/translator. From traveling with the Gallic III from my Northern homeland to the vast Southern deserts, even to Babylon herself, my knowledge of language and culture in invaluable.

I would be content to rest awhile after the Prussian crusades. Having made a bit of money as a mercenary, even though I am of noble birth, I would set myself up modestly well in Italy, where I would begin to court my lady (who happens to be from italy.) I would take commission jobs to guard caravans, or join one lord of italy or another in their border quarrels. Eventually, I would start my own mercenary company of former crusaders within italy.

I have cows. I steal other peoples cows.

Icorigas wrote:I have cows. I steal other peoples cows.

Sounds like typical Gaelic behavior to me.

Aye . . . the Scots, who pray on their knees . . . and prey on their neighbours . . .

Third son of a minor noble in the East Riding of Yorkshire, near Ravenspur. I left England in 1450 as a sixteen-year-old squire in the service of Sir William Deadmeete. We were to relieve the siege at Caen, but unfortunately we met the French at Formigny instead...

After unspecified adventures abroad, it is now 1466 and I have recently returned to my childhood home with my beautiful (and extremely wealthy) French wife.

Unfortunately, it is now 1466, my father, brothers and uncles are dead and I'm learning to play politics in a big hurry.

So it goes...

In the fall of the year of Our Lord thirteen hundred and seventy, with the grace of God, Kieran Annchie MacLeod was born to the Lord of Dunfrey in the highlands of Scotland. He was raised as a traditional child in the household of a Scottish Lord, and was sent away at the age of twelve to serve in the court of Richard II. No sooner had young Kieran arrived that he was thrust into the role of a soldier. At the age of 14, Kieran served Richard in the Peasants Revolt of 1381. He gathered arrows, fetched water and cared for the arms and harnesses during the Kings campaign. During the rebellion, Kieran even served as an archer at the battle of Smithfield. Kieran was witness to the execution of Wat Tyler one of the leaders of the revolt, and soon after the death of Tyler, the rebellion was crushed. Later, Richard began to have increasing problems with parliament, and as Richard fell out of favor, Kieran's father moved him to the court of John of Gaunt, the Duke of Lancaster in 1386. Then a boy of sixteen summers, this proved to be a boon to young Kieran, as he became a good friend of Henry Bolingbroke, the Dukes son. When Kieran's father died in the fall of 1389, Kieran returned to Dunfrey and began to manage his estates. Kieran found his new life to be one of boredom, and nothing compared to the exciting life of a soldier. He set about using the skills and prowess gained in his years of soldiery to expand his estates in Scotland. His backing by the Duke of Lancaster made Kieran a powerful player in Scottish affairs. However, it also made him less trusted in his native land, as memories of Edward I "Hammer of the Scots" were not so easily forgotten. In 1397, Henry's cousin Richard exiled Henry to France, and Kieran traveled with him there. In 1399, Henry returned from the exile imposed upon him by Richard, and Kieran quickly threw his support behind his boyhood friend Henry. Kieran participated in the deposing of Richard II in 1399. Kieran was also present at the coronation of Henry, who then became Henry IV, and later the arrest and murder of Richard II in Pontefract Castle. Shortly after the Coronation, Henry granted permission for Kieran to wed the second daughter of the Earl of Surrey, Gabriella Hamilton, at the abbey of Melrose in Scotland. Shortly after the wedding, Henry IV once again called on his friend for aid. As a staunch supporter of his long time friend, Keiran has agreed to aid Henry fight Owen Glendower, who was leading a rebellion in Wales. Kieran's company of professional soldiers has campaigned in Wales for nearly a year, and even after several victories on the field, there seems to be no end in sight to the uprising. An uneasy alliance with the Percy's of Northumberland has Kieran and his company uncertain of their future, and the future of their King

I use a mirror to see myself.

I use a mirror to see myself.

I can't see myself in a mirror.....

Nissan Maxima wrote:I see myself as the executive of a medium sized succesful business venture. We cater to wealthy patrons who want the best. My company assists them in solving problems, generally dealing with land disputes.

Pretty close for me as well. "Executive Outcomes", ca 1370?

Anglo-Norman miles, of the milites de familia regia Occidentalis, c. 1100AD.

Translated, I am a miles, a knight, of the King of the West. Like nearly all those like me, I am a "stipendiary" knight, holding no lands but receiving my living through the Crown via monetary fiefs and wages. I am the King's sworn man, and in war or peace, I do his bidding and advance his interests as I am commanded.

The King is my lord, and he commands me as his knight. This is the natural order of things, and I am content.

M.

I don't.....

I see myself as Tor Magnusson born A.S. 15 in the Shire of Windy Meads in the Kingdom of the West.

Tor Magnusson wrote:I don't.....

I see myself as Tor Magnusson born A.S. 15 in the Shire of Windy Meads in the Kingdom of the West.

Tor,

What a Westerner you are....

M.