pennsic

Oracle · Post by **Oracle** » Mon Mar 19, 2001 5:39 pm

What is pennsic. I have heard a lot of people talking about it. I went to the website, but it wasn't very informative. Any info would be great, especially anecdotes.

------------------
================
I am an Oracle, a blind one that is

Samuel Lee Jernigen · Post by **Samuel Lee Jernigen** » Mon Mar 19, 2001 7:20 pm

its a big 2 week war in Penn. ..... it rains.... the woods battle is about the only real reason to go.... the field battle looks like someone flushed a toilet with fighters in it from the air...

goto Estrella war its much more fun. be sure not to preregister so you can set out front until they TROLLs let you in.. hopefully it will rain for you too:-) the Castle defence ROCKED....

Jonathon More · Post by **Jonathon More** » Mon Mar 19, 2001 8:18 pm

been to many pennsic wars, have you sam? theres alot more than a field battle and a woods battle. try, towns, broken field, abbey battles, bridge battles, castle battles, and what ever the kings can agree on this year. not to mention having more than 2,000 combatants on the field at once. to say that the woods battle is the only reason to go to pensic is silly and misinformed at best.

so, to answer the original question, pennsic is the largest sca event in the world, attracting around 10,000 people from all over the planet. the fighting officially last five days, but you can fight every day for two weeks if you want. and that's all day, until you drop. and then some more. Not to mention the merchants and nightlife. Anyone remember hell night last year? Anyone want to admit they were at our little party? fess up, we have pictures and video!

i'll leave it for someone else to continue the subject.

------------------
Johnathon
pax, pax, est non mi pax

Bainard Grey · Post by **Bainard Grey** » Mon Mar 19, 2001 8:18 pm

OK, time to be steriotypical

Pennsic is a yearly 2 week SCA party in Pennsylvania with 10,000 of your closest friends

- But for a decent info page on the war along with some good pictures go to www.pennsic.org

------------------
Lord Bainard Grey
Shire of Havenholde, Barony of the Flaming Gryphon,
Middle Kingdom

Murdock · Post by **Murdock** » Tue Mar 20, 2001 1:49 am

Wood battle only reason to go?????

We have woods battles all the time here?
the biggest Pas in the World is a much better reason to go.
There are like 3 lists every day!

Plus you get to meet the legends of the SCA.

It does have it's down sides but Pensic rocks.

Vladimir · Post by **Vladimir** » Tue Mar 20, 2001 7:14 am

What about the "real plate and maille" tourney?
anybody have any info on that, now that my scale is finished I want to compete

losthelm · Post by **losthelm** » Tue Mar 20, 2001 10:20 am

What about Giants and Dwarves
The lost boys town battle.
The ten man turney. There are 10,000 reasons to go. If you pack smart you will be more comfortable just make shure not to overextend your self. if you have any medical condition or alergies I would recomend a medic alert tag or some such.

my blood sugar droped at midnigh madness On my way back to camp I got lost and foged out watching the lights in town siting in the midle of the road. Sacurity braught me back to camp the people I was camping with were trying to findout what was wrong with me they thought I was drunk off my ass. some one recognized my symptomes and about three pounds of grapes latter I came out of it a bit shaked but ok. If I had worn a medic alert at the time It would have gotten me the medical help I needed a bit quicker.
And then I would have been in a bit better condition for the battle the next day.

Bainard Grey
Were was this sight last year?
what I have sceen looks good the information also applies to most camping events.

Can you add benadril SP and to the list

Also please add a packing list for the fighter other competitors.

Morgan · Post by **Morgan** » Tue Mar 20, 2001 11:00 am

I have a reason to go. My King will be there.

schreiber · Post by **schreiber** » Fri Mar 23, 2001 10:15 am

For sixteen days every year groups of people band together and carve out a small portion of a large campground in Slippery Rock, PA. and make it their home.

For one week there is a comeraderie that those that show up in the second week can't fathom. There is generally nothing going on (unless you look), so it's a time to meet with friends you see only once a year, as well as make new ones. If you're with a group, you'll spend a lot of time setting up your camp (home), and possibly learning to do something new, like dancing, leatherworking, poetry, etc.

At the end of the first week you get to shop for things you didn't know existed, and find things that you can't get someone to recognize the rest of the year.

Then in the second week it becomes a war. All of a sudden people are fighting all the time, and there are oodles of people in all sorts of armor walking around. You start hearing things like "East beat Middle" which don't seem to make any sense (unless you look into it, and if you do, you quickly get caught up in arguments over fairness anyway).

Other things of note are a nude swimming hole, an annual meteor shower, a party in hell, a chariot race, several parades, very loud drumming, and at least one experience where you find yourself on the other side of a lake at the bottom of a hill three- quarters of a mile from where you started, the drunkest you've been all year, thinking:

"Man, I am so far from home right now....."

And it all started because someone declared war on himself.

HEMLUT DER SCHREIBER

olaf haraldson · Post by **olaf haraldson** » Fri Mar 23, 2001 10:20 am

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by schreiber:


And it all started because someone declared war on himself.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

...and lost!!!

Vade · Post by **Vade** » Mon Apr 02, 2001 8:17 am

Ah Pennsic, when the SCA comes to ME! I'm a local for the Pennsic scene, it's a 15 minute drive for me. This is wonderful cause we get to work on our new land starting in April and have it all set and running for war. This past year was the first in our new spot, if any of you went to "Kung Fu Schlong Theatre" or the "Pandora's Box Big Pig Roast" you've been in my camp.

IMHO, the biggest downsides to pennsic are as follows:
1. TOO DAMN POPULAR. A lot of people (townies mostly) show up cause it's the biggest and coolest party in the world. They're their for the booze, mostly, and as a result you have a LOT of TOTALLY unperiods walking around. It kinda ruins the atmosphere when you've seen 14 purple-haired goths in nothing resembling garb and it's only been 30 minutes into your shopping spree.
2. It's a LOT to take in.
it's big, it's populated and it's hot. Quite a few people just drop from heat or walking up runestone hill one too many times. There's so much to see and do that when it's over, you feel like you've missed 90% of it... and you have.
3. try getting a warm shower- it's possible but is an art of timing. (READ: 4-5AM!)
4. way too easy to get alcohol poisoning.

5. 10,000 costumed participants
16 days
Members from ALL over the world
Biggest battles
Biggest parties
Literally HUNDREDS of classes
HUNDREDS of merchants
Forests, Streams, a Lake, a "desert"-everything short of frozen tundra (well, actually, it WAS a frozen tundra about 3 weeks ago)
Bardics, Parties, Swimming, Dances, Slave auctions, Jugglers, Drum circles till you puke, COOPER'S CHOCOLATE MILK.... the biggest and worst part is that it ends. And makes all other events seem "quaint" and "cozy" But what a ride.

See you all in August- Stop by CIRCLE and say hi, we love visitors. (not that we ever let them LEAVE!)

--vade

Samuel Lee Jernigen · Post by **Samuel Lee Jernigen** » Mon Apr 02, 2001 3:46 pm

"been to many pennsic wars, have you sam? theres alot more than a field battle and a woods battle. try, towns, broken field, abbey battles, bridge battles, castle battles, and what ever the kings can agree on this year. not to mention having more than 2,000 combatants on the field at once. to say that the woods battle is the only reason to go to pensic is silly and misinformed at best. "

Well Johnaton,
Considering I've been to 5 Pennsic wars, 2 gulf Wars and now 3 Estrella wars, I think My opinion has merit. I dont recall anything in my post demanding your agreement.

Therefore I dont see why you insist on being an ass and calling my reasons for attending pennsic silly... Tact isnt a trait of tape..

bela of kaffa · Post by **bela of kaffa** » Mon Apr 02, 2001 7:19 pm

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Samuel Lee Jernigen allegedly wrote:
"Well Johnaton, Considering I've been to 5 Pennsic wars, 2 gulf Wars and now 3 Estrella wars, I think My opinion has merit. I dont recall anything in my post demanding your agreement. Therefore I dont see why you insist on being an ass and calling my reasons for attending pennsic silly...Tact isnt a trait of tape.."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
greetings from bela!
i think ANY opinion has merit, it's just a question of how much...actually, i didn't think you gave a reason for going to pennsic; you just gave a sarcastic and relatively uninformative negative-response... if all you have gained out of your pennsic experiences was a woods battle, then I believe that you have missed out on quite a bit!

my take; imagine 10,000+ of your closest friends...a campsite that can be bewildering in it's size... great classes, ton's of shopping/midnite madness, fighting every day for 2 weeks(this year there is a castle, and a ravine battle), barn dances... ...music & bards...an amazing variety of fighting styles and gear, of garb, of things i see in quantity only once a year...watching the plaidies shooting stars..late night jam sessions around the fire...a hill becoming a mountain after a few drinks...day-tripping to mcconnell's mill...my knight strolling around old pennsic battlefields with me, describing his knighting, and battles fought decades ago...
some nights we stay in camp and the world visits; some nights, we stroooll...
yup, all these things can be had at other events...but not in this scale, or with this cultural history(ie, strawberry surprise, runestone hill, cariadoc declaring war on himself, the storys that become legend)...

ok, i'm rambling and becoming maudlin...

bela
(visit us at house kaffa on E01, with the big green bar!)

------------------
lord bela ot kaffa,
squire to Baron Sir Fum,
member of House Kaffa
resident of the Eastern Kingdom and Bhakail

Murdock · Post by **Murdock** » Tue Apr 03, 2001 12:58 am

HOT???
Pensic is hot?

All these pepole were around me complaing how hot it was. Ya gotta be kidding.

Border Raids is Hot
Panhandel Skirmishes is hot.
Pensic is maybe warmish.

It was at most about 80 ish at Pensic last.

Try 103 at Panhandel
or even hotter at Border raids a few years ago.
Come here in July at a our demos, had one get up to a 118 heat index.

The Guys from Az and Trimaris were laughing right along with me.

Hot? You don't know what hot is.

hehehehe

Owen · Post by **Owen** » Tue Apr 03, 2001 7:34 am

Last year was great Murdock; try years where it gets to 95, temp AND humidity. Some years, the heat index has gone above 115 almost every day, and the chiurgeans banned mid-day fighting. Trimaris may get worse, but you should hear THEM complain when it gets cold. And it DOES get cold at Pennsic. As for AZ; I visited there in April a few years back, and was amused at the locals complaining what a chilly spring it was, mornings were 'only' 65F! At that time, it hadn't been UP to 65 in Philly for almost 6 months! They thought I was insane, walking around in shorts and sandles. Wimps!

------------------
Owen
"Death is but a doorway-
Here, let me hold that for you"

schreiber · Post by **schreiber** » Tue Apr 03, 2001 9:37 am

Yeah, does anyone remember Pennsic 24? The only Pennsic I've been to where it didn't rain the entire time... the serengeti was one big dustbowl...

It wasn't Trimaris, but it was hot.

HELMUT

jagatei · Post by **jagatei** » Tue Apr 03, 2001 11:39 am

Murdock - I heard a complaint at gulf wars wednesday that during the day it was getting a little warm for fighting (!?!) and some complaints about the humidity. I would be afraid to see what would happen to some of these people if we held a war down here in Trimaris.

Anton · Post by **Anton** » Tue Apr 03, 2001 6:50 pm

My knight (Duke Sir Verron of Trimaris) said to me that the Trimarian fighters had an unnatural advantage... they have gills...

------------------
God help us we're in the hands of engineers...

Jonathon More · Post by **Jonathon More** » Tue Apr 03, 2001 9:47 pm

well, samuel, I didnt call your reasons for attending pennsic silly, where did you read that? What I said, admittedly in a not so kind manner for which I shall apologize here and now, is that there is more to go to pennsic for than a woods battle. Much more. I believe the above posts bear this out. I never read in your original post any reason to go to pennsic at all, just a slam on the whole thing. If I missed something, I am sorry. I think your reactin to my post is a bit out of proportion, don't you?

------------------
Johnathon
pax, pax, est non mi pax

Murdock · Post by **Murdock** » Wed Apr 04, 2001 12:44 am

"Trimaris may get worse, but you should hear THEM complain when it gets cold. And it DOES get cold at Pennsic"

Yeah i heard folks complaing about that too. It was funny.

And someone complained about Humidity at Pensic being high. BWAhahahahahaha

At least in parts of Florida there is a sea breeze. In Al or Ms in the sumer the air just sits there, the humidity stops javelins in the air almost.

Cold doesn't bother me much, esp in armour. I really wanna try fighting in snow.

Armourkris · Post by **Armourkris** » Wed Apr 04, 2001 2:06 am

I have never been to pennsic.
but damn i want to go.
although it doesent sound to hot, i lived in appledore in antir for 8 years, thats like 104 in the shade during the summer. i never did sca there, but i still did heavy fighting. my armour is flat black. THAT is hot. it's nasty in the winter to, not a lot of snow, and only about -10(celcius) but it is windy and dry so it sucks the heat out of you like you wouldnt believe. but it;s still a good place.

but yea, i really wana go to pennsic.

------------------
What, drawn, and talk of peace! I hate the word, As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee:

Thomas Bloodworth · Post by **Thomas Bloodworth** » Wed Apr 04, 2001 10:12 pm

COLD, you want COLD!?!?!?!
Try fighting in -20f. BEFORE THE WINDCHILL, while standing in 2 feet of snow. And That's just down here in Earngyld, you don't even WANT to see fighting in Eskalya or Winters Gate!
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

(from Peregrine)

If you fight in the snow try and see if the marshall will let you get away without falling down when you die. I fell face first into the snow drift during a tourney and discovered that although adequate against rattan the grills in all helms are nearly nothing when coping with a foot of powder frozen water.

(Peregrine passes the keyboard back)

------------------

I stand at the bridge, I accept all challengers

Thomas Bloodworth

http://www.geocities.com/thomas_bloodworth/CRUSADE.html

Owen · Post by **Owen** » Thu Apr 05, 2001 12:37 am

Thomas- and it was 5 miles, uphill, both ways, to get to the field, right?

------------------
Owen
"Death is but a doorway-
Here, let me hold that for you"

raven · Post by **raven** » Thu Apr 05, 2001 10:45 pm

Hot? Humid? Cold? Wet? Pennsic? hahahaha...hee

Pennsic gets all kinds of weather but its not very severe compared to other areas...hot the south, humid Louisville river valley, cold standing in the snow in the St louis or farther north, wet a past gulf war aka the wet war "we came we saw they canceled or a good Lillies War micro burst. Or maybe the the thin air on the slopes of Haleakala on Maui
Its the worlds biggest party with your favorite dysfunctinal family. You choose what you do with it.

Owen · Post by **Owen** » Fri Apr 06, 2001 8:16 am

Hot? Humid? Cold? Wet? Pennsic? hahahaha...hee

Yeah, but we get it ALL, often within a 24 hour period. And some of the storms are SPECTACULAR.

------------------
Owen
"Death is but a doorway-
Here, let me hold that for you"

Jean Paul de Sens · Post by **Jean Paul de Sens** » Fri Apr 06, 2001 11:28 am

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by Murdock:
HOT???
Pensic is hot?

All these pepole were around me complaing how hot it was. Ya gotta be kidding.

Border Raids is Hot
Panhandel Skirmishes is hot.
Pensic is maybe warmish.

It was at most about 80 ish at Pensic last.

Try 103 at Panhandel
or even hotter at Border raids a few years ago.
Come here in July at a our demos, had one get up to a 118 heat index.

The Guys from Az and Trimaris were laughing right along with me.

Hot? You don't know what hot is.

hehehehe<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Us Ansteorran boys agree

Texas and Oklahoma in the summer.... heat above 100, humidity above 50%....

Robert Clark Carruth · Fri Apr 06, 2001 11:44 am

Yep, Ansteorra has got some heat. My cousins have lived in Arizona for over 10 years and every time they visit they agree that Texas is hotter. Now we all know that's not true on the thermometer but Texas has got just the right combo of heat and humidity to feel like hell.

Robert