Gulf Wars, a dagger and a heraldic device ... and a return.

Lucian Ro · Post by **Lucian Ro** » Tue Nov 07, 2006 6:44 pm

Bear with me, folks, and be warned that this might get a little wordy...

I am returning to an active role in the SCA after a significant hiatus. This hiatus had 'officially' (but unbeknownst to me) begun after Gulf Wars three years back, as life, as it is want to do, often gets in the way of our hobbies and/or extracurricular activities.
Issues intervened and the game took a backseat, causing my participation to trickle to non-existent. Finally, after the loss of a fiancÃ© at the beginning of the year I decided to use the coming war as a chance at a renewal of spirit and, while there, coincidentally decided it was also to be a farewell of sorts. When all was said and done I decided that it was my best vacation ever and that, having experienced such highs, is it was time to return home and delve into who I was, or, better yet, who I was becoming. That being said I closed that chapter of my life and bid adieu to the game, deciding that at thirty five it was time to go back to school and change my career path. I started back at school a week after Gulf Wars and finished two weeks ago. This having been said (in a rather long-winded manner) I am all set to begin again.

Allow me to recap a bit. Last Gulf Wars was my second war fighting but truly my first war where I experienced the camaraderie and fought as part of a small, effective unit attached to His Grace Gunnarâ€™s household. My defining and most memorable moment of the war was during the fort battle. My three man unit was plugging a hole in the left side breach area. I was spear and the two others were sword and shield. A particularly nasty ballista bolt took out my left protection and the following push separated me from my remaining comrade. I lost my arm quickly after that and retreated, attempting to grab my sword, which wasn't going to work as it was a basket-hilt and too small to use with my full gauntlets. I was frustrated to say the least when I heard my remaining unit member, Lord Kazimir yell, "Lucian, you still alive?" I shouted that I was but that I needed a damn sword or a half-gauntlet, quick. Kazimir looked down at my waist where I wore my (utterly and completely untested) dagger. "Use that, what the hell?" he yelled back. I had forgotten about it the chaos. "Why not?" I thought and yanked it out of my belt, jumping back into the fray. Believe it or not I even actually managed to score a few kills, oddly enough.
I survived the battle and after all was said and done I was attempting to find our ballista'd unit member when I heard someone with their back to me talking to another, "It was crazy, they even had some guy with just a dagger going after people; buzzing around like some kind of dragonfly or something ... â€œ There you go; I'd been clueless up until then as to what heraldic device to use but now the wheels were turning.

With that story delivered, I offer you my new and improved weapon, with the shield bearing my new device, hopefully, done by the end of the week. Thanks for your patience and interest.

Mac Thamhais · Post by **Mac Thamhais** » Tue Nov 07, 2006 11:14 pm

muy bien

audax · Post by **audax** » Tue Nov 07, 2006 11:57 pm

Very nice dagger. Did you use Mandrake hardware?

Oh and welcome back to the game.

Ingvarr · Post by **Ingvarr** » Wed Nov 08, 2006 1:27 am

[looking throught the list of "thou shalt nots"]Nope, covet thy neighbor's dagger isn't on it.[/looking]

Nice dagger, I needs me a rattan seax now.

Morgan · Post by **Morgan** » Wed Nov 08, 2006 7:58 am

I thought ballista bolts killed on contact.

Blackoak · Post by **Blackoak** » Wed Nov 08, 2006 8:53 am

Morgan, that's not how he lost his arm, it was his buddy.

Great work Lucien! It is the little things like that that help dress up the Society and move us forward.

Uric

Morgan · Post by **Morgan** » Wed Nov 08, 2006 9:45 am

OH... LOL I read that too fast.

Yes, it is a terrific story, btw, and you most certainly should include it in your heraldry.

Ingvarr · Post by **Ingvarr** » Wed Nov 08, 2006 10:22 am

Maybe a dragonfly and a bee, sorta float like a dragonfly, sting like a bee.

raito · Post by **raito** » Wed Nov 08, 2006 12:11 pm

Lucian,

For the Japanese, the dragonfly is often used, because it was thought that the deagonfly was unable to fly backwards.

InsaneIrish · Post by **InsaneIrish** » Wed Nov 08, 2006 3:30 pm

quick and dirty, just to give you an idea...

Lucian Ro · Post by **Lucian Ro** » Wed Nov 08, 2006 4:31 pm

Thanks, folks -- it feels good to be getting back involved.

Irish, that is pretty damn perfect, thank you. Wait -- how did you know those were the colors on my current shield?! Am I just tired and missing something or is that pure coincidence? Working on the shield as we speak ...

InsaneIrish · Post by **InsaneIrish** » Wed Nov 08, 2006 5:01 pm

Lucian Ro wrote:Thanks, folks -- it feels good to be getting back involved.

Irish, that is pretty damn perfect, thank you. Wait -- how did you know those were the colors on my current shield?! Am I just tired and missing something or is that pure coincidence? Working on the shield as we speak ...

LOL I figured the purple in the background of your pics was the shield. I just guessed on the white.

William of Otterton · Post by **William of Otterton** » Wed Nov 08, 2006 5:41 pm

Good heraldry always, at least to my mind, comes from a good backstory. Something like Irish posted would be awesome to go with.

Let us know how it ends up.

Griffin de Stokeport
Herald of Petrea Thule

Lucian Ro · Post by **Lucian Ro** » Wed Nov 08, 2006 6:16 pm

Lol, you were dead on with my colors Irish -- oddly, the couch I took the pictures on is a royal blue but the flash made it look purple!

Agreed, Griffin, I'm not much of a story-teller I'll admit but when this all came together, I couldn't think of a better source to draw from for my heraldry. I'd be interested in hearing stories about others inspiration for there heraldly. Hmm, I may have to start another thread ...

William of Otterton · Post by **William of Otterton** » Thu Nov 09, 2006 9:18 pm

Lucian Ro wrote: I'd be interested in hearing stories about others inspiration for there heraldly. Hmm, I may have to start another thread ...

Well, start it off and I'll tell the tale of my arms... It's not very long, but it still carries meaning to me more than ten years after choosing it.

GdS

Hrolfr Ornsson · Post by **Hrolfr Ornsson** » Fri Nov 10, 2006 9:48 am

Lucian,

Nice dagger, glad to hear you are comming back around.....