What do the heavies wear in southkeep?

[Gruber]

Just what it says.... Wife and I are moving around Junish to Homestead Florida- are people wearing minimal armour and what's thier calibration like compared to the Middle?
Thanks,
Gruber.

[Derian le Breton]

FWIW, from my experience fighting like two people from FL: little armour, light hits.

I'd recommend going with an open mind. Show up at a fighter practice, take it easy, and see what happens. Pay attention to calibration and communicate openly with your opponents and the marshals.

-Derian.

[Frederich Von Teufel]

I spent a couple of years in Southkeep, but it has been a while since I was back. However, I doubt things have changed too much.

There were a couple of Dukes in the area (by which I mean within an hours drive) who kept the skill and calibration level up; at that level of competition the Trimarian calibration was comparable to Atlantia, Ansteorra, Meridies, or Glenn Abhann.

Overall, armour is towards the low end; I found that what needed to be dropped for most people was the amount of padding underneath the armour, rather than the armour itself. You do need an arming coat to help with sweat, but avoid anything that is layers of padding. The winter months are great for fighting and you do acclimate to the summer months fairly quickly. There are a couple of weekly fighter practices; I'm not sure if what you consider to be a normal size fighter practice, but I think you'll find the community to be small but tight knit.


Frederich

[Gruber]

Sounds awesome! I'll be down there from the 24th to the 27th of this month, in Homestead.... Anyone I should get in touch with?

[Swamp Stick]

I'm on the other coast (Ft Myers), but Derian and Freiderich have the right of it. Lots of bumper stickers (non SCA) that say "We don't give a damm how they do it up north!". We run the gambit on calibration everything from "hey I tapped your thigh" to "ICBM away sir!". Most will take/give a mid rang shot without problem but will go heavier if you insist on it. I've found that most people who are used to heavier shots quickly learn the difference between a shot that could or could not have been thrown harder. Armour is also variable. The big thing that is consistently different is what is worn under the armor. Heavy gambesons will win you a trip to the the hospital if you aren't used to the heat (especially when you will be arriving) . You will probably find more folks that wear high tech athletic fabrics as a base layer to help keep cool and wick sweat than "up north". Drink about three times the fluids you think you need. If you get thirsty, it's way to late. Really, I'm not joking about that. If you just spent three hours and did not need to take a leak despite drinking lots of water you did not drink enough. We have water bearer "commandos" here (okay, not really but...). Other than that, it's no different than joining any other established group.

BTW That 12' lawn ornament is likely to be a real gator.

Welcome to Trimaris, the actual south part of the south!

[Odd]

If the eventing at Camp Ocala... bring your own water, and if you're a nice person, bring some to share. Water there tends to be nasty, or swimming pool chlorinated.

[Otto von Teich]

You got married? Congrats! Good luck on the move! Gonna be hot down there compared to what your used to. hot down there compared to anything, except maybe the boilers over the blast furnaces at the steel mills. It'll be cool compared to that I guess...

[Jestyr]

I am the Marshal of Sangre, which is the shire just north of Southkeep.

As has already been stated, padded undergarments aren't common (or recommended), but most people don't wear true "minimums". The heat and humidity suck, but you really do get used to it.... eventually.

We are probably on the middle end of calibration. I am not particularly hard hitting due to my size, but I haven't had any trouble getting people from other kingdoms to call my shots. Duke Logan, who posts on the AA, lives down here now and has fought a few of us before he had his surgery, so perhaps he can better answer that questions.

Unfortunately there aren't any practices in Southkeep. The closest is Sangre's practice on Thursday nights. On the plus side, we are right off of the highway, so you should have a pretty easy, if longish, drive to us. There is also talk of doing another practice a bit north of us to get some of the West Palm (Sea March) guys in on a joint practice.

Another plus is that Mistress Navah, who is the seneschal of Southkeep, is also in Homestead.

SCA in South Florida is small, and we are somewhat isolated from the rest of the kingdom in some regards, but we are a good group and all get along.

If you have any questions, feel free to PM and I'll send you my number and email.

Regards,
Kenric

[Swamp Stick]

Oh, sorry, I guess I should have added that you are welcome to join us on Friday evenings here in Fort Myers. It is a bit of a drive from Homestead (3 hours +/-) but if you find yourself coming over here, let me know.

Bjorn

[Corby de la Flamme]

at that level of competition the Trimarian calibration was comparable to Atlantia, Ansteorra, Meridies, or Glenn Abhann.

This might be the strangest line I've ever read on the Archive.

[dukelogan]

you will be at the bottom tip of the state (save getting on that crazy long bridge to key west f course). so most of trimaris is a few hours north of you. most of the big kingdom events are in ocala which is 3.5 hours north of me here in west palm beach and we are 1.5 hours north of homestead. fine group of folks in the miami area which might be the closest group.

armour is weird here. for year trimaris had a reputation of light hitting and light taking. the rumor was "its hot, we dont wear a lot of armour". having lived in charlotte nc and columbia sc i can tell you without a doubt that florida is not hot. average temps are in the 80's and the highs in the summer are in the low 90's. columbia has weeks of 100+ with no breeze. its brutal. florida is nothing temp-wise.

so i was shocked when i first got here and looked at the average kit. they wear a lot of armour here. way more, on average, than atlantia. in fact ive not seen anyone wearing less armour than me (not that many people anywhere do, i wear very little). breathable fabrics are the key, just like anywhere.

as far as calibration goes trimaris has joined the sca, did so years ago. in my early days, 20 years ago, trimaris was a culture of stick tag. that is no longer the case and i have found that, with some exceptions, we are in line with the majority of the sca. there are some folks that throw taps to the face and expect folks to take light hits like that but i think it just to the face. i guess they think the face is a weak thing and that the brain isnt really protected by an amazingly tough cage.

the fighting culture here is a healthy one. a lot of good folks, skilled folks, and some real superstars. whatever you are wearing now will work just fine here. you may have to adjust your under-garments depending on what, if anything, you wear. welcome to the tropics and let me know if there is anything i can help you with.

regards
logan

Just what it says.... Wife and I are moving around Junish to Homestead Florida- are people wearing minimal armour and what's thier calibration like compared to the Middle?
Thanks,
Gruber.

[Swamp Stick]

Thanks for speaking up Logan. I always have a hard time with that since I've only lived in Trimaris and war is not your "average" fighter practice. Yes the armour has come a long way in 20 yrs.

Bjorn

[Jestyr]

most of the big kingdom events are in ocala which is 3.5 hours north of me here in west palm beach and we are 1.5 hours north of homestead.

I think Homestead is closer to 6 hours south of most events. It's still a very doable, if long, day trip.

i can tell you without a doubt that florida is not hot. average temps are in the 80's and the highs in the summer are in the low 90's. columbia has weeks of 100+ with no breeze. its brutal. florida is nothing temp-wise.

You haven't been here for a hot summer... yet.

[Frederich Von Teufel]

I moved from Northern Atlantia to Southkeep in 2000. My armour fit in without modification, although I did switch to a new gambeson. As an aside, Ugo Serrano did live in the area back in the '90s, and you can occasionally still see some of his work turn up at events.

It was my perception that my calibration was set higher than the average fighter was used to, but that they were easily able to crank the dial to suit me. One culture clash was that Trimaris has an almost 'touch standard' for blows to the face; that may have changed since I was there, but I know that I found it disconcerting to have to be hyperaware of little 'tink' hits that they considered kills.

The other culture clash was that they are real big on "acts of courtesy". If you take an opponents leg, it's expected that you will take your own leg to level the playing field. My background in Atlantia says that this was something a person did when he felt his opponent would not provide a sufficient threat, i.e. this was an "act of insult" rather than one of courtesy. I did my best to change this perception while I was down there, but I don't know how much things have changed, if at all.

Things I learned while in Trimaris:
- Always bring bug spray and Deep Woods Off to every event. You will see spiders as large as your palm, ignore them as much as you can, you aren't their preferred prey, and you want them to be eating the things that they are after.
- Always bring more bottled water and gatorade to an event than you think you need. You'll still be short, but not as short as you would have been otherwise.
- Get in the habit of always tapping your sword against the edge of your shield before each fight. Florida is made of sand, sand sticks to everything; you don't want to be flinging sand in your opponents eyes during a fight.
- Wear shoes that have a significant cleat. Florida is made of sand, and you need all the traction you can get.
-There are a lot of fighters who come to events specifically for the fighting and will leave as soon as it's done. If you want to get to know these people, realize that it will have to be done on the field, since they don't hang around for anything else. Not making a moral statement, just letting you know the state of things.
- Trimaris is an archer friendly kingdom.
- Trimaris wasn't a particularly A&S positive kingdom; Atlantia has 2-3 A&S Universities a year, plus an A&S display at every event. Trimaris (at least during the time I was there) had A&S as an afterthought. I've been told that this has gotten better, but should you be looking for A&S recognition realize that it might be an uphill battle.

Again, Trimaris has a population that is somewhat small, but it is tight knit. It's a good Kingdom and I miss many of the people I called friends.


Frederich

[dukelogan]

for the first one, i have seen it and i have heard some fighters say they expect "kills" from face taps or even light shots. ive also been told that others expect a solid shot. i certainly hope its more the latter than the former.

for the second, ive not seen much of that. i was doing pick ups with a knight who legged me twice and the first time he went to his knees. i, of course, refused (although i no longer see it as insulting as i used to, but will never permit it regardless). but i really havent seen it more than a time or two thankfully.

regards
logan

One culture clash was that Trimaris has an almost 'touch standard' for blows to the face; that may have changed since I was there, but I know that I found it disconcerting to have to be hyperaware of little 'tink' hits that they considered kills.


The other culture clash was that they are real big on "acts of courtesy". If you take an opponents leg, it's expected that you will take your own leg to level the playing field. My background in Atlantia says that this was something a person did when he felt his opponent would not provide a sufficient threat, i.e. this was an "act of insult" rather than one of courtesy.

Frederich

[Otto von Teich]

Its not so much the heat, but the tropical sun. My wife and I went out in Feb one year to the beach. We were out exactly 45 min. I got burned pretty bad, my wife was lobsterized. Wear sunscreen any time you go out. You must remember, Gruber is a fair skinned polar bear. But, he will survive. You could always use a midget on a stick for an umbrella. I dont really know Gruber that well, But I know the Gruber likes his midgets...We all have our weakness...

[Gruber]

Oh my god Otto!!! Priceless imagery:)

[Otto von Teich]

I thought you would enjoy that!

[Edwin]

I moved from the Midrealm to north Trimaris, Oldenfeld (Tallahassee) and then Castlemere (Jacksonville), about 5 years ago.

Jacksonville is much more humid than Tallahassee. I was able to continue wearing my gambeson in Tallahassee. Now I fight with 2 linen tunics, and occasionally 1. I also do my normal exercise in the heat of the afternoon, to aclimate. Now, I can typically keep my helmet on for 3 to 4 hours of practice, taking only small breaks in between practice opponents.

Armor: there are many people kidney belts under tunics. I still wear lamellar without any issues. There is a wide range of armor though, from people in all plate to true minimum and exposed skin on the legs and upper arms. Vambraces are required in Trimaris.

Calibration: overall the force is roughly comparable to the midrealm. There are a few calibration things that had me voluntarily not entering tournaments for a while.
1. Touch kill convention with the face thrust. I was very comfortable with the Mid's positive force convention, so I often wouldn't even notice the Trimarian touch that had no force. I had to retrain my eyes to recognize the hit.
2. Some of the attack mechanics were hard for me to recognize as a telling blow. The issue was that the return many Trimarians use looked just like what many of the glancing-midrealm blows had. I knew the hit was good, buy my brain registered it as a "glance" due purely to the pathway the sword followed. That meant I was 2 to 10 seconds late in calling the shot.

[Navah]

Just what it says.... Wife and I are moving around Junish to Homestead Florida-
Gruber.

I am excited in the prospect of your addition to Southkeep.

Welcome

[Navah]

I live just off Exit 1 on the turnpike Border Homestead and Florida City. Driving to an event in Camp ocala makes one subject to rush hour traffic and construction zones in Miami, Ft Lauderdale, West Palm and Orlando. At non rush hour traffic with no construction, West Palm Beach is 1hr 50 min away by Google Maps. Homestead to Camp Ocala by Google Maps is 5hrs 17min. If Pulling a trailer you'll have a stop for gas at least once if not twice and maybe a drive thru for dinner, breakfast or lunch. If you factor in an accident, construction or rush hour in one of those cities, your drive can be much longer. Consider at least 6 hrs in the best conditions if I'm driving. If my companion is driving throw all of that out the window and find something to bury your head in as he weaves in and out of traffic waving at everyone as the friendly fellow he is.

SunPass is a must in South Florida in my opinion. Down here the turnpike is no longer manned for cash payments. If you drive through without a Sunpass transponder, you will be subject to a "pay by tag" handling fee and will get a bill in the mail based on the address on your registration.

Thank you Logan, I think we are a nice group of people too

[Jestyr]

Thank you Logan, I think we are a nice group of people too

He wasn't talking about you.

(See you Saturday.)

[Navah]

Thank you Logan, I think we are a nice group of people too

He wasn't talking about you.

(See you Saturday.)

Alrighty then Kenric... no pearls for you!!!