My visit to the Great Plains RenFest

Josh W · Post by **Josh W** » Sun Apr 22, 2007 11:01 am

On Saturday I went to the Great Plains Renaissance Festival in Wichita, Kansas with a couple of friends. The weather was nice--sunny, but not too hot, so I wore my full harness.

I had arranged to meet Patrick Kelly there, having talked with him on various forums for years, and it was nice to finally be able to put a face to his name. He brought his family and his friend Greg Griggs, who posts on MyArmoury.com, with him. All were dressed well; Patrick himself has a splendid 11th century Norman outfit.

[img]http://www.mediumaevum.com/josh/PatGregandI1.jpg[/img]

http://www.mediumaevum.com/josh/PatGregandI2.jpg

It was a pretty typical Renaissance Fair experience: lots of people with kilts, bagpipes, katana, and fantasy leather armour. Wichita's SCA barony runs a demo there, and I made the obilgatory stop by to visit a few friends. They assumed that I was there to fight with them and take part in their demo. I declined, remembering how evil their marshal was when I came down last year; he seems to think that no gauntlets can be list-legal unless they're oversized and stuffed with blue foam. Another fellow, again assuming I was there to play SCA, jumped on me about the edges of my pauldron reinforces, saying they were sharp and going to wreck people's rattan.

Here are a few more photos featuring some of the interesting characters I met there:

http://www.mediumaevum.com/josh/ShiroandI1.jpg

http://www.mediumaevum.com/josh/sillyD&Darmor1.jpg

http://www.mediumaevum.com/josh/BarbandI1.jpg

William of Stonebridge · Sun Apr 22, 2007 11:27 am

I am sorry I missed the chance to meet you. I fully intended to attend the GPRF, but had to go to business meeting this week and then drive to Emporia this weekend to pick up the kids. I hope to meet you and see your harness in person at an event sometime soon.

Patrick Kelly · Post by **Patrick Kelly** » Sun Apr 22, 2007 9:15 pm

Thanks for the photos Josh, it was nice meeting you as well. It was so windy we didn't even bother with photos so I'm glad you took a few. I told Greg, "It figures the only photo we'd get and you'd be eating a snow cone." :lol:

I liked the fit and proportion of your harness very much. Looking at that photo reminds me I really need to attach an integeral coif to my hauberk sometime in the very near future.

Murdock · Post by **Murdock** » Sun Apr 22, 2007 10:36 pm

"; he seems to think that no gauntlets can be list-legal unless they're oversized and stuffed with blue foam. Another fellow, again assuming I was there to play SCA, jumped on me about the edges of my pauldron reinforces, saying they were sharp and going to wreck people's rattan. "

thats just painfull

sooooooooooo retarded

Rennisance fair.....Samruai....a mongol?.....annnd annn ummmmm????

guy....in aaaa ummm well he had a hammer.

Yeah it's a ren fair :roll:

where were the hot nubile girls painted like dark elves in almost no clothes?

Yours and Patrick's Norman rig are SPIFFFF!!

Jehan de Pelham · Post by **Jehan de Pelham** » Sun Apr 22, 2007 10:46 pm

Oh, that was within driving distance; it would have been fun to come visit with you both.

John
Jehan de Pelham, esquire and servant of Sir Vitus
www.mron.org

Patrick Kelly · Post by **Patrick Kelly** » Mon Apr 23, 2007 8:46 am

Murdock wrote:where were the hot nubile girls painted like dark elves in almost no clothes?

Oh they were there. What's a ren faire without elves, faeries and pirates. :roll:

My father-in-law spent a lot of time in the beer garden dressed in his monks habit. :lol:

Last year when we attended this event the most common question was, "What's your helmet made out of ?" Since it wasn't bare metal most seemed to assume it was plastic. This year the most-asked question was, "Is that metal ?" in reference to my mail. After my affirmative response the next question was usually, "Aluminum ?"

Yours and Patrick's Norman rig are SPIFFFF!!

Thank you sir.

InsaneIrish · Post by **InsaneIrish** » Mon Apr 23, 2007 8:54 am

Murdock wrote:Rennisance fair.....Samruai....a mongol?.....annnd annn ummmmm????

guy....in aaaa ummm well he had a hammer.

Actually I have met the "ummmmmmmm" guy. He is a REALLY nice guy. He runs a LARP group out of KC and REALLY likes what the SCA does. Infact he will bring his guys to the SCA demo at the KC renfest and say things like "now THAT is how you are supposed to fight" to his own guys.

He is a pretty cool guy and fully understands the advantages to SCA combat, but he also knows most of his members are teenagers, so he can only do so much with them.

Josh W · Post by **Josh W** » Mon Apr 23, 2007 1:06 pm

I'll second that; the barbarian fellow is smarter than he looks. I've known him for a couple of years. He runs foam weapons tournaments in Lawrence and sometimes attends our local gaming convention.

The most common question I get asked by fair-goers is, "How much does that weigh?" "You must be hot," was also a frequent comment. I got to debate what my Dungeons & Dragons Armour Class was with one strange kid, who was wearing some "Insane Clown Posse" pants with crazy, spiky leather armour on one arm and blue lipstick. His girlfriend had the same kind of pants, in the pockets and beltloops of which she had mounted no less than six(!!) cheap stainless steel Pakistani-made "Highlander" katana.

In retrospect, I wish I hadn't worn Siggy's sallet and had worn my armet instead. For some reason, the strap that holds the bevor around the neck proved very fatiguing on my neck muscles this time; maybe it was on too tight. I just figured I'd get more air with the sallet. Otherwise, the suit was comfortable all day long. I think I had it on for eight or nine hours altogether.

LWCM · Post by **LWCM** » Mon Apr 23, 2007 2:20 pm

Sounds like the faire hasn't changed much since the last time I was there

. First thought when the picture popped up was 'look at all the pretty maille'. I can't help it, I'm biased.

I get the 'is that real' most every event that I vend at. I've been tempted to respond something like this on occasion:

Patron: "Is that real"
Me: "No, it's not. In fact none of us really exist. When you blink this world ceases to exist for an instant."

Or my favorite question about a maille shirt:
Patron: "Will that stop a bullet?"
Me: "No, you would basically be wearing a shirt of shrapnel. Getting shot would really ruin your day."

sha-ul · Post by **sha-ul** » Mon Apr 23, 2007 5:09 pm

Murdock wrote:"; he seems to think that no gauntlets can be list-legal unless they're oversized and stuffed with blue foam. Another fellow, again assuming I was there to play SCA, jumped on me about the edges of my pauldron reinforces, saying they were sharp and going to wreck people's rattan. "
thats just painfull
sooooooooooo retarded

one has to consider the source... new rules invented regularly :evil:

Alcyoneus · Post by **Alcyoneus** » Mon Apr 23, 2007 6:47 pm

Ask him to show you the rule in the Marshal's Handbook, he's required to have it with him.

Gobae · Post by **Gobae** » Mon Apr 23, 2007 9:51 pm

Hell, do better than that.

Tell him that your REAL steel sword will "wreck peoples' rattan" better than any sharp edges on your paldron. Assuming they live long enough to actually hit it with their sticks. <WEG>

Edited to add: This is not a serious suggestion. But, doesn't it just frost you when people make assumptions and get "holier than thou"?

Pietro da San Tebaldo · Tue Apr 24, 2007 7:17 am

It being a Ren Faire, the only valid question is:

Didja have fun?

Sounds like the answer was "Yes"

Halvgrimr · Post by **Halvgrimr** » Tue Apr 24, 2007 9:57 am

I think a couple of our (VNA) guys went out that way with the boat.
I was suppose to go but had RL stuff come up at the last minute.

Strongbow · Post by **Strongbow** » Tue Apr 24, 2007 11:00 am

Nah, I'm glad you wore the sallet. I like your armet, but that sallet is spiff.

Your kit is, as always, super-cool.

Alcyoneus · Post by **Alcyoneus** » Tue Apr 24, 2007 12:05 pm

Halvgrim wrote:I think a couple of our (VNA) guys went out that way with the boat.
I was suppose to go but had RL stuff come up at the last minute.

Yes, they did. I arrived late on Sun. and looked at the boat. It is very nice.