A group shot by the tower (L-R) – Radbod, Col. Christian Woolfe, Mercedes Gurney, Mat Wyck, Sir Ivan Ulrickson and John of Yseux.
Photo by Ivan Ulrickson

By Lord Mat Wyck

The casual event had started simply enough, one of a series of small, occasional fencing opportunities loosely organized in Malagentia to promote more bladework in fun and interesting outdoor environments.

But for the ambitious half-dozen folks who participated, the day evolved into a proving ground for a variety of period gear, testing the technology of the middle ages against a two-mile mountain hike along trails blanketed with a good 5 or 6 inches of snow. It did, to be sure, culminate with ferocious fencing in the shadow of a stone wizard’s tower atop a treacherous mountain peak.

Everyone learned a few things about their kit and themselves, and gladly share those bits of knowledge through this written dispatch. Continue reading →