War of Ages

We are pleased to announce that War of Ages is on for 2023!

FaceBook Event info will be found here: https://fb.me/e/QUvafMzT

PayPal pre-registation is available here: https://tinyurl.com/2023WOAges

Please come join the Shire of Ffynnon Gath for our annual event!

See you September 29th to October 1st, 2023 for the 100 Years War!

  • Site: Nolte Island Recreation Area – 2220 FM 466 Seguin, TX 78155
  • Date: September 29th to October 1st, 2023
  • Time: Site will open Friday at 5pm and close noon on Sunday
  • Fees:
    • Adult non-members – $35
    • member adults – $30
    • children under 18 – Free!
  • Food:
    • All attendees are welcome to enjoy a light lunch and full dinner presented by the Shire
    • Full menus will be added below when we have them!
  • Camping will be available from Friday through Sunday
  • Schedule:
  • Friday:
    • 5PM Site opens
    • 7PM-10PM Gate open
  • Saturday:
    • 8AM-Noon Gate open
    • 9AM Armor inspection
    • 9AM-11AM A&S set up begins
    • 9:30AM Morning Royal Court w/TRM Gabriel & Sonja
    • 10AM Fighting begins – Heavy, Rapier and Youth activities will be alternating throughout the day!
    • 10AM Vigils open (Nosh and snacks available to everyone! at the vigil tables under the big pavilion)
    • 10AM-Noon Thrown Weapons Tourney
    • 10AM-11AM Children’s Activity: Paper Making
    • 10AM-11AM Class: Adult Papermaking
    • 10AM-Noon Class: Beginning Bobbin Lace
    • 11AM-Noon Children’s Activity: Cup covers w/fabric stamps
    • 11AM-Noon Class: Basic Knitting
    • 11AM A&S Viewing begins
    • 11AM Silent Auction bidding opens
    • 11AM-1PM Lunch dishes brought out at the vigil tables – open for everyone!
    • Noon Children signed out of Youth Activities for lunch break
    • 1PM-4PM Archery Tourney
    • 1PM-2PM Class: Making a Wagon
    • 1PM-2PM+ Scribal Hour
    • 1PM-2PM Class: Kitchener/Feast Cooking
    • 2PM-4PM Class: Pattern to Garb
    • 2PM-4PM Class: Sling bags and Slings for Thrown Weapons
    • 2PM-4PM Class: Byzantine and Roman Jewelry
    • 2PM-3PM  Children’s Activity: Stuffed plague rat assembly
    • 3PM-4PM Children’s Activity: Wax stamp creation
    • 3PM Silent Auction bidding ends
    • 4PM Fighting and Archery end
    • 4PM A&S showcase closes – take down displays
    • 3:30PM Vigils end
    • 5PM Feast in main pavilion
    • 6:30PM Evening Royal Court under main pavilion
    • AfterDark Torchlight Squire’s by Knight Tourney (unbelted fighters sponsored by any peer, rose, lions)
    • AfterDark Bardic Showcase at the Torchlight Squire’s by Knight Tourney area
  • Sunday
    • 10AM cleanup begins
    • Noon site closes (all remaining are assisting with cleanup!)
  • Lunch Info:
    • We invite all attendees to visit and partake of the lunch and finger foods at our two vigils, the Vigil of his Excellency Philippe LeChanceux as he contemplates joining the Order of Chivalry as well as the Vigil for Maestari Haraldr Bassi as he contemplates joining the Order of the Pelican
      • These vigil food presentations are the lunch that all attendees are entitled to partake!
      • Lunch specific dishes will be brought out at lunch time 11-1pm
      • Check back here for menu info
  • Dinner Feast
    • A fabulous feast is being created by THL Tuathal O’Sheill and THL Nadja Ramthuner
    • Details will be posted shortly!
    • Scroll down for the Feast Menu!
  • Martial Activities
  • Adult Chivalric & Rapier w/spear **Rapier & Rapier Spear New this year**
  • 100+ minutes of melees for both combat forms
    • We will interleave the chivalric and rapier alternating through the day
    • 3 30 min rounds for “lives” in the final mayhem
    • 1 10+ min mayhem ‘finals’
    • The team with the top points at the end of a round will win a life for the mayhem.
  • Youth combat Advantage fights:
    • Duels or small melees fought by the respective “Vanguard” (Youth-Chiv, Youth-Rapier) to gain advantages for the upcoming adult fighter team they are on.
    • No resurrections, if you have 2v2 the melee is fought in the same area the current battle is being fought.
  •  Scenarios (applies to both chivalric and rapier activities)
    • Round 1: Hill Battle
      • Youth combat Winners advantage: Pick to defend or attack the hill at the start of the round
    • Round 2: Village Assault
      • Youth combat Winners advantage: Choose to defend or attack the village at the beginning of the round.
    • Round 3: Capture the flag
      • Youth combat Winners advantage: May pick the side of the field and start the first round 10 feet closer to the flag.
      • Field battle consists of a flag pole in the middle and four corners representing a resurrection point and a capture point on either side of the field. Armies rez points are behind them and the turn is on the other side of the opposing army. Armies reset after each capture. Most captures at the end of 30 mins win the round.
    • Final Mayhem: The Final War
      • Youth combat Winners advantage: Winner gains 1 extra rez life
      • Teams will line up with the number of lives they earned from the rounds. There will be a hill, a house, and an open field. The team with the last man standing is the victor of the war.
  • Archery tourney
  • Thrown Weapons tourney – pending a marshal being available!
  • New this year: Squires by Knight torchlight tourney
    • Open to any unbelted combatants sponsored by any Peers, Roses or Lions
    • Single elimination tourney with a “Bring your best” weapon style.
    • The winner receives a 9′ fiberglass spear donated by THL Percival Beaumont
    • Scheduled for after dark Saturday evening after feast and court!
  • Youth activities –
    • Paper making @ 10am
    • Cup covers w/fabric stamps @ 11am
    • Stuffed plague rat assembly @ 2pm
    • Wax stamp creation @ 3pm
    • At MoC discretion we also have:
      • Rat Pucking (check back for more info!)
      • Water war
  • Children will need to be signed out of Youth Activities for Noon lunch break
  • Children will be signed back in at 2PM for afternoon activities
  • A&S Showcase – theme: SCA Adaptations
    • Anything that would be used in the SCA or how to hide the modern
      • Many of us have become quite adept at hiding our modern needs amongst the historical. This year’s A&S Display will be all about showing off your clever ways to perpetuate the dream without sacrificing modern necessities. How have YOU cloaked new world items as old world elements. An ice chest cleverly disguised as a wood chest? A book that is really a secret box for your phone?
      • Minimal documentation is required, i.e. what was your inspiration? How did you accomplish your task? Was it accomplished on a low or high budget?
  • Classes:
    • Paper Making beginner basics – Dae Knarrarbringa in Bareyska 10-11
      • We will be using recycled paper to learn the basics of how paper was originally made. This will involve dipping hands into vats of water using a mould and deckle to gather paper pulp onto a screen, before pressing out to dry. The sheets created will need to hang all day to dry and should be ready for take home by evening court. If any participant feels they will not be able to stay for evening court to gather their finished product, please bring Two 2ft x 2ft pieces of plain cotton cloth. This will allow the paper to be transported away from site to complete drying time.
      • The class is free and each participant can make 2 sheets of paper.
    • How to make a wooden handcart – Hadewig Würmelin 1-2
      • Goals of 1) Purchasing the least amount of wood/zero waste/no scraps.
      • 2) Be Functional, easy-to-use and authentic-looking.
      • 3) Ensure it packs flat for easy transport
      • Limit of 10 students
      • Bring materials to be able to take notes.
    • Intro to Beginners’ Lace – Eleonora Alberti 10-12
      • This is a beginners class. We will start off with a practice piece and then a small period piece from new modelbuch. All supplies are provided. All tools, bobbins and pillows are to be returned at the end of class.
      • Teach 4 people.
      • More can come to watch & listen or get help with already started projects
      • Anyone who has a pillow and equipment can bring them.
    • Feast Stewarding 101 – HL Tuathal O’Sheils 1-2
      • Come learn feast stewarding basics. Want to know what foods can be pre-prepared without losing quality or safety? Want to know how to plan out the timings for your pit/stove oven? Are you unsure how to cook food for more than 100 people? Come join us in the kitchen for feast stewarding 101! We will be discussing planning, prepping, and food safety practices for making a feast. There will be minimal discussion on research as this class is focused on implementation. A good class for beginner to intermediate or aspiring feast stewards. The class will be held in the kitchen during feast preparation but no assistance with feast prep is required for taking the class.
      • Limit to 12 students
      • (16+ years of age)
    • Scribal hour with Elizabeth Kneipe! – Elizabeth Kneipe 1-2+
      • This will be a scribal hour for any one who would like to learn and assist painting charters. This is not a take home class, all completed charters will be sent to the scribes for distribution.
      • Basic gauche and brushes will be provided.
    • Absolute Basic Knitting – Katalina Ana de Salamanca 11-12
      • Learn to cast on (start), knit, and cast off (stop) knitting. Questions answered, riddles solved, the mysteries of the needles revealed!
      • There will be kits available for 6 students at no cost.
      • Bring your own knitting needles and yarn if you have some.
    • Pattern to Garb – Elizabeth Fraser 2-4
      • In this class, we will start will taking a full set of tailors measurements, pattern selection, fabric selection, and how to use commercial patterns to achieve your Garb goals. We will also talk about pattern alterations to get a custom fit. I can discuss pattern drafting, too.
    • Making Slings and ammo for Thrown Weapons Range – Mistress Oksana Goncharova 2-4
      • Learn a very simple braiding technique to make your own sling sized to your own body. (Yes size does matter) You will make your sling and ammo in this class. All supplies will be provided. After we have made our slings we will test them out on the thrown weapons range.
      • Class limit of 8 over 12 year old participants.
      • Observers are welcome as well.
      • All supplies will be provided.
    • Recreating Roman/Byzantine jewelry with modern materials – Kolfinna inn Kyrra Otarsdottir 2-4
      • Kits for $10 each: to include approx 30 beads, 24 Gauge copper wire, long nose jewelry pliers, and small wire cutters.
      • Limit of 10 students
      • Observers are welcome as well.
      • Folks who don’t wish to buy a kit are encouraged to bring similar supplies of their own
  • Rat Pucking (both youth and adult versions will take place)
    • Golf meets pest control!
    • Scream Cheese and fling your rat towards the selected hole

The shire has received many bolts of fabric from the vast collection of our late Seneschal, THL Ilaria. At the request of the family, we will be auctioning off select items from the collection via a silent auction. All proceeds will be going into the Shire general fund.

  • There will be two vigils
    • Vigil for his Excellency Philippe LeChanceux – Order of Chivalry
    • Vigil for Meistari Haraldr Bassi – Order of the Pelican
  • Important info
    • Minors must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. They may also attend with a 21 year or older adult with a signed and notarized Minor Event Waiver Form from the parents.
    • Please make checks payable to: SCA Inc./Shire of Ffynnon Gath
    • We can only accept cash or checks at the door