KINGDOM OF ACRE

 

Coronation - 1/14/23

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The Kingdom of Acre hosted the Coronation of King Niccolo III and Queen Joan I on January 14, 2023 at
St Andrew’s Church in New Providence.

 

The Crown welcomed as Their guests Their Highnesses of the East Kingdom, Brennan and Caoilfhionn.

 

The Coronation ceremony featured a live choir singing of singers, friends of the King, some of whom
traveled from great distances to attend.

 

The Coronation Ceremony was administered by the Patriarch Andreas, and Bishop Rinaldo, assisted by
acolytes Dante and Joshua.

 

The ceremony included a reading in the traditional Latin by the Lady Luna, with Countess Seneath
translating into the vernacular, expounding on the source of the King’s supreme executive power.

 

The sword of state was presented to the king by Sir Stanislaus, clad in his finest mail, accompanied by an
a cappella rendition of a forceful theme of music by the choir.

 

Following the Coronation Ceremony, their Graces, Niccolo and Joan held their first court.
This court was heralded by Lady Kristen, her first time doing so officially, with assistance from His
Excellency, Count Damien.

 

Their Highnesses of the East, Brennan and Caoilfhionn were invited into court to sit enthroned beside
their Graces, to honor the great friendship and alliance between the Kingdom of Acre and the East
Kingdom. Their Highnesses presented Their Graces with a basked including a variety of gifts.
Court business included the following items:

 

1. Count Damien and Countess Tara were commended for their previous reign, and were invited to
resolve three items left incomplete during their reign:
a) Countess Aurelia was granted an Ambassador’s Cross for her work in coordinating with the
East Kingdom for the signing of the Alliance Treaty
b) Baroness Laurel was given an Award of Honor for her work with the former Crown in
pertaining to protective measures taken during the recent plague.
c) Lady Zaporra was given an Award of Honor for her service to the Crown.

 

2. The Peers of the Realm were called into court to swear their fealty to the Crown, followed by
the Chivalry for the same reason.

 

3. The Great Officers were called into court to accept their offices and swear fealty:
Count Galvyn Lockhart – Seneschal
Count Douglas Henry - Constable
Lord Cedric of Bryford - Exchequer
Countess Rhiannon of Ayres - Chancellor
Lady Laurel O’Merean – Chamberlain

 

4. The Minor Officers were called into court to accept their offices and swear fealty:
Lady Kristen - Court Herald
Lady Ismina – Chatelaine
Lord Conrad Jarnhand - Marshall
Baron Dionysius - Outremer King of Arms
Lord Paul Bent Helm - Court Bard
Countess Persephene - Captain of Archers

Lord Leon - Captain of Combat Archers
Baroness Johanna - Captain of Fence
Sir Rinaldo – Sheriff

 

5. The Royal Edicts were read:
Marshalling at an event shall be counted as a fighting event for purposes of Crown Tourney.
Because the populace would likely rise up in rebellion were it otherwise, chocolate and coffee
shall be considered to be period.
Because music helps to set us in the proper mood at our gatherings, the Crown requests that
appropriate music, whether live or recorded, be provided at all events. That being said, the
Crown also requests that any recorded music be kept to a comfortable volume.
Being fond of dancing, Her Grace requests that events include some form of dancing whenever
possible.

 

Being fond of the bardic arts, His Grace requests that at any event where it is practical, there
should be a bardic circle for singing and storytelling.
Our scribes shall be rewarded in bezants for their work at producing scrolls for the Kingdom.
Similarly people producing items for gift baskets or other largesse shall also be rewarded with
bezants for their contributions. Rates are to be determined.
Annual taxes will be collected from the nobility this year. If you do not have bezants available
today, please have them with you at the next event. Don’t make Us send Count de Monay after
you.

 

In an effort to increase membership, the Crown will pay the admission/site fee for any
newcomer attending their first event, provided that said newcomer signs up and becomes a
member that same day.

 

6. The Crown called into court the members of MSR Inc. to thank them for their noble efforts,
against fierce opposition, to establish and enact a corporate policy regarding protective
measures against the recent pandemic.

 

7. The Crown called into court Johanna von Danzig, Baroness of Kyrenia. The position of Baron of
Kyrenia being vacant, as it was formerly held by the King, the Baroness was asked to accept the
Crown’s appointment of Sir Conrad Jarnhand as interim Baron. The Baroness asked to see Sir
Conrad’s teeth, and finding them to be acceptable, placed the baronial coronet on Sir Conrad’s
head.

 

8. The Crown called for those who would be their Heirs, that they might read their Letters of
Intent.
Lady Laurel O’Merean presented a lengthy resume, and her Consort, Baron Rinaldo. Countess
Tara of the March presented her Letter and her Consort, Count Damien.

 

9. The Crown called into court the representatives form House Three Skulls. Three Skulls has had a
long and mutually supportive relationship with the Kingdom of Acre. In gratitude for their
support at the foreign war last year, King Damien promised to commission five of Three Skulls
ships into the Royal Acre Navy. The Crown honored this debt by commissioning five ships: The
Unscrupulous, The Obsequious, The Redundant, The Incontinent (currently in dry dock – she

leaks), and The Redundant. The Crown provided five anchor-shaped pendants, to be distributed
one to the captain of each of these vessels, as evidence of this commission.

 

10. The Crown called Baron Conrad Jarnhand to court to answer for his actions at the recent
Hundred Minutes War, where Baron Conrad, owing no doubt to the fog of war, wound up on
the opposite side of the fighting field, and shot at then Crown Prince Nico with his crossbow.
Proof of which was a broken bolt bearing Conrad’s, which was found lodged in Nico’s pauldron
after the battle.
The Crown was merciful; in atonement for his transgression Conrad was assigned a quest: to
instruct and train the King and two other Acre fighters as combat archers before the end of the
year. And as a reminder of his sin, Conrad shall be required, whenever he appears in the King’s
hall, to wear that broken arrow on a cord hung from his body until his quest is completed.

 

11. The Crown invited a delegation from the East Kingdom Barony of An Dubhaigainn, who had
requested an audience. The representatives presented a huge basket of gifts to the Crown, after
which squire Gilchrist Blackmoore rode into court and handed the reins of his mount to Queen
Joan, who had expressed only two days earlier that she hoped for a pony.
The delegation included both pairs of candidates in the upcoming Baronial election, and during
their audience, representatives of the Barony offered to fight for the Kingdom of Acre in the
upcoming foreign war. Their Highnesses East protested, An Dubh being an East Kingdom Barony.
Thus did the prospective heirs of An Dubh did spark an inter-kingdom incident

 

12. The Crown called Countess Vivian de Dunbar into court. Count Frederick, her husband,
apologized on her behalf, indicating that the Countess was in the midst of preparing the
evening’s feast and could not be called away from this task, having had adamantly declined his
entreaties that she do so. The Crown would not be denied and asked if anyone in Court would
dare the wrath of the Countess to fetch her forth.
It was Princess Caoilfhionn of the East who rose to the task.

 

13. While awaiting the Countess’ arrival, the Crown called for Baroness Johanna to enter the court.
In consideration of her long history of dedication and service to the Kingdom, Baroness Johanna
was awarded a Key to the Kingdom.

 

12. Redux - Countess Vivian, clad in her kitchen clothes, was dragged into court by Princess
Caoilfhionn. Queen Joan then thanked Coutess Vivian, as it was seven years ago that the two
had met, and the good Countess introduced the Queen to the Kingdom of Acre, at which time
the two became great friends. The King also thanked the Countess, explaining that the Kingdom
was equally grateful to her for catching the Her Grace and bringing her into the Kingdom. As a
symbol of having reeled in the Queen, the Countess was given a golden fish hook.

 

14. The King warned the populace that war is on the horizon. Hostilities loom and are expected to
arise between the East Kingdom, and her neighbor and perennial foe, the Middle Kingdom, in
mid-summer. Acre as always, will support Our ally and stand beside the East on the field. To that
end, the King directed the baronies to begin preparations.
The King also introduced his squire Ragazzo de Legno, an explained that Raggazo would be
traveling from barony to barony to report on preparations, starting first with the Barony of
Cyprus.

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Valentine's Day Revel - 2/11/23

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Court Report from the Second court of Their Graces, Niccolo III and Joan I, held at Valentine’s Revel on January 21

 

The King and Queen entered the hall tossing gifts of coins and beaded necklaces to the populace in the spirit of carnival.

 

Court business was as follows: Two of the court officers who had missed Coronation were sworn in. Lord Cedric of Bryford (a.k.a. Count de Money) was sworn as Exchequer and Countess Persephene was sworn as Captain of Archers Countess Persephene then requested to return to court to swear her fealty as a peer of the realm.

 

Lady Ismina was called to court to have her Augmentation of Arms scroll returned to her. When it was awarded to her eight years ago, it did not have her armed drawn in, as she did not have any arms registered at that time. Given that she still exhibits the qualities for which she earned her Augmentation, the Crown chose to have the scroll read out again.

 

The crown called the team of fighters who supported them in Crown Tourney: Countess Persephene, Baron Conrad, Baron Leon, Sergeant Caitlyn, Sergeant Duncan, and squire Demetri. The fighters were thanked for the loyalty and support and were gifted with matching skullcaps bearing the red, yellow and black flame pattern favored by the King.

 

The Barony of Cyprus came into court, along with Squire Ragazzino de Legno, the wooden squire. At that time Count Galvyn reported that Squire Ragazzino had visited the Nutley fight practice, called the deep end of the pool for rattan fighters, to observe Cyprus’ preparations for war.

 

Baroness Laurel made a public service announcement concerning a meeting of the Performers’ Guild at the next event (March 4 in Cyprus).

 

Lady Zipora came into court to present gifts to the children present.

 

Countess Tara and Count Damien were invited into court. As the only remaining candidates for Crown Tournament (their opponents having withdrawn the day before the deadline), Tara and Damien were crowned Prince and Princess of Acre.

 

Prince Damien then stepped up to temporarily take over as Court Herald, and Their Graces called into court Lady Kristen. Lady Kristen was presented an Award of Honor for her service as Steward of Kyrenia as well as for her contributions to organizing setup for Coronation and as a singer and bardic apprentice.

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Murder Mystery Tavern - 3/4/23

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Court Report from the Third Court of Their Graces, Niccolo III and Joan I

 

The King and Queen were joined by His Highness, Prince Damien and escorted by Gilchrist Blackmoore, bearing the Sword of State.

 

Court business was as follows:

 

The Crown called Princess Tara, to thank her for preparing the evening’s feast.
and Prince Damien, to thank him for running the event.

 

The Crown called Marina di Salaparuta, who had solved the day’s Murder Mystery contest, to present her with a prize for her victory. By some odd twist of circumstance, the prize money was discovered to be missing. It was later found behind the cushion of Her Grace’s throne, and awarded to Lady Marina.

 

The Crown called Baron Conrad Jarnhand, who was found to be the perpetrator of the murder at the center of this murder mystery event. The King noted that the victim in this particular instance was a leprechaun, and therefore this was a smaller crime, but the Queen pointed out that Baron Conrad was the perpetrator at the last murder mystery event, and several of the nobles pointed out that Baron Conrad was already on parole for an unfortunate and accidental attempt on the King’ life shortly before Coronation. Despite the great affection the Crown holds for him, Baron Conrad was sentence to stoning, a sentence which was carried out with great enthusiasm by the gathered populace.

 

When the dust had cleared, Sir Douglas and Lady Marina were invited into Court, and Lady Marina swore her fealty. The two (who had served as King and Queen of Acre) were then granted their Counties, choosing to be Count and Countess of Chastel Pèlerin.

 

There followed a number of public service announcements, including one from the Steward of Tyre An Jalut of an upcoming event, after which the court was closed.
 

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An Account of University and War College event

     

The July day dawned clear and sunny. Much of the Kingdom was deep into preparation for war, so the few who journeyed north to Count Vincenzo’s hunting lodge were even more determined to enjoy the day and its lessons. A delicious day board was presented by Baroness Laurel. Sgt Caitlin was determined to master a balancing game brought by Countess Seneath, and so she did (with commentary).  Count Andreas made a brief appearance but a very small messenger (sent by his Lady) called him back to his castle to help with honored guests. Lady Alyssandre was concerned about the cleanliness of the lodge (having been most gently reared by the Count and Countess of Isle de Grey/Ibelin), so Countess Seneath and the good gentle Una made an excursion to the local merchants to find such supplies as were needed. Count Douglas and Countess Seneath set up their traveling pavilions on the field so all the good folk could take their ease in the shade. An enthusiastic game of “Viking bowling” entertained Seneath, Douglas, Galvyn, and Caitlin for a time. Count Douglas instructed Sgt Caitlin on various weapons forms. Baroness Laurel instructed Lady Alyssandre on the making of a lovely beaded flower. Count Galvyn, having recently weathered an unfortunate accident to some storerooms in his castle, was still present to share expertise with Count Douglas on martial matters and provide company, conversation, and assistance to his Lady Wife, Countess Rhiannon. Countess Rhiannon was oft in the kitchen, preparing a sumptuous evening meal, even in that rustic lodge. We dined en famille, enjoying the delicious and generous feast. All around the table made many heartfelt toasts to the Crown (of course!) and friends present and absent. Many hands made quick work of the clean-up ,and the congenial group took advantage of the summer light to travel home.

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