Video Log, The Jouney

I am in the process of adding a video part to this journey. Here is the first intro video that I have been working on. Stay turned to both this blog and my youtube channel as we prepare for the Voyage North with Ordo Cervi and Bicolline 2017.

~Thorwald

"Mom! I wanna be a Landsknecht!" Part one.

This short article talks about putting together a cost effective impression for the Ordo Cervi. It is based on the German Landsknechts and the Warhammer Empire troops and is not a historically accurate impression but designed for a Live Action Role Play game.

This all came about while talking with other members of the Ordo and the discussion of Pikes vs Spears and then Pike Blocks was mentioned which led to Warhammer Fantasy Games Empire troops which led to uniforms which led to landsknechts which led to this. Ugh...

I have this old book on the Empire troops and so I dug it out and found this plate of the Stirland forces. It is the colors of the Ordo and it just struck me as something we could do.

I am looking mostly at the fellow in the yellow jacket with the sword and shield for inspiration. I then found a shirt and trousers on line that would work to make this become reality. 

(photo from Medieval Collectibles)

(photo from Epic Armory)

This has the basic look that I want. The colors are the same as the livery for the Ordo and the cost is reasonable. I think the set costs about $75.00 from Dark Knight Armory.  To get the appearance that I want I do need to adapt them a bit because I really want to look more like this:

The entire impression consists of a floppy hat or beret with feathers, a white shirt and worn over it a slashed short jacket. A pair of hose in this photo but just as common a part of slashed baggy trousers. Stockings and shoes complete the look.

Starting with the hat I purchased a flat renaissance hat from Amazon for $14.00 in dark green. I also found on Amazon a stag head's kilt pin and green and dark yellow feathers for a total price of about $25.00

Once I got them all together they look like this:

I think that's good enough, although I may back the pin in red wool just to make it pop!

The next item to work on is the shirt. It is a good base to start with and my concept is to recreate the 'jacket' of the swordsman in tan cloth with yellow slashes as to follow the tan and green of the Ordo's heraldry, add gathers to the right sleeve with yellow ribbon and to put in a false shirt top in white linen.

This sounds like a lot of work but in reality it's not that hard to do. I sketched out the concept before I started working:

The first step was to mark the sleeves on the right arm in four inch sections. I then gathered the green sections together before sewing them.

Using green thread I gather the pieces at each four inch mark.

And continued all the away around the sleeve, sewing the six sections with four gathers each. Once the entire sleeve was done I tried it on to make sure my arm still fit in the sleeve. (Probably should have done that before!) 

I found it bunches nicely and there is plenty of room in the sleeve for movement. The next step is the add the yellow ribbon at the gathers. I thought of a couple of ways to do this and chose to add a small piece of green tape that the yellow ribbon would slide through. After attaching it I found it just didn't look right. So now I am thinking about what to do.

Here is a quick photo of the yellow ribbon pinned in place.

I will continue this article next week with finishing up the arms and working on the jacket body.

I would love to hear your comments and suggestions during this build, please let me know what you think and if you have an idea to make the impression better I am open to your advice.

Thanks!

Thorwald

Becoming the Concept

The very first role playing game I was a part of was in 1979 when a group of us got the Dungeons and Dragons rules set and started from scratch. I can sort of remember the excitement of those first games, after having rolled our stats we set off to explore. The very first night of our adventure the bard of the party failed a listening check and was killed by sneaky goblins before warning the party as to their attack- his dying scream woke us up and we fought off the bastards with no more loses. We buried our friend at the side of the road with a marker- "Here lies Balrick (or whatever his name was). A good friend. He wasn't much use."

That player didn't come back to the game for several months.

Coming into this game I have an established character and a lot of background history from various games. I am molding this into the next chapter of the character's life as he grows for Bicolline. There will be some changes due to game system differences but for the most part he is the same Thorwald loved and/or hated in five states and three games. If I were to build a brand new character for Bicolline they would probably be very similar to the one I have now.

Biccoline is a game system that allows the player to do whatever it is they could normally do in real life- a novel concept in role play games, really. I am limited to what I can do physically and so this does narrow down what my character can do. I am a fighter by trade and have been a fighter in game since that very first D&D session. I have almost always been human and a cynic. I am sure that says more about me that it does my character however it does bring a fact of role play to the fore... It is easier to pretend to be someone who you really are.

That is to say you can role play yourself better that trying to role play a completely different character type. It's hard to get out of your comfort zone and be a totally different personality for an extended time period. Usually you just fall back into the personality that you are.

Saying this, you have to accept who you are and be happy with that. That in itself is a difficult chore for many people and why we spend so much money on therapy. It does of course offer a challenge to players in playing against personality type but given Bicolline is for a week straight I would hazard a guess that most do not do this. They play a character comfortable to themselves and very much like themselves in both positive and negative ways.

ANY-way... this post isn't going to be about the psychological aspects of becoming the concept of your character- as interesting as that may be- but more along the lines of creatively developing your character from scratch.

I've said before I usually start by sketching out what I want to be. For Bicoline I've lifted Thorwald out of his NERO LARP game and set him into this world.

Physically Thorwald is mostly the same guy. Because of the rules in Bico he wears a little less armor (for mobility) and a bit more weapons (spears v. sword and board)

The armor is the same, Mail hauberk with long sleeves and split skirt, padded gambeson and leather breast armor. Really the leather is for visual effect only. It offers no protection in the rules but dammit... it looks cool. A fur shoulder cape is also simply for looks. Leg armor is splint plates and I wear my normal combat boots. The helmet is a copy from the Movie "Beowulf and Grendel" I got ten years ago. It was the very first piece of "Nordic" armor I bought and is my favorite helm of all that I own. The tunic and trousers I wear are simple.

Over the years Thorwald has fought with a round shield, sword and axe. He will be fighting with a spear for the most part next year, however he'll still have his small weapons about him. I'll probably sling my shield over my back for protection and when the fight gets close drop the spear and use shield and sword.

When I plan ahead for Bicolline I think about my day to day life. I sketched a quick picture of my camping arrangements on my character development sheet to sort out my thoughts. My cot and beadroll are against the side of the tent, a couple of small wooden chests are near with my gear- a small armor stand to hold the mail and helmet, sword and axe and shield. A small carpet to stand on and a small stool. You can see my notes in the corner of the page listing things I'll need to do to complete the concept. It helps me to prioritize my work during the coming year. I can work in my shop to build the chests during the winter, for example. The costuming needs to come first so I can work out the bugs during local LARP game play.

The wooden chests are going to be build from pine and are a very simple 6 board chest design. There are plans all over the internet and I want to build a few that look like this:

I think about a 2 foot by 3 foot size would work fine. They will hold most of my clothing and gear. I also plan on a small rough-tote to slide under my cot for other out of game items.  The carving will take all winter (even if I cheat with my Dremel ) and will be a fun project. I know that I want to bring a couple of game boards as well- Chess and Kings table and maybe Nine Man Morris as well. I have made several such boards over the years from scraps of plywood. They help pass the time in camp and are a fun way to be period while meeting people.

Now- having sketched out what I want to look like and how I want to camp I start putting into motion what I need to do over the next eleven months.

Sept- Nov: Costuming completed. Armor and weapons completed.

Fighting kit:

1. Tunic and trousers- done.

2. Gambeson- working. all items on hand

3. Boots- done.

4. Sword, axe, shield, dagger- done.

5. Spear- working. all items on hand.

6. Armor- Mail, working to shorten sleeves, Coat- done. Greaves-done, Leather jack- working- all items on hand, helmet- done.

Hero kit:

1. Nordic dress: Tunic- working, Trousers- done, shoes- done., Hat- working- Concept done., Cape- working- items on hand.

2. Burgundian dress: Doublet- done, Shirt- done, Hose- done, shoes, done. Accessories- done.

Nov- Feb Camp and Living

Camp:

1. Bedroll- sleeping bag, padding, wool blankets- done.

2. Wooden Chests- Hardware on order, wood to be ordered. Plans done.

3) Ground cloth- not started

4) Candles and lanterns- done, on hand

5) Armor Stand- One on hand- need to build smaller travel stand.

6) Mess kit- done.

7) Game Boards- 1 done. 2 not started. Game pieces on hand.

8) Other camp items- not thought of yet.

March- May trying it all out. Any other crap.

What else am I missing and what works vs what doesn't.

From June to August when I arrive at Bicolline I should have well tested gear and equipment that works.  Well... at least that's the concept.

Now I need to think about my physical work out plan and becoming the better (physically) player...

Eating like a barbarian.

A well set table for a Barbarian... way to well set if truth be told but although I may play the savage I'd prefer to dine in style!

A wooden trencher for the main courses of meat and fish, laid out on bread or with bread most likely. A wooden bowl for the soup and a small wooden cup for the wine. In period for Thorwald, a 10th century Dane, he'd commonly have a wooden spoon to sip his soup and a small knife to cut his food- forks and the like were not common until much later- (The fork wasn't even invented until the Renaissance and didn't catch on in England until much later. Spoons were mostly used to serve food and soup was sipped from the bowl rather than lifted to the lips with a spoon.)

The most common drinking vessel was the tazine- a small cup about the size of a tea cup with out the handle. The big horn mug looks cool and was used... just not very common and then mostly used to drink beer. (which is exactly how I plan on using it!) Fortunately they are easy to find now and not too expensive. Thank you Game of Thrones.

It was most common to lay down a table cloth where you sat before you dined. A table napkin was used to wipe your fingers on before you reached into the common bowl for more food. I use mine to help clean up my plates and bowls as well. The tablecloth is cheap cotton and about 3 feet square. I can fold it to a smaller size to lay down before I take my items out of the carry bag.

I do use proper silverware for the most part. I can eat with my hands if I want but when I don't want to I have the others handy... no pun intended.

The entire set of eating items cost about $40.00 in total. I found much of it on Amazon under wooden bowls and plates. The cup was also Amazon and the mug was from Viking Shield. (Viking Shield)

It doesn't take much to look proper.