Being Selfish...
This, after a conversation with a friend. Today is ME Day!
Something I have failed to do: log into the PD Empire website so I can book my place at Event 1. Not sure what's going on there, so I fired off an email asking for help. Matt and the team are usuually fab about this sort of thing, and if the worst comes to the worst, I can turn up and gen a character at the event. But it is Exercising My Mind and I need to concentrate on other things that come before Empire, so I need to get it out of my head! And anyway, I am trying to spend my birthday and Christmas prezzy money from my darling father-in-law (one of the best men on the planet), and I have come over all indecisive!
I have a character idea, and I know what I want her to do and be. I also have quite a few ideas about costume. And equipment... As we are leaning strongly in the direction of Marchers rather than the more high-faluting Dawn or Urizen nations, or the excesses of League, we are hoping to keep things both more down to earth and simpler.
Now, after the glory that was Maelstrom, ravenrigan and I have sworn off Big Costume, crates of Fambly Silver, egregious amounts of Cake, running a shop (though we may peddle smaller items), gazebo's that gallop off down the field in the wind, and WIGS! Especially wigs... We are not quite prepared to give up tea or coffee, and we need to cater our own food for at least half of each event.. But we'll need to share IC catering facilities as we can no longer afford to take two cars to events. And anyway, if you take that much stuff with you, you then have to set it all up, and frankly, that's rather dull. We don't at all mind helping to dress tents for any group we join, but we'd rather not have full responsibility for all of it!
So, thinking in terms of traveling light, and failing miserably to cart more onto the field than I can possibly use, ideally we need:
A base from which to operate: a share in IC tent space would be lovely: while the raven's bell tent is available, it would be nice not to have to bring it and set it up... Not having a base to share when the weather gets harsh is miserable. And we are good team members. We like to Join In!
People prepared to let us use their firepit to reheat food/cook porridge/boil water... We are quite prepared to offer foodstuffs and drinks in return, or help cater for a larger group. On that basis we would be prepared to bring The Chilly Bin of Awesomeness.
While there will never be a Flembic State of Cake as there was in Maelstrom, I am working on a line of flapjack and oatcake type things, and possibly honey cakes and sweet breads along medieval lines... The will be No Tiffin! And i won't be taking anything like so much by way of baked goods. Plain Fare is the state of things to come!
A coffee pot... Need a coffee pot!
This, being somewhat the worse for wear, is perfect! It'll need a strainer to go with it...
Looking good... And with a good swill out between times will do for tea and hot chocolate as well.
We may need in character vessels to hold our supplies of tea, coffee, hot chocolate powder, and sugar... The ones I like the best are atronomical in price, but then antique Japanese tea caddies are bound to be! O, wel... Think again, Kate!
We may need some stuff for guests... A couple or three spare goblet type things, or beakers that can do for wine or hot drinks... Hm... These look good:
And at about 5 Euros plus postage, not too bad a price. I can't find anything dirt cheap on ebay, so we may need to go this route...
What I want to take is enough to service OUR needs, plus the odd additional cup for hospitality in case someone doesn't have a suitable cup or beaker, not enough to supply most of the camp with a three-course meal!
Things for eating and drinking: her personal kit.
This very fine goblet is £25, but as I am spending prezzy money, I can have it if I want to be a tad extravigant!
A bowl for porridge, soup, stew, mess of pottage...
I love this one. These might be a good buy too:
Cutlery. These seem very popular, and I could have my character's name put of them...
£25 again, but stainless steel and they look good forever.
I have to admit to being terribly tempted by the Kupilka range, particularly the bowl and cup...
Wood and plastic mix: look very in character, can be dishwashered after each event! The advantage of the Kupilka stuff is that it can stand heat so hot beverages like tea, coffe hot chocolate, etc. will be no problem.
Costume. She needs to dress!
These shoes are to die for, but she will have to save up for them!
At £134 for made to measure hand made shoes, not a bad price. Meanwhile, she will just have to make do with the shoes Prue wore for Maelstrom. They won't look too out of place.
Frock. Simple!
This sample cotehardie will do just fine. I can make some more stuff to go with it, and I have the Big Cloak to keep me warm... A linen shift and a wool jackety thing or over tunic... Eventually I'm aiming for shades of rust, green and brown, but I don't think there will be time to make much before the event. We shall see.
I have a straw hat that will do for summer. For the cold, the cloak has a hood.
Ok, enough food for thought for now. I shall mull things over a bit and then we shall see.
At least I have made my mind up about a hat for Musketeers: not having one! Simples!