[Moo] Investiture, thank you

[Stacie Larson]

To the wonderful people of Stierbach,

We would like to thank everyone who came out on January 24 to celebrate
the Investiture of our new Baron and Baroness.  We were delighted to
see that more than 300 people came out, and we hope that you all
enjoyed the day as much as we did.  Both King Ragnarr and Prince Cuan
mentioned to me that the event went very well.  As His Majesty said,
it's events like this one that show Atlantia that Stierbach is a fun
place to play.

The day dawned cold, with a hint of snow in the air, making the roaring
fire on the hearth all the more welcome.  With dignity and grace, and
maybe a tear or two, Baron Mika and Baroness Ursula relinquished their
lands to the Crown, who were pleased to bestow them on Colum Makiswell
and Brianna MacLukas.  It was a time of both sadness and joy for the
populace of Stierbach, as change always is.  We are sure that Baron
Colum and Baroness Brianna will lead Stierbach with great skill, and we
are pleased that Earl Mika and Mistress Ursula have promised to remain
active in our fair lands.

As we hope you all noticed, the setting for this momentous occasion in
Stierbach history was stunning in its beauty and comfort.  We would
like to thank Lady Cairistiona de Couveran, Lady Blitha of Wolfhou, and
all the people of the Incipient Canton of Sudentor for their hard work
in making the Great Hall a cozy place to be, with a magnificent
fireplace and a tremendous variety of banners and artwork both to
divide and to decorate the space.  There were rugs and cozy nooks, and
even the reward of the hunt to grace the hall.

There are others who contributed their time and their efforts that day
to provide activities for all those assembled, and we would like to
thank all who participated to make those activities a success.  Thank
you to Lord Michel von Schonsee and members of the Academie of Wit and
Plaie for staging a games tourney during the afternoon (where it was
proven that old age and treachery cannot always beat youth and speed);
to Lord Ii Katsuboru and Lady Elizabeth of Hadley Hall for creative and
inspiring arts and sciences activities, where it seemed unremarkable to
have both beautiful music and delicate poisons; to Lady Honora le Brun
for co-ordinating the activities of the Assassins' Guild, as it sought
new members, and new targets; to Lord Helmut Kruger, Katherine d'Anjou,
Lord Kenwrec FitzRaymond, Baroness Agnes Daunce, Lady Kiara of
Ironwood, Lord John Lochabre, Lord Erich von Kleinfeld, and Lady
Cicilia Tironi for contributing to the success of the martial
activities, designed to keep Atlantia's active fighting forces from the
restlessness of a winter indoors; to Lady Failenn for amusing the
children of Stierbach, who also suffer from the retirement forced upon
us in this cold season; to Lady Rowen ferch Rhys, Lady Anne Ramsey, and
their staff, who welcomed all to Stierbach's Great Hall; to Baroness
Meleri ferch Jasper ap Daffydd for welcoming and seeing to the needs of
Their Majesties and Their Highnesses; and to Meisterinde Karen
Larsdatter for making those who were new to our fair Barony feel a part
of all around them.

We also must thank Mistress Ursula d'Arcy, Lord Gruffydd ap Cadfael,
and Lady Malyn Hughes for a lunch to warm our bones on a winter's day. 
Lady Jenet Fairhugh and Lady Gwynaeth Pembroke rose to new culinary
heights to delight the populace at feast, going so far as to import
those rolled delicacies from the Swiss so popular with our King. 
Baroness Agnes, Lord Miles de Locwode, Lady Luce Antony Venus, and Lord
Ignacio Erensaurlezelasgarria, Menditarra, served the High Table so
well, and Baron Nikolai Dmitri Zhdanov Dolgorukova and his staff of
feast servers ensured that Lady Jenet's and Lady Gwynaeth's delightful
dishes reached the feastgoers while still piping hot and tasty.

We cannot forget those whose labors took place out of the public eye -
thank you, to Lady Amie Sparrow and Meisterinde Karen, for the
wonderful programs, complete with skulking assassin, to Lord Geoffrey
Hawkwood, for painting all of those site tokens, and to Mistress
Ceridwen ferch Rhys ap Michael, for being there to answer every
question we had.  Lord Evan da Collaureo, Lord Allen of Wolfhou, Baron
Colum, Lord Ignacio, Lord Loric of Ironwood, Lady Kiara, Beinir
Thungar, Conrad, and our hall stewards, Lord Iustinos Ancyrenos and
Lord Geoffrey, were there with us at the site throughout the weekend to
set up, to clean up, to pack and haul things, and finally, to close up
the site for another time.  Without their assistance, we would still be
there today, cleaning up in the snow and ice.

If we have missed your name, it is not because your efforts were not
appreciated; it is because so very many of you stepped in wherever
there was need, to support our new Baronage, and to help us out at our
first event, that our memories are full.  We thank you for that,
especially.

Many folks from our neighboring Barony of Ponte Alto came out to
participate.  Some, like Baroness Agnes, came to run events during the
day; others leapt in to give a helping hand, moving furniture or
serving at feast.  Still others entered our competitions and games,
swelling our ranks with their own numbers, to make the day as full of
wonder and happiness for Baron Colum and Baroness Brianna as possible. 
We would like to encourage the populace of Stierbach to return the
favor, to attend Ponte Alto's Investiture on February 21, and to
step up whenever you can lend a hand, so that we might strengthen the
bonds of friendship between our two Baronies.  Let us share the welcome
of Lord Marcellus and Lady Belphoebe to Ponte Alto, as Ponte Alto
opened its arms to Baron Colum and Baroness Brianna.  We look forward
to seeing you there.

It was our great pleasure to serve,
Mistress Ilse von Brenner
Lady Cecily Clervaus
Co-Autocrats

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