From: habura@vccnorthb.its.rpi.edu (Andrea Marie Habura)
Subject: Re: Stolen armor (was Re: Twcs' helm)
Organization: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY
Date: Fri, 9 Oct 1992 13:09:54 GMT

I imagine that what's done with stolen SCA regalia and armor is that it's 
stuck on someone's wall. Twcs' helm, as she describes it, was a particularly
handsome one; I can imagine some local kid coming by, seeing it, and 
deciding it would look nice on top of his stereo. Poof---no more helm. Most
thefts of articles like this (which professional thieves, who know very well
what's profitable and what isn't, won't touch..most won't even take jewelry
unless it's obviously worth well over $500 or so) are committed by 
amateurs: someone who was walking by, saw something neat, and decided they
wanted it for themselves. This would especially apply to lower-grade SCA
armor and most garb: outside the SCA (or, for the garb, an SF con), it's
economically worthless. 

I *am* sorry it happened, Twcs; similar things have happened to my lord and I
in the past. We now make a point of hiding interesting/valuable stuff when it's
in our car, just to make a possible theft take more time (which is something
of a deterrent). 

On the baron debate: I suppose I'm kind of biased, because I've only lived in
one barony, which has an inactive Baron (so inactive that members who have 
been in less than four years don't know what he *looks* like) and an 
ineffective Baroness. As far as the daily functioning of the Barony is 
concerned, it might as well be a province; almost no one would notice the
difference. However, since these two are the founding B&B of the 13-year-old
Barony, they will probably never get replaced without outside pressure. It
strikes me that *some* method of giving deadwood coronets a boot in the arse
would be a benefit; baron/esses like that do the Kingdom considerable harm.
However, I've visited other baronies that hold their B&B's in considerable
honor, and they seem to deserve it...I'd hate to see these truly excellent
leaders forced out of office. Perhaps a system of Kingdom-forced votes of
confidence (say, the Crown gets five letters complaining about the B&B; the
Crown then commands a vote-of-confidence by all the members..sort of like
the East Kingdom polling orders, which, I'll admit, is probably what put this
into my head) would be the best answer...the Crown can force the issue to be
debated by the membership, but cannot force out a baron if the populace 
doesn't want him out.

A request: I was doing some garb research yesterday, when I found an 
illumination of Christine de Pisan writing at her desk, wearing a low-cut,
form-fitted cotehardie. The decolettage appeared to be covered with white 
lace or netting (what was mostly visible, against the pale skin, was evenly
spaced little white dots, which seemed to be connected by a network of fine
lines), which was fastened at the throat with a fairly opaque white (lace?)
band. Has anyone ever heard of such a thing before? is it lace, or is it 
something else? The illumination is 15th century, so whatever is portrayed
is theoretically period. If it's kosher, I'm *dying* to make this for Twelfth
Night. Any help would be appreciated.

Alison MacDermot
*Ex Ungue Leonem*

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca