Thursday, March 31, 2005

The Joy of Legolas

My dearest Corwynne,

The new years festivities are such a blur in my mind that it may be a while before I can relive them in letter form. But my overall sense is that they were a great success.

In other news, Leggs can hardly contain himself. On Easter Sunday, my real world husband decided that this marriage thing had been real fun and all, but it is time for him to move on. As if this weren't enough to keep Leggs happy, the fact that he choose to break this news on Easter which falls just 6 days after our wedding anniversary has him convinced that there is no chance that I can forgive him when he comes to his senses and wants to come home. He is now certain that I will accept his dwelling offer. Therefore the dwell with me, dwell with me chant has begun again.

We shall have to wait and see how things turn out. In the meantime, my added real world responsibilities may limit the time I have to spend in the settlement and in these writings. So I may go a while without writing, but eventually I will get everything worked out and things can begin again as usual.

I am off to clean the kitchen and find some duct tape to put on Leggs' mouth. I will write again when I can.

Your affectionate friend,
Kendrah

Friday, March 25, 2005

Weekend Event Update

My Dearest Kendrah,

I hope you don't mind that I sent Pippin with the updated schedule. I had planned to run it over to your suite myself, but we had FIVE shows at work and I was running around between worlds all day! And I had to make sure I was at the final fitting of Aragorn's formal garb. If I'm not there, he'd bully the poor tailor into letting him wear leather instead of the lovely velvet we had selected! I'll see you at dinner!

Your Affectionate Friend,
Corwynne


Saturday Morning
Throne Room, Citadel

Royal Court
King Elessar will preside at his first official court of the New Year. New programs and alliances will be presented, petitions will be heard and awards granted. Among those being honored with an Award of Arms will be Gimli, Son of Gloin, for his work on restoring the city main gate and sewage systems, and Gregor de Mere for his efforts redesigning and beatifying the Gondorian Royal Residence and the Ithilian Public Library. Billy Boyd will be dubbed an honorary Guard of the Citadel (mostly because I’m tired of him whining about how cool Pippin’s armour is. At least Man-sized livery will fit him!) Luncheon will be served in the Main Hall following court.

Saturday Afternoon
Queen’s Solar, Citadel

Reality: Take it or Leave It
Corwynne and Kendrah will host a discussion on the mechanics of creating and maintaining a fantasy world. Topics will include: selecting a fantasy world, establishing a system of checks and balances to ensure you don’t go too far, how to adjust to time changes, and what to do when Imaginaries start getting independent. If time allows, we will address way to cope when the voices in your head actually become audible.

Saturday Evening
Main Hall, Citadel

Steward’s Dinner
Prince Faramir of Ithilian, Steward of Gondor and his wife will host tonight’s main feast. Please no smoking in Hall, as it gives His Highness the willies. Dancing will follow.

Sunday Morning
Society for Creative Anachronism Demo

Pelennor Field
The Incipient Metropolis of West Peoria will present demos, workshops and classes concerning life in the Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Ages. The event is free and open to the public. Donations will be accepted to benefit the Habitat for Hobbits fund. Since the SCA is an historical education society, participants in the demo are discouraged from wearing fantasy garb, including, but not limited to Jedi Knight, Minbari, Vulcan and Liberal Republican.

Sunday Afternoon
City Tours, Main Gate, First Level
Guided tours of the City’s historic seven levels will begin at noon and leave the Main Gate every half-hour until dusk. Colorful villagers will be on hand to relate touching and amusing tales of their contributions to the defense of the city during the last siege. Refreshments are available in the Garden of the White Tree.

Sunday Evening
Main Hall, Citadel

Closing Feast
King Elessar and Corwynne will preside over a farewell feast. Dishes from around the Realm will be served. Following the feast, please join us on the seventh level for a fireworks display and refreshing frozen margaritas. (Thanks Mithrandir!)
No formal ball is scheduled, but dancing will occur in the main hall following the fireworks. If dancing isn’t your style, join us in the throne room for an evening of stories, poems and the obligatory lament-singing.

Wednesday, March 23, 2005

Schedule of Events

My Dearest Kendrah,

Sorry I don’t have time to write more, but I’m in a tizzy with the festivities! Below is an outline of upcoming events over the next few days. Faramir asks that you let him know if you will not be attending any of the functions so he can adjust the order of precedence. Must run now! See you soon!

Your Affectionate Friend,
Corwynne


Wednesday Morning
Tour of the new Elven Settlement
Legolas Greenleaf and Kendrah will conduct a tour of the settlement that will include newly constructed ground-level buildings, flets, orchards and gardens.
A reception will follow in the town square where Legolas and Kendrah will discuss plans for future development and improvement. The tour will meet at the Lamppost on the Western edge of the city. Please wear comfortable shoes.

Wednesday Afternoon
Elven Settlement, Main Smithy
The Sword that was Broken: Blacksmithing Demonstration
The Chief Smith of Imladris will demonstrate techniques used to reforge Narsil into “Flame of the West”. Topics to be covered include use of runes, proper tempering of ancient Elvish blades and the dangers inherent in tampering with magical weapons.

Wednesday Evening
Main Hall, Citadel, Minas Tirith

Diplomatic Dinner
King Elessar and Corwynne welcome their cousins of Erebor with a formal reception and dinner. Halfling Thane and Guard of the Citadel Peregrine Took will serve the High Table. Dinner music will be provided by Enya. Dancing will follow the feast.

Thursday Morning
Garden of the White Tree, Seventh Level, Minis Tirith
Dedication of War Memorials
King Elessar, and King Eomer will dedicate memorials to those who fell defending Men from Shadow during the War of the Ring. Mithrandir will give the keynote address, “A Far Green Country.” Meriadoc Brandybuck will read a special dedication to Ringbearers Frodo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee, and a Lebethron tree will be planted by Lord Elrond and Lady Galadriel in their honor. Lady Eowyn of Rohan will sing.

Thursday Afternoon
Throne Room, Citadel, Minas Tirith

“Royalty Roundtable: The Role of Sovereignty in a Post Ring World”
Scheduled to attend are King Elessar Telcontar of Gondor, King Eomer of Rohan, King Bard II of the Dale and Thorin III Stonehelm, Son of Dain, King under the Mountain.
The newest monarchs of Middle Earth discuss the challenges and rewards of their first year as sovereigns, and consider what lies ahead for Men in the Fourth Age. This event is free and open to the public. Prince Imrahil of Dol Amroth will moderate. (Following this event, the public is invited to join the monarchs in the Garden of the White Tree for refreshments and an autograph session)

Thursday Evening
New Year Vigil
King Elessar will begin a solemn vigil at dusk in the Garden of the White Tree
Corwynne will host dinner that evening in the main hall.
Guests are invited to join King Elessar in vigil at anytime during the night. We only request that silence be maintained in the garden. Food and drink will be served throughout the night in the main hall. Readings from the Red Book of Westmarch will begin after dinner and continue all night. Included among the readers will be Lords Eladan and Elrohir, Billy Boyd, Lord Celebron, Lady Galadriel, Lord Faramir, Peter Jackson, members of the Fellowship, Corwynne, and Christopher Lee.

Friday Dawn
Garden of the White Tree, Seventh Level, Minis Tirith

Remembering Eucastrophe
At sunrise, heralds of the assembled kings, princes, lords etc. will sound their horns to greet the Light’s triumph over Shadow.
The Lothlorien choir will sing 30 minute selection of Maglor’s hymns, newly arranged by Howard Shore.
King Elessar will renew his coronation vows
Gwahir and Manwe’s Blue Eagle squad will perform an aerial stunt exhibition.
Following the Eagle’s performance, all will return to the great hall for coffee, donuts and a nap.

Friday Afternoon
Pelennar Feields

Picnic on Pelennor
Elessar and Corwynne invite all citizens of Gondor and noble guests to join them for a picnic on Pellenor Field. Let us bring life back to the scene of the nation’s most dreadful battle. Musicians from Rohan will provide music in memory of their late King Theoden. King Eomer and Gimli will lead toasts in memory of the honored dead. Exhibitions of arms will be presented.

Friday Evening
Main Hall, Citadel, Minas Tirith

Royal Ball
Formal attire required. Invitation will be required for admittance. A light supper buffet will be available all evening. No formal feast is scheduled.

Wednesday, March 16, 2005

The Fun in Gondor Never Ends

My Dearest Kendrah,

I’m so glad you enjoyed the party and do hope you can return for the New Year festivities. There is quite a bit planned...dedication of the war memorial to honor our Glorious Dead, the official unveiling of Gimli’s new gate, the ribbon cutting on the recently renovated White Tower Archives, various diplomatic dinners and, of course, the dusk to dawn New Year’s party complete with Lament Singing competitions and drinking games.

Legolas has been no trouble at all. He and Gimli have been going on and on about stonework and gardens again so I asked them to draw up some plans incorporating both elements...as part of my Greening of Minis Tirith Initiative. Aragorn and Legolas have taken a large party out hunting for a few days so they are out of my hair for a while.

It’s unfortunate you are still having problems with Billingdalt. Perhaps the Rangers Aragorn sent to talk with him didn’t feel quite foul enough. Please let us know if more effective threats are needed. As for your workers, perhaps Gimli can have a chat with them. They all seem to like him...even if he is a dwarf.

I envy you your relatively peaceful settlement at the moment. Much to my dismay, Gladders decided she wanted to stay in the city and not go hunting with the rest of the gang. Imagine my horror! Every afternoon all the noble females sit around on the balcony doing needlework and being terrified of Her! Gimli didn’t help matters. He stayed home from the hunt to swoon at her feet and keeps writing badly rhymed poetry about her hair! One poor Rohirrim woman fled in tears because her hair, though a lovely wheaten blonde, wasn’t golden enough. If only they could have seen the Lady of the Golden Wood sneaking out to the privy late one night, bunny slippers poking their noses out from her silken robe and her flawless face covered in greenish cold cream. We nodded politely as we passed in the hall, but she knows I know she’s not all that pretty at 4 am!

To make matters worse, she has started dropping not so subtle hints that Aragorn and I need to stop living together like mere Men and get married...and the sooner the better. Then she had the nerve to mention I was gaining weight...asked if I had “an heir in the oven.” When I told her no, I was stress eating (and please, does she have any idea how difficult it is to manage a REAL life and maintain a fantasy world day in and day out? Look how much weight PJ put on working on the movies!), she smiled sadly and said not everyone can have an Elvish metabolism and patted me on the head. Maybe we should move up the wedding...surely she wouldn’t pat a QUEEN on the head! Okay, maybe she would...

Well, Imrahil’s sister is hosting a tea party and I must attend. Take care! I hope to see you soon!

Your Affectionate Friend,
Corwynne

Saturday, March 12, 2005

Safe and Sound

My dearest Corwynne,

I just wanted to drop you a line to let you know that I have arrived safely back in the settlement. I so enjoyed the King's Royal Birthday Bash and I hope to be able to travel back to the White City for the New Year Celebration. I do wish I could have stayed for the entire event but when the cat's away, as they say in the real world.

The reason for my hasty departure was more in the Billingdalt saga. It seems that he keeps himself abreast of our comings and goings enough to return when he knows Leggs and I are away. He was trying to convince the worker population of the settlement that they should form unions. My unexpected return took him quite by surprise and he admitted that he had just watched Norma Rae when it arrived from Netflix. He has yet again promised to stay away from the settlement, but who knows. I may be forced to write to you only after an event instead of discussing it ahead of time.

I hope that Leggs has not been any trouble for you. If he seems bored just ask him to explore the city and report back on where and what type of gardens he feels it needs. I am sure he will spend many days on the report and then you can just hid it away with the other ancient and long winded papers in the Gondorian library system. He'll never know.

Any way I must be going....the workers need to be comforted, Billingdalt frightens them now.

Your affectionate Friend,
Kendrah

Tuesday, March 01, 2005

Birthday Bash Updates

My Dearest Kendrah,

I too remember the days of Little Miss Cranky Pants and None of Her Friends. Those were good times...

I've been swamped this week putting the finishing touches on Aragorn's Birthday Bash. March is a busy month for Gondor, King's birthday on the 1st, New Year's on the 25th. We're trying to establish an official holiday season beginning with the Royal Birthday Celebration and ending on New Year's Day.

Faramir has been a huge help with arranging all the events. I don't know what I would have done without him. I think we are ready to go...

Thranduil has sent several casks of wine from the Dale that we will be serving at the formal birthday dinner tonight. He won't be attending himself. I think he's still a bit miffed at Leggs. (BTW, Aragorn is still ticked off at the Settlement Elders so I had to bump them down on precedence. You and Leggs will be the only Settlements reps at the High Table...make sure he wears something nice...maybe that light blue/silver number from the coronation) Orlie is busy shooting something somewhere so he is unable to attend (which is a load off my mind really). Pippin has been pressed into active duty for the duration of the festivities. (He's so cute in that uniform!) He and Merry arrived a few days ago after a brief visit to Eomer. I think Merry is trying to open pipeweed trade negotiations with the Rohirrim. Eomer will be at the party too...Imrahil is still trying to set him up with his sister...I think Eomer is falling for it.

Bilbo and Frodo are making the trip in as well, traveling with Elrond and the Rivendell crew. It seems both Bilbo and Viggo have written ballads in honor of Elessar being king and all, and plan to read then to the court after dinner. Not to be outdone, the Bard Laureate of Gondor has also prepared some pieces in honor of the king. Frankly, an evening of poetry reading isn't my idea of a swinging birthday party, but Aragorn likes that sort of thing.

Gladders and Celeborn arrived this morning and they've been very pleasant. They must have resolved their latest tiff. I just wish she'd stop wandering great hall, looking ethereal and messing with the flower arrangements!

All right, I need to go meet some ambassadors, get my jewelry out of the museum and make sure Aragorn has clean tunic. I'll see you and Leggs at dinner in a few hours!

Your Affectionate Friend,
Corwynne