The Quest for Wit & Wisdom XXXIX: Quest for the Quill!

In honour of the recent 400th year anniversary of Shakespeare’s Folio, it would seem that this spring the Barony of Settmour Swamp finds itself nestled in an area that greatly resembles Elizabethan England– and the Vice District no less!  Such is the life of a thespian, it’s all fun and games, until someone mistakes the bear pit for the theatre… That’s right, the 39th Quest for Wit and Wisdom will be a raucous adventure through the literary works and worlds created by Master Shakespeare himself!

Join us for a weekend of fun, fellowship, and, of course, a little theatre! 

In addition to the Quest itself, the weekend will feature a variety of activities for our martial community, an A&S competition and Artisans Row, a Bardic Circle, and our first Baronial Brewing Championship! 
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FEAST
A Midsummer Night's Feast:  Revelry and Repast (SOLD OUT) will delight our tastebuds and provide us with an evening's entertainment.  During our feast, The Lady Chamberlain's players are happy to present their interpretation of Shakespeare's "Pyramus and Thisbe".  It will make you laugh; it will make you cry (likely from laughing so hard).

FEAST MENU (SOLD OUT)
To begin each table will be provided with a healthy portion of fruit, cheese, and crackers.

First Pass
Honey Orange Tart
Spring Salad
Honey Wheat Rolls
Mincemeat Pie
Vegetarian Mincemeat Pie

Second Pass
Roast Boar and Vegetables
Sourdough Bread
Pottage

Dessert
Shrewsbury Cake
Gooseberry Pudding
Shortbread

Beverages
Rosewater
Tea, Chamomile and Green
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MARTIAL ACTIVITIES

THROWN WEAPONS BARONIAL CHAMPIONSHIP:
Do you like Juliet and her lovely sternum? Would you like to see Caesar in *AHEM* his getting to salad days ? Ever want to look the Earl of Gloucester in the eyes ? You will have your chance at Quest!!!!  *The fly from Titus Andronicus could not make it this year.....  He sends his love*

ARCHERY COMPETITION:
Round One:  Frailty, thy name is target!  (Bonus & Penalty)
Target:  A standard target with an image of Yorick's skull superimposed in the center (reference to Hamlet contemplating the jester's skull).
Bonus:  Landing an arrow in the eye socket of the skull awards bonus points, referencing Hamlet's existential ponderings on mortality.
Penalty:  Hitting the jawbone section awards negative points.  This could represent Hamlet's indecisiveness and inability to take decisive action.

Round Two:  Doubts and Delays...Can You Pierce Them? (Bonus & Penalty)
Target:  Split into three sections.  The center section depicts a swirling cloud with question marks inside.  The outer sections have images of Claudius (king) and Laertes (seeking revenge).
Bonus:  Landing an arrow in the center cloud section awards bonus points.  This reflects Hamlet's internal struggles with doubt and indecisiveness that delay his revenge.
Penalty:  Hitting either Claudius or Laertes' sections awards negative points.  This references the external forces (manipulation by Claudius and Laertes' thirst for revenge) that contribute to Hamlet's delays.

Round Three:  To Be or Not To Be...An Archer (Bonus)
Target:  Standard target with two concentric circles.  The inner circle has a small image of a quill pen.
Bonus:  Landing an arrow in the inner circle (hitting the quill) awards bonus points.  This references Hamlet's famous soliloquy and his contemplation of action versus inaction.  The further away from the quill, the fewer the points (representing a lack of decisive action).

HEAVY COMBAT:  WHAT PARTS WILL YOU PLAY, A THREE ACT TOURNAMENT
"All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players.
They have their exits and their entrances; And one in his
time plays many parts."

Tournament:  To be fought in three acts

Banquo & Fleance vs.  Murderers:
Two on two (Do you fly like Fleance to fight another day)

Hamlet vs.  Laertes
Single handed sword, Cuts only.  (Take a drink first)

MacBeth and MacDuff:
Counted blows Greatsword (Who is who? The winner is MacDuff)

FENCING:  TWO HOUSES MELEE
"Two Houses both alike in dignity..."
Fencers, at this year's Quest, we find ourselves in fair Verona.  Times are troubled and at any moment a brawl may break out in the citystreets between our Montagues and Capulets but not if the Veronese City Watch has anything to say about it.

The Rules:
Before the melee begins, each fencer will draw a scarf- Red for the Capulets, Blue for the Montagues, and Yellow for the City Watch.  Each scarf is also marked with a name of a character and a point value (for example, Romeo 4, Benvolio 3, Mercutio 3, Tybalt 4, Montague Guard 1, Capulet Guard 1, etc.)
If you kill a member of the opposite family, your team is awarded the point value of that character.  Upon being killed you must report to the Resurrection point/MOL and report your death before you may rejoin the melee.  The Household with the most points at the end of the melee wins. 
However, don't forget about the City Watch!  If they enter your duel and beat you, you must exit the field and spend one minute in the prison box before you rejoin the melee.  Additionally, you must report your death to the MOL.  Your point value will be subtracted from your team.

And so fencers- please join us at this year's Quest for Wit and Wisdom!  We invite you to bring victory to your House and to "bite your thumb" at your fellow fencers (in the most sportsmanlike way of course).
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ARTS AND SCIENCES

BARONIAL ARTS AND SCIENCES COMPETITION
On Saturday, we are exciting to host our annual Baronial Arts and Sciences Competition.  In the rich tapestry of Shakespeare's narratives, we find profound insights into the essence and purpose of art.  Hamlet, in his soliloquy to the players, articulates that art serves as a mirror to nature, revealing its virtues, exposing its follies, and capturing the zeitgeist of the age.  Similarly, A Midsummer Night's Dream suggests that art shapes the formless essence of life itself.
As artists, it is incumbent upon us to reflect on the truths our creations reveal.  For the upcoming competition, we invite submissions that embody your observations and emotions concerning nature, life, or love.  Your project should endeavor to give shape to existence, offering a glimpse into its complexities and beauty.
In the process of creation, artists often unearth profound insights about the interconnectedness of existence, the ebb and flow of life's rhythms, and the enduring power of human emotion.  Each brushstroke, each note played, becomes a conduit for understanding the mysteries of existence.
In homage to Shakespeare's enduring legacy, we ask that along with your project submission, you provide a brief written reflection on your work.  This reflection should encapsulate the essence of your creation, drawing inspiration from Shakespeare's timeless wisdom on the purpose of art.
May your submissions not only captivate the eye and stir the soul but also pay homage to the Bard's profound understanding of the human experience through the medium of art.

INAUGURAL BARONIAL BREWING COMPETITION!
Bring Your Best Brew!
Calling all brewers!  Embark on a Shakespearean journey with our brewing challenge inspired by the Bard himself.  Craft the finest wine or mead fit for a royal feast, and let your creativity flow like the poetic verses of Shakespeare's timeless works or like a finely crafted libation.
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TENTATIVE SCHEDULE:
Fri 5/24: 
4:00pm:  Site opens (DO NOT ARRIVE EARLY)
Gate Friday:  4-8pm

Sat 5/25:
Gate open Saturday 10:00am-5:00pm
10:30am Archery and Thrown Weapons setup
11:00am Archery and Thrown Weapons open
11:00am Shopping opens
11:00am Heavy authorizations begin, be in armor at this time
11:30am Heavy weapons inspections open
12:00pm Kubb tournament begins
12:00pm Heavy weapons tourney begins
1:00pm Artisans' Row opens
1:00pm Arts & Sciences Competition opens
2:00pm Fencing tourney begins
3:00pm Brewing Championship Competition begins
3:30pm Archery Competition begins
4:00pm Arts & Sciences Champions Judging
4:30pm Thrown Weapons Baronial Championship Competition begins
4:30pm Artisans' Row closes down
5:00pm Archery & Thrown Weapons close
6:00pm Shopping closes
6:30pm Feast begins (SOLD OUT)
7:00pm Presentation of Shakespeare's "Pyramus and Thisbe"

Sunday 5/26:
Gate 10:00am-3:00pm
8:30-11am Breakfast
12:00-4:00pm Quest for the Quill!
5:00pm Baronial Court
6:30pm Pennsic Camp Planning meeting

Monday 5/27:
11:00 am Site closes
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SITE RULES:
● Pets:  Pets are permitted, and must be kept on a leash at all times.  Certain areas will be off limits to pets.
● Alcohol:  No alcoholic beverages may be brought on site.  There will be a site-run bar available, and open until 12:00am.  This policy will be strictly enforced by event staff.  Anyone in violation of this policy will be removed from the site.
● Pond:  There is a pond on site but is NOT for swimming.

MISCELLANEOUS:
Children:
Children are most welcome, but please supervise your children at all times.  Anyone under the age of eighteen must be accompanied to the event by a parent or legal guardian.  The SCA youth waiver policy will be enforced.

PLEASE NOTE - NOT COMPLYING WITH THE ABOVE RULES WILL RESULT IN REMOVAL FROM THE EVENT.

LOCAL HOTELS:
For those of you who do not camp, there are two near-by hotels in Clinton, New Jersey.
Hampton Inn Clinton (near the Walmart)
16 Frontage Drive
Clinton, NJ 08809
TEL:  +1-908-713-4800

SHOPPING:
A Walmart is approximately 3 miles from the site on Route 513.

Site Opens: 4:00pm Friday
Site Closes: 11:00am Monday