Calontir Legends 6 - Brummbar von Schwarzberg
Post 6 - His Excellency Meister Brummabr von Schwarzberg
Brummbar von Schwarzberg joined the SCA in the Summer of AS X in the new Shire of Three Rivers. Right away, Brummbar took up fighting, and as Calontir began to form, he earned a reputation as a skilled fighter. Brummbar was awarded arms by King Albert and Queen Selene, twelfth King and Queen of the Middle Kingdom. Brummbar was selected to be the first Knights' Marshal for the new Region of Calontir. On August 13, AS XII, Brummbar journeyed to the Sibling of the Summer Solstice event in the Shire of Forgotten Sea. There, Brummbar bested Lord Eric Ragnarsson in the day's tournament. Geoffri had decided that if winner of the day's tournament was from Calontir, that fighter would be named Calontir's Champion. Lord Eric was from the WurmWald in the Middle Kingdom. The final battle of the tournament lasted for 40 minutes, but in the end, Brummbar was victorious and declared to be the first Champion of Calontir. On July 20, AS XIII, the Calon Council, the officers of the Region, called a Court in the Shire Forgotten Sea, and announced the first members to Orders of the Calon Lily, the Sliver Hammer, the Fyrd, and the Hirth. Brummbar was called before the Council and became the first Huscarl of Calontir. As Marshal, Brummbar was involved in the planning of the first Calon Tourney, held in the Shire of Couer D'Ennui on September 2, AS XIII. The winner of this tournament would become a second Champion of Calontir. This second Champion would sponsor another Calon Tourney, and on that day, the second Champion would be invested as the Warlord of Calontir. Brummbar defeated William of Bellwood in the finals of the first Calon Tourney and became the Champion of Calontir who would soon be its first Warlord. As Champion, Brummbar led Calontir and held Courts to recognize its populace. Brummbar commissioned a future Laurel, Lord James of Goetz-Down, to make a pair of black steel circlets, one narrow and one wide. As Champion, Brummbar wore the narrow circlet. The circlet, now worn by the King of Calontir's Champion, would pass to the victor of the next Calon Tourney, one Lord Ternon de Caer Laint. When Brummbar passed the Champion's circlet to Ternon, he donned the wider circlet of the Warlord. As Champion, and later Warlord, Brummbar set the tone for all future leaders in Calontir. The Warlord had no authority to hold courts and grant awards. The Warlord was not a representative of the Middle Kingdom or its Crown. Only the Baron and Baroness of Three Rivers and the Regional Seneschal had any real ties to the official structure of the Middle Kingdom. The Warlords of Calontir ruled because the populace of Calontir wanted them to rule. Brummbar and the future Warlords drew their authority from the populace of a Region that granted them the power to do so.
It was Brummbar's suggestion that the Calon Council be called the Witan, a name which now refers to the Great Officers of Calontir. Brummbar was considered the authority on fighting in Calontir. Many issues of the Calon Scrolls, the Regional newsletter, had articles about fighting written by Brummbar. It was Brummbar who proposed that the Order of the Sword of Calontir to recognize valor on the field of battle and that the Order of the Silver Trilliom be created for autocratting (being event steward). Later, the Silver Trillium would be rolled into the Order of the Torse.
In these early days, the Warlord could enter the Calon Tourney, and so it came to pass that Brummbar won the third Calon Tourney on September 2, XIV. He passed the Warlord's circlet to Ternon and accepted the Champion's circlet from Ternon.
At this time, there was only citizen of the Region of Calontir who held a peerage level award. On October 18, AS XV, Brummbar was offered membership in the Order of the Chivalry by King Laurelen and Queen Ithireal. Brummbar, when offered the belt of a Knight or the baldric of a Master, chose to become a Master at Arms. Calontir's first Champion and first Warlord became Calontir's first citizen to become a member of the Order the Chivalry.
Roughly a year after Brummbar's second term as Warlord, Calontir became a Principality of the Middle Kingdom. The awards that Brummbar and the other founders created for the Region became the awards for the Principality. On April 17, AS XVI, Brummbar carried the favor of Countess Valmai Arcalien onto the field at the third Calontir Coronet Tournament and won the day. Prince Brummbar and Princess Valmai ascended to the Falcon Thrones on October 2, AS XVII. Although Brummbar was renowned for prowess on the field, he served Calontir from the beginning. Recognizing this service, King Talymar and Queen Eislinn invited Prince Brummbar into the Order of the Pelican on February 26, AS XVII.
Brummbar's career in Calontir continued on as Calontir grew into Kingdom. Queen Isadorra recognized Brummbar with the Queen's Endorsement of Distinction on March 10, AS XXIV. King Conn and Queen Sile chose to augment Brummbar's arms with the Calontir ensign on July 9, AS XXIX.
Brummbar's impact on Calontir's formative years and the culture which grew from those early days will be felt so long as Calontir flied the Falcon Banners. His Excellency Visount Ternon once said of Brummbar, "He was the one true fighting authority, that is the say, he was the one person whose opinion on the martial arts in Calonti virtually held the way of law. He was the primary instructor for many of us. Many of us owe the core of our technique to Brummbar."
Viscount Brummbar von Schwarzberg, a Calontir Legend, passed away on June 1, 2018.