Night Crawler

The Royal Herald steps onto the eric and announces the beginning of the Invocation Ceremony, during which would-be successors to the throne present their consorts -- in whose honor they fight -- and challenge their opponents. (Another code of chivalry requires less seasoned fighters to make the challenges.) The court assembles on either side of the Royal Pavilion, designated by laurel leaves on the coat of arms, and the royal procession begins: the visiting Princess of Cynagua (the Northern Central Valley and Sierras); the King and Queen of the West Kingdom, who wear crowns of real silver donated by SCA members and crafted by artisans; Hans and Caera, Prince and Princess of the Mists, and all their attending lords and ladies. The assembled court bows and announcements are made about the upcoming Collegium (which offers 30 classes in all arts medieval), the day's contests in bardic poetry about Mists royals, past and present, the brewing of aphrodisiacs and cordials with medicinal properties, and so on. The prince, a swarthy man with a full voice, calls forth Kay the Innocent to bestow upon her the honor of the Order of Pelicans for selfless service to the realm; Kay, flushed with heat and emotion, bows low before her lord, and the crowd cheers loudly. Fabian, king of the West Kingdom, offers to cross swords with any challenger, which brings more cheers, and shouts of "Long live the king!" There is a call for a warm-up melee, while the princess of the Mists hurries to a nearby Porta Potti, attended by several ladies in waiting.

The tournament itself is fast and furious: one-on-one combat, with double elimination. There are two playing fields within the eric, marked by the heraldic colors azure and vert, and no less than three marshals to oversee each field. The marshals are surprisingly redundant for, although the swords are not real, the chivalric codes of honesty and sportsmanship are genuine. Fighters inflicted with blows sacrifice the use of smitten limbs; fighters thinking their blows not sufficient to warrant the sacrifice disclaim the stroke before resuming battle; and a blow to the head or body, even with a rattan sword, is ample to send the losing side of the encounter sprawling across the field in spastic death throes. Most of the battles between seasoned fighters (knights are designated by white belts) and new challengers are quick to end, but even quick fights, under the weight of armor and the heat of an unseasonably hot sun, are enough to cause great exhaustion.

After winning her first fight and losing her second, Duchess Elina of Beckenham sits under a sun shade attended by Duke Stephen of Beckenham, her beloved consort and real-life husband. The titles of duke and duchess are afforded those personages who have held the title of king or queen twice, and, with her lionlike eyes, battered armor, and crimson fighting surcoat detailed with a gold griffin, the duchess is regal in every aspect. In her mundane persona, 33-year-old Tobi Beck is a former captain of the Army military police and author of The Armored Rose, an in-depth study of how and why men and women approach combat differently. In her everyday life, Beck has been sent to Cuba, Panama, Honduras, and Somalia in times of need; as a member of the SCA, she has fought thousands of battles and ruled in two kingdoms. Both lives are points of pride.

"You learn about history here by trying it on," says Duchess Elina. "The best way to learn is always by doing." And clearly, the battles don't hurt.

By late afternoon, only Viscount Thurfinn Magnissin and Sir Brion of Bellatrix remain. Margrethe Astrid Ravn, otherwise known as Meg Heydt, the "autocrat" who organized today's event, is not surprised.

"Brion is the princess' champion, and Thurfinn was prince of Cynagua," says Ravn. "They are both strong fighters."

During the final match, the whole of the court seems to hold its breath. Thurfinn, in red, and Brion, in blue, square off. The attack is fierce, the blows deafening; sod flies under the noblemen's boots, and their armor shudders with strain. Brion fights with two swords and no shield, in Florentine style, and brings Thurfinn to his knees -- but Thurfinn is triumphant. The fallen knight is given wine and the royals attend the field, welcoming their new heir and bestowing on him a crown of laurel, with a crown of roses for his absent consort, who is attending a wedding elsewhere.

Behind his pavilion, seated on a leather chair brought by his squire Shastan, Thurfinn looks every bit the victorious hero of myth, his armor gleaming, his face sanguine, his long hair matted with sweat, and his mouth set with intrepidity as he speaks of his lady love, Duchess Cyneswith aet Caldhaefen.