On Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th July 2015, Lochac’s Midwinter Coronation was held in the Canton of Cairn Fell. The event took place at Brown Hill Public Hall, Ballarat, Victoria.
Before stepping down, the Khagan and Yeke Khatun elevated Mistress Teffania de Tuckerton into the Order of the Pelican.
Prince Steffan and Princess Branwen entered Court and proclaimed that the conquering of, and warring within, Lochac needed to come to an end, and that the Kingdom should instead be united in peace.
Kinggiyadai Khagan and Altani Yeke Khatun mused over Their options and decided that they would only concede the Crown on two conditions: that They be granted titles to travel across the Kingdom freely at will, and that They and Their household be permitted to keep all of the gold and treasures that They had looted during Their Reign.
Steffan and Branwen agreed to these terms and, as such, were Crowned the 27th King and Queen of Lochac.
Kinggiyadai and Altani made a last ditch effort to exert authority over the new King and Queen by insisting that the Barons and Baronesses (or, at least, most of them) were loyal to Them. However, all landed Barons and Baronesses in attendance ditched the former Khan and Yeke Khatun to swear fealty to King Steffan and Queen Branwen.
Kinggiyadai and Altani were given Counties, and King Steffan gave a special fealty chain as a gift to Kinggiyadai that included 50 links to represent the 50 years of the SCA, 6 links for the 6 month Reign they had just concluded, and 5 links to represent the 5 peerage orders. Altani was also warmly welcomed into the Order of the Rose.
In the first court of Their Majesties Steffan and Branwen, Baron Master Cormac Lenihan was elevated into the Order of the Pelican. He was introduced into court with a most inspiring, rabble-raising account – written by Baron Master Varndell Lynche and expressively spoken by Baron Master Hanbal al-Barbari.
Three Kingdom Arts and Sciences competitions were held at the event. The winners were Duchess Liadan ingen Fheradaig (poetry), Sir Jon Dai of the Lane (animal accoutrements) and Master Pádraig Lowther (brewing).
The Worshipful Company of Broiderers (WCoB) held an embroidery competition for pattern darning, with Mistress Kerridwen the Mouse taking first place.
On Sunday, the Rose Tournaments were held concurrently for heavy combat and fencing.
Twelve combatants entered the heavy lists, with the defeated collecting roses from the Queen and the Order of the Rose before delivering them to a person nominated by the victor.
Eighteen fencers entered the rapier lists. The tournament was fought king of the hill style, with the victor holding the field until they were defeated. It was run as a rose tournament (like the aforementioned heavy tournament), however, it was concurrently the biannual Provost of Lochac tournament. Baron Sir Somerled of Redcliffe defeated Lord Timothy of Newton in the finals to take that title.
