Great Southern Gathering (GSG) VII was hosted by the Barony of Kraé Glas at Clifford Park Activity Centre, Wonga Park, Victoria, from Friday afternoon on the 2nd to Monday morning on the 5th of October AS L (2015). The event was stewarded by Don Everad Sefar.
67 people attended the event, most staying on site in the Scout bunks or camping for the weekend. The weather over the event was hot, bright and sunny. The food was widely praised by attendees, and the feast on Saturday night included much singing and merriment.
Arts and Sciences
Classes
Around 13 Arts and Sciences classes were held across the weekend, covering diverse topics from costuming to embroidery to core stability in fencing to heraldry (names and spoken).
Medieval Master Chef
The inaugural Medieval Master Chef competition was held during GSG VII. It was a three round, period-style cooking competition. The first round involved contestants bringing something they’d prepared prior to the event, along with relevant documentation. The second round involved contestants making something on site in the event kitchen, and the third round was a mystery box challenge where contestants had to make something on site in the event kitchen using only the ingredients supplied by Mistress Nicolette Dufay.
The competition was close, with the overall winner being The Honourable Lady Arganhell merch Briauc. She recieved a wooden chopping block with Krae Glas coloured ribbons hanging from the handle in honour of her victory.
Rapier
Classes
Seven teachers ran classes around the fencing arts, covering topics from beginner’s fencing to rotella, cloak, attack flow, and dagger use.
Royal Guild of Defence Prizes
A relatively large number of Guild Prizes were played on the Sunday of GSG VII. The seven Prizes played included a Guildmaster, Provost, Journeyman and four Free Scholar Prizes.
The keynote event was the Guildmaster Prize, successfully played by Don Gilbert de Walghop in seven different forms. Guildmaster is the highest rank in Lochac’s Royal Guild of Defence.
Tag-team Rapier Rumble
Six teams of two entered a single kill, double elimination style rapier tournament that was inspired by WWE wrestling. Bouts were timed for two minutes with each of the two team members in the field for the bout – one against the corner and one in the middle holding a baton. To win, you had to make three consecutive hits (anywhere) to your opponent before they passed the baton to their team mate. Every time you managed to pass your baton to your team mate, they would take the active position on the field and have all three lives back. If no-one managed to make three consecutive shots on an opponent, the team with the least loss lives in the current active bout was deemed the winner.
The victors of the tournament were the Star Turtles, made up of Don Aylwin Greymane and Don Gregory Tortouse de Sloleye.
Novice Tournament
A tournament was held Sunday afternoon for Free Scholars and Scholars. There were seven entrants and they fought a bear pit style tournament. After a sudden death final, Lord Finnr Magnusson was the victor against Seamus. The prize given to Lord Finnr was a fencing text donated by Lord Guildmaster Francois Henri Guyon.
Journeyman Marcus von Riga, who ran the tournament, also presented tokens to Lady Merione French for the most stylish kill, and to Jude of Lunihawke for her chivalrous behaviour.
Defender of the South Heavy Tournament
Three heavy combatants competed in a round robin for the third annual Defender of the South tournament – Sir Wolfram Flammenherz, Baron Cormac Lenihan and Baron Sir ThorolfR olfuss Brandsson. Baron Sir ThorolfR was the ultimate victor, recieving the banner emblazoned with a triskelion in honour of his victory.