Sing with me Muses, the song of our people,
Sing of disaster, defeat and despair,
But Hwaet all and listen, new chorus is rising,
Gold-plumed Falcon now takes to the air.
A History of Calontir
Calontir is the tenth Kingdom of the Society, created on the eighteenth of February, AS XVIII (1984), in the Shire of Mag Mor. It sprang from the Middle Kingdom, and was the first of the three “Sons of the Dragon”, maintaining strong ties of friendship with its mother Kingdom, as well as its two brothers, Northshield and Ealdormere. It comprises the trans-Mississippi Midwest, specifically Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska (save the westernmost section which has been ceded to the Outlands), Iowa (save the counties near the Quad Cities, which remained with the Midrealm) and three counties of Northwest Arkansas (which were active in Calontir long before Meridies began organizing activity in the western part of the state).
The early history of Calontir has been wonderfully recounted by Master Crag Dugan, OP, in his two volume work The Chronicles of Calontir, which is available on Amazon. Volume I, Foundations, covers the beginnings through the time of the Warlords. Volume II, The Princes, illustrates the progress towards status as a full kingdom. Volume II ends with the Coronation of Chepe and Arwyn on the evening of our first Crown Tournament. No serious student of Calontir history could overlook these volumes, which speak not merely of names, places, and dates, but equally of the hopes and dreams of the people. What Master Crag covered in glorious detail over 250 pages, I will be forced to condense into a few paragraphs, as well as cover the thirty two years since.
But as important as the recounting of the historical facts are, equal measure must be given to the social mores of the Heartlands, which have influenced so greatly the development of the land. Calontir, populated by Midwesterners, is blessed with folk who are for the most part agreeable, keeping what squabbles that develop courteous and non-disruptive. Additionally, the early years developed a strong feeling of community, as the populace pulled together to bring about Calontir’s sovereignty. These two characteristics re-echo throughout Calontir history, and are expressed in a myriad of ways. From our group singing to Falcon tabards, our use of the Royal Pavilion as the “Kingdom living room” to the downplaying of households, the folk of the Falcon emphasize the group over the individual, putting aside personal goals for the advancement of the Kingdom and its people.
In the earliest days of Calontir, the populace was often drawn from the Science Fiction Community. The earliest groups were located in Three Rivers (St. Louis), Fountains/Forgotten Sea (Kansas City MO/KS, which soon merged), Couer d’Ennui (Des Moines), Standing Stones (Columbia, MO) Ystradd Stradelle (Lawrence, KS, now Carlsby) and Spinning Winds (Manhattan, KS). Located far from the Midrealm centers of population and power in Michigan, Ohio, and Chicago, Calontir developed a self-sufficient culture. By steps, Calontir created its Witan (regional officers), the position of Warlord, a sort of junior prince chosen by semi-annual tournament, and a two-level set of awards, given first by the Witan, later by the Warlord. These Calontir awards originally carried no legal precedence outside of the Region, but were viewed as a more valid measure of progress, as they were given by nobles with direct knowledge of the recipients, rather than a distant Crown with only imperfect information and context. More time will be spent later on the award system.
The early leaders of the region, particularly Brumbarr von Schwarzberg, made a conscious choice to focus on a Saxon flavor for Calontir, seeing the earlier periods as less driven by politics and courtly manipulations, and more unified, projecting their hopes of how the region would behave. Thus we have our Kingdom Great Officers referred to as the Witan, the Saxon council that historically chose the new king when legitimate succession was in doubt, the Fyrd and Hirth, the intermediate and advanced level of awards for fighters, and eventually all martial participants, and the occasional Althing, a meeting held where the Crown solicits opinion from the populace. The Althing is, of course, a Norse practice, rather than Saxon, but viewed as within the same general cultural sphere. We hold “Song of the Shieldwall” as a bardic touchstone for our people, and as a group we are well versed in the events of the fall of 1066. This “Kingdom persona” is informal and non-binding, and while we have a higher percentage of earlier period players than most realms, subjects are free to choose any time or place they wish to explore. We have even, through the years, recognized a few Normans as peers of the realm.
We were met with cycles of support and indifference from the Midrealm Curia and Crowns. The roll of Ringbearer, an endorsement by the Crown of the Middle was bestowed to some, but not all of the Warlords. Visits by the Dragon Crown were appreciated, but also served to illuminate the growing cultural divide that was demarked by the Father of Waters. An early expression of the region’s eagerness for separation from the Middle was a song written by Lord Brom Blackhand, “Calontir Stands Alone”. Early trips by Calontir fighters to the Pennsic War, starting with the eighth, brought honor to the Heartlands and further knowledge of both similarities and differences between the parent and rebellious child. Moves within Calontir towards Principality status were underway, and the central MidRealm realized that it would be unwise to stand in the way of such growth. At the tenth Pennsic War, a stoneworker and potter, Lars by name, who had first taken up arms east of the Great River before moving to the lands of Calontir, gifted to the Barrelmakers a rune stone to overlook the battlefield and mark the courage and camaraderie of ten years of warfare.
Weeks later, on September 26, AS XVI, Calontir held its first Coronet Tournament, in the Barony of Forgotten Sea. Christofre Cynwyd had previously won the Calon Tourney and was scheduled to ascend as Warlord that day, but surrendered his earned authority that the Principality might commence. His name, and his sacrifice, are included when we recite our list of rulers at each Coronation. Ternon de Caer Leon, who had served previously as Warlord was first to wear the Princely Coronet, with Ghleanna Megan of Kirkaldy as his Princess. As they knew better the contributions of the Calontiri than a far-removed Dragon Crown, they, and future Princes and Princess were given the ability to give Awards of Arms within the Principality. Intermediate levels of skill were recognized both by Calontir awards from the Coronet, and their Midrealm analogs from the Crown. Of course, peerages could only be given by the King and Queen.
But even as we were celebrating our limited autonomy, there were moves being made in the march to full sovereignty. At some levels it seemed that we were even more ignored by the Central Midrealm than before the time of Princes, and whether that was neglect, a longer leash, or a chance to build experience and self-reliance depends, both now and at the time, upon one’s perspective. Slights, both real and imagined, defensible or petty, drove the rebellious teenager to walk a path even farther from what his parent would see him pursue. So it was that within a year of our first Coronet Tourney, Kingdom status was already being openly discussed. That summer saw the first War Maneuvers, where the fighters of the Principality became the soldiers of the Falcon Army. It was also at this time that the first great wagon was engaged to travel to Pennsic XII. The bonding effect of dozens of hours on the road with two score of your closest friends helped solidify the “all in one boat” feeling that we so deeply cherish. Furthermore, the trip inspired a song, “Greyhound Bound for Pennsic” by Lady Koshka, that both predicted the feel of the trip and expressed some of the underlying political sentiments of the time. Certainly our celebration of ourselves in song had earlier, more humble beginnings, but this piece was truly a milestone. Notable also at Pennsic XII was that we camped together, rather than scattered throughout the site, and the appearance of the earliest form of the Shield Wall. By the end of the War it was known that Calontir would achieve is long sought sovereignty before the start of spring. The joy was immense.
On February 18, AS XVIII, in the midst of a raging blizzard, Calontir gathered in the Shire of Mag Mor for the First Crown Tournament and Coronation, under the gaze of the Dragon Crowns Alen and Genevieve. Even on this joyous day was the friction between Calontir and Midrealm apparent, as a conflict over which set of marshalling standards would be used flared into open argument on the field. At the end of the day, Chepe l’Oragere and Arwyn Antaradi stood as the first King and Queen of Calontir.
The reign of Chepe and Arwen was momentous, even for the opening days of a kingdom. At Their Crown Tournament, They inducted the first “native” members of each of the peerages. William Couer de Boueff, Baron of Couer d’Ennui (Des Moines) was admitted to the Chivalry, Alarba Bronwen Caradoc was elevated to the Laurel for her skill as a weaver, and Kyrieth of Shadowfane, the Chronicler of the Principality entered the ranks of the Pelican.
The first Pennsic as a kingdom, Pennsic X, saw many of the nascent foundations upon which Calontir had developed its culture become solidified. The Royal Pavilion, sewn by Hrolf Ulfsson, was a gathering place for the army by day at muster time and the people at night for bonding and communal singing. It has been replaced several times since then, with more decoration and functionality, but serves the same purpose, to bring the people together. The army wore the first Falcon Tabards, fighters with a gold falcon on purple, non-combatants with a purple falcon on gold. (The non-combatant color scheme was quickly abandoned in order to more actively unite everyone into “One Army”.) This presented a vision of a unified kingdom and army. Also the scutum wall designed by Pavel Iosevich debuted with truly devastating effect. Fighting for the Midrealm, Calontir held a causeway in the woods, and then in the Bridge Battle, bottled up one, then two, then all three bridges, extending what was normally a one-hour battle to almost three hours, securing a tie for Middle Kingdom. Our success came about not merely through the technological innovation of the scutums, but also the training of the army as a whole, with the emphasis of each individual contributing to the group endeavor. Additionally, we devised a way to remove an exhausted fighter from the locked scutum wall, and replace him with a fresh compatriot. We went to the war with “something to prove”, and by our reckoning proved it fully. We also proved to ourselves that we could accomplish so much by following the principles of shared action that had gotten us to that point. The Calontir Way was thus firmly established in the hearts of the Heartlanders, and celebrated in song, “None but Calontir-O“, written by Hrolf Ulfsson. How fitting it seemed to us that he provided us with both a song to sing and a place to sing it.
A month later, tragedy struck. While travelling to the Coronation of the second King and Queen, the carriage of the Baronage of Couer d’Ennui was struck by a drunk driver, killing Sir William and Baroness Rosamund Couer de Boueff as well as their two passengers. They were remembered for a decade by the Barony hosting a Stoutheart Tournament in their honor, and during the singing of “Old Dun Cow”, everybody shouting Fesselmeyer (the mundane name of the Baronial couple), as we pause for a drink in their honor.
Within the first year, Calontir eliminated the practice of an invitational Crown List, which it had inherited from the Middle Kingdom. As a kingdom, we remembered too well the sting that we felt when so many of our best fighters had been left off the list, sometimes through lack of awareness, but more often, it seemed to us, for more openly political reasons. The practice ever since has been to submit a letter of intent to the reigning Crown, and while there have been a few examples of couples being barred from entry, it has been less fractious this way. We have also downplayed the importance of households. In the days of the Region and Principality, we had so few peers, and they were generally so unassuming that a strong household system never really developed. Instead, we built our Calontir culture in a way that fostered growth in the “it takes a village” style. Certainly, Knights take squires, Laurels take apprentices and Pelicans offer belts of gold to eager protégés. But our practice is that such a relationship is not a declaration that the peer has now become the sole source of learning for the associate, but rather that since the associate has taken the belt, they are now prepared to learn from any who might teach them. The suggestion that a knight would demand that all of his squires fight beside him in battle at a foreign war simply because they are squires, rather than the actual needs of the army in nearly unthinkable to us. Furthermore, the use of Falcon Tabards as kingdom livery serves to downplay the individual and household. This happy accident of social engineering has served us well throughout the years.
In AS XX, the Falcon turned its eyes westward and, led by King Edward, travelled again in a great wain to the second Estrella War, where we fought along with the Kingdom of Caid. Again, our unconventional approach to battle, using a drilled army instead of a collection of heroes and households, magnified the impact of our numbers on the field. From that day to this, Calontir has taken great delight in foreign wars, travelling to multiple wars per year. A fighter’s progress is measured by his or her usefulness in a battle, giving or following orders as appropriate, gaining expertise in the various weapons systems as used in the Falcon host, and a count of campaigns served. We camp together, march singing to the battles, fight together, march homeward to the Royal Pavilion to bask in the camaraderie of our shield brothers and spear sisters.
The following summer at War Maneuvers, Earl Edward Cire of Greymoor presented a paper proposing an annual war to be held within Calontir. His suggestion was incredibly detailed in all aspects of running an internal war that would minimize the hard feelings that so often surfaced at wars that pitched neighboring kingdoms against each other. All that was missing was a name. The next week, the populace answered in acclamation that, by analogy to the Wars of the Roses, Calontir’s civil war should be known as the War of the Lilies, as the Lily was the flower of our land, appearing in the name of our GOA arts order, and our very kingdom arms, where the Cross of Calatrava could be read as four Lilies.
In the time since, it has grown to be a war lasting ten days, from Friday to the following Sunday. Each year, a different theme and division of sides is chosen, lest repeated conflict nurture an actual grudge. Examples of past themes include Shires vs Baronies, Counts vs Dukes, French vs English, Laurels vs Pelicans, and Winter Kings vs Summer Kings. The war is notable for the multitude of classes taught. Numerous hands-on learning opportunities are available, including fiber, glass working, pottery, and cooking tents that provide instruction throughout the week. The Tailoring tent makes use of dozens of volunteers to hand-sew a complete set of garb for Their Majesties to wear during the final court of the war. A night time bronze casting is always a highlight. The Great Machine of Master Gerald Goodwine, which is here at 50 Year, is a fixture of the Arts and Science area at Lilies, as is the Falconry area under the direction of Master Friederich von Blumenkamp. Daily battles and tournaments provide activity for the fighters, and the archery schedule rivals wars three times the size of Lilies. As this, the celebration of fifty years of the Society opened its gates, the thirtieth Lilies closed its week of chivalry, learning and relaxing with a flaming sky full of wonder and voices raised in song. We invite you to join us beside Smithville Lake at the center of the Knowne Worlde this coming June, or any subsequent June, to see Calontir at home.
In AS XXII, at Estrella V, Lady Finola O’Cleary and her daughter Lady Jenna of Southwind smuggled several smoked briskets of beef aboard the great bird that had carried them to the war and prepared a great feast for the army following the battles of Saturday. Through the years, the personnel and menu have changed, but from that day our soup kitchen was born. It has been imitated in a number of other realms, but for us it is a reinforcement of unity. The stories told of the heroic deeds of our comrades in arms strengthen our bond. It is yet another example of our kingdom working together for the common good. It, too, is commemorated in song.
The twenty-seventh year of the Society saw the first Queen’s Prize Tournament, hosted by Her Majesty Ilya. In this, Laurels and companions of the Calon Lily and Silver Hammer, the Grant of Arms awards in the arts and sciences respectively, sponsor an artisan or craftsmen of lower achievement, providing advice and feedback during the production of the entry. Judging is done face to face with a panel of three judges, with an emphasis not on a nit-picking examination of detail, but encouragement towards improvement. Two contestants are awarded the Judges’ Prize and the Queen’s Prize, and each sponsor provides a prize to someone other than his sponsored contestant. The idea has spread directly to the Outlands and Ealdormere, and indirectly to Meridies, where it goes by the name Stella Nova.
King Eringlin II and Queen Alethea were first to muster the Calon Host in AS XXXI to march to the south to enjoy the hospitality so fairly praised at Gulf Wars. Since our first appearance at Gulf Wars VII, our attendance and involvement have constantly increased to the point that we now deem it our favorite foreign war, at least by the number of our Kingdom making the trip.
In AS XXXIV, the Falcon Host scored a great victory at Estrella War XVI, in a battle since referred to as Phaedra’s Gate, in honor of our Queen and inspiration. Defending a large open gate on a castle wall, Calontir again set up a long shield wall of interlocked scutums with well-trained polearms and spears behind them. Although the attackers from Caid and Atenveldt had unlimited resurrections, and the defenders had a limited number, the defensive line held through an unrelenting onslaught. The Outlands and Artemisia, our allies, were able to hold the upper keep, and Prince Gunnar of Trimaris managed to singlehandedly capture a small external redoubt, giving victory to our side. The victory is recounted in song and story and served to remind us that great glories could still be gathered on the battlefield, if we gather together as one army.
Leading up to the eighteenth Lilies War in AS XXXIX a consortium of Calontir subjects purchased from the Longship Company their aged craft the Fyrdraca, who was no longer considered worthy to sail on the high seas. Brought home to Calontir, she was reconditioned and spends her golden years on Smithville Lake, where she makes many daily excursions at Lilies. Numerous Calontiri, and foreign guests, spend a great fraction of their time at the War on the lake. A highlight for visiting royalty is the chance to take the fireworks cruise, where our Friday night pyrotechnica can be viewed from a longship. How is that for Creative Anachronism?
In March of AS XLV, Lady Konstantia Kaloethina conceived of an artisans’ gift exchange, the Noblese Largesse, in which participants are provided with a name and background information on another person involved, for whom they produce a gift showing off their skills. She ran several exchanges, primarily through social media, before turning over the program to successors. There are now sixteen exchanges occurring, some interkingdom in nature, and others within single realms.
The Kingdom of Calontir now consists of six Baronies. Three Rivers covers the greater St. Louis area in Missouri. The Midrealm Barony of Shattered Crystal encompasses the Illinois side of the metro area, though several Missouri residents are treatied to the Middle, and several Illinois residents participate in Calontir. Three Rivers was established as a Barony of the Midrealm in May of AS XIII. Forgotten Sea covers the greater Kansas City metro area and is the geographic and travel center of the kingdom. Their first Baronage was seated in April of the thirteenth year. Vatavia, Wichita, Kansas, received its Baronial Coronets in June of AS XVI. Couer d’Ennui was established as the final Barony in fief to the Dragon Crown in June of the seventeenth year of our fellowship. It covers the area around Des Moines, Iowa, and has the Canton of Axed Root in nearby Ames. After the elevation to Kingdom status, Calontir added two more Baronies. Lonely Tower, which is the Omaha Nebraska area had its first Baron seated in June of AS XXI. The newest Barony in Calontir is Mag Mor, Lincoln, Nebraska. Since January of AS XXX have a Baron and Baroness guided the lands where the bull flies high.
Within the state of Kansas, there are additionally 6 shires, Missouri boasts seven shires, one college and two cantons of Forgotten Sea, and Iowa is home to four shires as well as a canton of Couer d’Ennui. All settled land in Nebraska is under the control of the Baronies of Lonely Tower and Mag Mor, save for the westernmost sections which were ceded to the Outlands as the Shire of Hinterlands. We wished not to see a geographically remote group suffer from the same isolation that we endured, so happily allowed them to pursue their dreams under the aegis of the White Stag.
Earlier was mentioned the award system in Calontir, of which we are justly proud. In the time of the region, most kingdoms, including the Middle, had two levels of awards available to them beyond the Award of Arms: the “arts & sciences/service/fighting awards” native to the land, and the peerages which covered each endeavor. Calontir saw itself as unlikely to be recognized with peerages from the distant Midrealm, and so created for itself not only the basic level of awards, but also a second level to suggest, “these are the subjects we imagine as peers”. The second set, imagined as almost junior peerages in the over-eager minds of Calontir, have historically been polling orders, as had the Fyrd until very recently, and even then, it has shifted to “self-polling” in that the Crown accepts recommendations from the order without necessarily meeting with them in person.
When Calontir gained its sovereignty in AS XVIII, one of the first acts of the new King and Queen, as scripted by the Witan, was to codify the Precedence of the lower orders with Awards of Arms, backdated to the original date of elevation, and the upper level of orders with Grants of Arms, similarly backdated. Thus Calontir has a three level award system (four if counting the basic AoA), which gives the subjects a clearer sense of their progress and standing among others in their fields. Service is recognized with a Torse at the AoA level, and the Cross of Calontir at the GoA level. Skill in the arts merits a Swan, and then later a Calon Lily. The sciences are rewarded with a Leather Mallet, and then a Silver Hammer. Martial endeavors are recognized with membership in the Fyrd at the AoA level, and the Hirth (huscarls) at the Grant level. Originally recognizing just armored combat, in AS XVII, the Fyrd and Hirth were expanded to include archery. A year and half later, each order was split into two branches, the Iren-Fyrd and Iren-Hirth to recognize rattan combat, and the Boga-Fyrd and Boga-Hirth to recognize archery. In AS XLV, Their Majesties Ashir and Maerwynn created the Eo-Fyrd and Eo-Hirth, as an equal home for the equestrians. And at the Lilies War in the fiftieth year of Our Fellowship, Anton and Isabeau, while ruling, called into being the Stíle-Fyrd and Stíle-Hirth, to recognize the warriors of the cut and thrust field. The Fyrdmen and Huscarls have a particularly strong group identity, based on regular meetings and melees between the orders, as well as war-related responsibilities being assigned to the orders. They lustily proclaim their identities during “The Song of the Shield Wall, and have songs centered on them that are part of the regular evening singing program. We note that many kingdoms have moved their award structure into a similar triple level system, and are humbled by their sincere flattery.
Any complete history of Calontir must address the issue of fencing. Calontir was the last kingdom to adopt light combat in any form and for years was the only holdout against it. During that time, most of those from outside the kingdom could not fathom our resistance to its introduction, which was due to our unique combination of history and culture. Some hints of that have been imbedded in the previous pages, but will be explained more fully below. Calontir saw itself as an early period kingdom, with a climax of October 14, 1066. Certainly later periods were allowed, but each century beyond the Battle of Hastings had fewer and fewer proponents and resources, while it was much easier to follow an earlier period path. Fencing, to our minds, was practiced primarily in such a late period that it was an outlier in terms of what was seen as “normal” in our kingdom. Additionally, it seemed to us that fencing would tend to fracture the social and military unity that we had cultivated for so long, as it would put our soldiers on two separate battlefields, something we worked hard to avoid. The lack of unit tactics obvious in rapier battles of the day furthered our distaste for the system.
Through the years, a number of immigrants tried to cultivate fencing as practiced in their home kingdoms upon a culture that they did not understand. They were met with resistance and resentment that they could not make sense of, because to the opponents of fencing within Calontir, the practice would be a threat to the cohesiveness so carefully nurtured through the years. We were also concerned about the use of metal blades in a time when quality control of both masks and blades was less than it is now. When in AS XXVIII Calontir developed a system of light fighting using fiberglass rods, it was rejected by the Society Marshal of Fence for not conforming to the practice in use at the time. We took the rebuff as an indication that we would have no choice in what type of fencing we could adopt, so the best choice was not to adopt any form at all.
Slowly, Calontir fighters drawn to light weapon fighting became authorized in neighboring kingdoms, and would fight as a unit in what melees were available. Seeing our comrades in arms, wearing Falcon tabards and singing the songs we loved, started to soften our hearts, as we could no longer view them as foreigners trying to overthrow our culture. By steps, Calontir experimented with a Cut and Thrust style with local adaptations, which was named “Calontir Steel”. After a two-year trial period, Steel fighting was formalized at the Coronation of Damien and Issabell in AS XLVIII. Two years later at Lilies War, Their Majesties Anton and Isabeau, created the Orders of the Stíle Fyrd and Stíle Hirth for Calontir Steel. Three members were inducted into the Fyrd, with firm instructions to “grow the community”. As of this writing, in early January in AS L, there have yet to be any members inducted into the Stíle Hirth, and likewise no Masters of Defense elevated. We look forward to the day when our steel fighters have reached the level that demands such recognition, but at the same time hope and expect that they would be the equals of the fighters holding such ranks in other realms, rather than being merely the “best fencer in Calontir”. As in so many other things, Calontir will continue to progress on its own schedule.
Another intriguing aspect of Calontir is its Bardic tradition. We are known far and wide as “the Kingdom that sings”. Indeed the song cycles of Calontir are one of the ways that we celebrate ourselves, our noble mythic archetypes, and stories of honor that promote our community values. While we are famous for singing of defeated heroes, and are often gently needled for it, (See “Death, Doom, and Gloom” by Master Cerian of the Midrealm), our view is that a battle that is nobly lost is more instructive, and often more praiseworthy than a victory. As a Saxon Kingdom, we are drawn to the underdogs. We look for tales of disaster on the field of battle, and turn them into songs. This reinforces our view that an honorable defeat, against great odds, is more noble than a victory gained at any cost. This attitude instilled in our subjects and soldiers of the line, insure that we cannot “lose” a war if we fight nobly, for if nothing else, it can provide the basis for a song.
We have an active stable of songwriters, who have had it shown to them through example that the most valuable asset of a song is its ability to be sung by a group. A catchy chorus easily learned is treasured far more than an intricate melody that is operatic in difficulty. Furthermore, our practice of changing scroll texts for awards each reign gives budding wordsmiths a chance to develop their craft before they try to add music. As with so many other things in Calontir culture, our singing builds and strengthens community. We sing while mustering at the Royal Pavilion for battle, on the march to the field or archery range, before and between battles, on the march homeward, and throughout the night. The life of Calontir is punctuated and amplified by song, of our own writing, or borrowed from other sources. “The Song of the Shield Wall“, written by Atlantia’s Malkin Gray and Peregrynne Windrider is the most common tune in the circle or on the march, as it combines so many elements of culture as laid out herein. The “Non Nobis” of Patrick Doyle from Branaugh’s “Henry V” is our paean of victory, and our elegy for fallen comrades, often sung at mundane funerals and memorials. When we lift our voice in song, we are Calontir. We invite you to join us in our camp, or on the battlefield, as we sing not only of ourselves, our history, and the noble values that bind us all together in the fellowship of chivalry.
It is our hope that this history, with extensive cultural commentary, has given you some of the basic principles that underlie all that is the Kingdom of Calontir. We ask you to “Lift your eyes, to the skies, where the Golden Falcon Flies.”