Outside Sources

The following comes from Orlando Ambrosius' Collected Brief History of the Middle Kingdom Volumes 1&2:Cariadoc to Nathan second edition. Copyright 1989, published by Folump Enterprises (805 East Green #1 Urbana, IL 61801). section break

"About this same time,there were two new groups being formed in Ohio. Actually, the Cleftlands (Cleveland) was first. Its founder, Jamie Fox, went so far as to travel to the Capital Provence to swear personal fealty to Cariadoc during Cariadoc's first reign; but when he wrote the Board of Directors, he apparently neglected to include his return address. He made his first appearance at an official event in November, 1970, when he was stranded en route with a cartful of children and rescued by Andrew of SeldomRest. The event that Jamie attended was in the Barony of the Middle Marches, which had been formed by Jehan de la Marche in early 1970." "In April, he (Jehan) first heard from Jamie Foxx, who wrote him: Sirrah greeting, This is to inform thee of a Cleveland branch of the S.C.A. What is the date of thine charter? I am enfeoffed from the Leige Lord of the Middle Kingdom. What are your demise? Would be most intrested in cooperative action, perhaps could hold local and/or area tourneys and fetes. Are you attending local Cons? If not see thee at Bostcon 71. Hopfully sooner. Will exchange devices and T.O.I if wish. What period you using? Mine H.M.A. Alngo-Norse with Moorish Any craftsin your unit? Are you on campus B.G.U if so may be can start College Assoc. within State. Live long and prosper Jehan Jamie Foxx Margrave del Cleft Land, Protector of Shires and Waters theirto Alcyote Novice and Freeholder Warrior Tor Foxx Y.O.L. '70

This was followed by an exchange of letters straightening out procedural matters. Jehan addressed Jamie as "my lord" in the salutation of a follow up letter, and Jamie assumed that Jahan had acknowledged Jamie as his superior. Jehan, having gone through prpoer channels, was the legal representative of the Society in Ohio and finaly convinced Jamie of this. In May he went to Cleveland and signed a treaty with Jamie, which formed the organizational basis for the Barony of the Middle Marches. The treaty created the Barony of Middle Marches, with two Marches, the Marshes and Cleftland. Jehan was recognized as Baron and seneschal of the Barony; Jamie became deputy seneschal for the Cleftlands which, at the time, consisted of himself and a few mildly intrested friends. Jamie was never quite happy with the resolution of the matter and continued "a frequent and very obscure correspondence" with Jehan for some time afterwards. Jehan notes that "if he had been a less markedly eccentric person, and particularly a more normal writer, he might well have persuaded the higher authorities that he was entitled to more power; unofficiall, at least, his claim probably preceeded mine, and if he had handled it differently it might have been upheld" Cariadoc later gave Jamie the title of Margrave of the Cleftlands, an action which generated some controversy both in the West and in the MidRealm; but Jehan, who styled himself "Warden of the March", noted the SCA titles were not so very standard at the time.

The two Ohio groups were to be the weakest of the early Kingdom groups. Cleftlands became weakened by internal fighting; and there were times when the Middle Marches seemed in fear of extinction"

Also in this same tome is the bit of info that "Dagan's coronation was held in the Cleftlands on 12 October, 1974..."

A bit later is: "...and the Cleftlands were finaly created as a barony. This latter threatened to cause some difficulty. Jamie Foxx had continued to style himself Margrave of the March. Although the title, which had been recognized nether by the Imperium nor by the MidRealm, had no power, Jamie still considered himself to be the leader of the Cleftlands, and there was considerable apprehension that he would stand up in court and demand to be made Baron. Strictly speaking he was the founder of the Cleftlands; but another man, Laurelen Darksbane, had done far more to ensure baronial status. Merowald, Laurelen and the Dragon Herald spoke with Jamie and assured him that he could retain the title of Margrave. Jamie, however, was a man of -albeit untraditional- honor and relinquished the title of Margrave, allowing Laurelen to become Baron Cleftlands. Later, his wife, Ithriliel of Silverlake, was confirmed as baroness"

"Dagan's coronation was held in the Cleftlands on 12 October, 1974" as an intresting note that has nothing directly to do with the Cleftlands we are also told "It is worth noting that Armida did not resign from the Horde when Dagan did and, so, was the first Horde Queen." (page 9)

"The Pennsic War was held on 30 August near Cleveland, Ohio, and it was a disaster. Moonwulf summed it up in song; and despite some exaggerations, it remains a fair portrayal of the war:

   And you can't swing a broadsword when you're in tile forest,
   especially when you see the lightning spark.
   No, you can't swing a broadsword when you're in the forest,
   : unless you feel like glowing after dark

The difficulties were monumental and seemingly endless. Cleveland had been suffering from flooding for the month previous to the war. The gentleman who owned the farm upon which the war was to be held died shortly before tile war; and there were doubts about whether the war would be held, because the heirs did not want the farm to be the warsite. The road leading from the gate booth to the warsite was mud; the parking lot was mud: the tractors intended to haul gear and people to the warsite broke down frequently; and there was a redneck bar a quarter of a mile away, whose denizens seemed determined at times to come in and thrash the hippies and their "rock festival." Andrew spent tile bulk of the weekend on a tractor or wrestling cars out of the mud. Rolac had to berate fighters who complained when the kings took time to judge the arts pentathlon held at the war. The portajohns were unbalanced and threatened to fall over. Michael stayed in a hotel nearby and engendered hostility from those who camped in the muck; although others stayed at the motel, the people of the MidRealm resented Michael doing so, especially in comparison to Rolac's heroic actions at the warsite, and Appletree, a newsletter of Treegirtsea province, noted

Apple cores to a certain warrior known as (again, please forgive spelling) Prince Ipu, who, we heard, made no effort to survive along with the people he will lead soon, but spent each night in a local hotel."

The National Guard, when questioned about evacuation if the flooding continued, retorted: You got in there ,you get out. And during the forest battle, fighters stumbled onto a hornet's nest; and a goodly number of fighters were thusly inconvenienced; Armida, who was allergic to hornet stings, had to be rushed to a hospital. The MidRealm won the war, Caellyn won the arts pentathlon and Rolac organized a spirits-rousing bonfire; but this war still must go down as the most miserable of all the Pennsics, as Moonwulf noted in song:

   the battle finally ended our in the mud and damp
   we could beat the eastern tiger, but we couldn't find the camp.
   we finally found our way back and the final figures state
   Middle Kingdom -three. East - two, and Mother Nature forty-eight. 

Despite tile misery, there was an almost carnival atmosphere among the "survivors." Finnvarr noted, "Many people were soaked and miserable, but many stuck it out and enjoyed themselves, having the best of company in their hardships," and appletree noted the individual heroics in an article which commented: Apple blossoms to Duke Andrew of Seldom Rest, who must have. as well as Swami, Ozmandis the Superfluous, who wasn't. Eric Trueaxe, Louis of the Rocks, and Bjorn Rigmorsson, for their phenomenal job of trucking (literally!) cars, gear and people in and out of the site. " (pages 12 and 13)

(Swami was a Cleftlander of some (ill) repute. I think you can find references to him in the other histories.)

"Merowald was crowned on 15 October in the Cleftlands" (page 29)

"This spring (1977) three new Baronies - Three Rivers, Cleftlands, and Semptentria - were approved by the Imperium" (page31) note that the "Imperium" was a fancy way of saying the SCA inc.

"The coronation of Moonwulf and Zarina took place on 20 May (1978) in Rivenstar. At this event, Kenneqrae returned on a visit and was knighted: he was later to be knighted by the Eastern King as well. Kay of Triastrium, of the North Woods, was entered into the Order of the Laurel; and the Cleftlands were finallv created as a barony.

This latter caused some difficulty, as Cariadoc had early given Jamie Foxx the title of Margrave of the March,* and there was considerable apprehension that he would stand up in court and demand to be made Baron. Strictly speaking, he was the founder of the Cleftlands; but another man, Laurelen Darksbane, had done far more to ensure baronial status. Merowald, Laurelen and the Dragon Herald spoke with Jamie and assured him that he could retain the title of Margrave. Jamie, however, was a man of-albeit nontraditional honor and gave up the title of Margrave, allowing Laurelen to become Baron Cleftlands. Later, his wife, Ithriliel of Silverlake, was confirmed as Baroness.

• That is. the leader of the Cleftlands: it was an unofficial title which caused some displeasure of the imperium but which the imperium more or less chose to ignore. " (page32)

"The crown was held on 28 October, 1978 in North Woods; and it was here that the Cleftlands, long considered a backwater of the kingdom, came to a prominence it has not since relinquished. The finalists were Laurelen and Alen; and in testimony of their abilities, they were simultaneously knighted on the field of combat, with Andrew holding the sword for Laurelen and Dagan for Alen. Laurelen went on to defeat Alen and to become tanist." (page 35)

"On 5 May (1979), in the Cleftlands, Nathen gave up his throne to Laurelen." (page 37) section break

The following is copied from "The Complete Tales of the Midrealm Kings" by Fionnvarr de Taahe, Copyright 1994, published by Floump Enterprises (805 East Green Urbana, IL 61801) ISBN 1-55680-090-8.

"In February of that year, (A.S. 7) the Cleftlands sponsored a meeting of those folk interesting in the promoting the sciences within the Kingdom, particularly that of armoring; and there was revelry thereafter. This first event dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge would have many successors, ...."

Compiler's note: It seems that we gave the first A&S type event in the Kingdom. --Baron Calum