Herzogtum Veldenz and Pirmas / Wedding of Cathair and Tamina

This past weekend, Junker Cathair Ap Kriegstein Votgt zu Kleinsteinhausen und Bottenbach wed Tamina Edeltraut von Bruchmühlbach Wolfstein in a fine manor on the Pirmas countryside surrounded by friends and noble guests.  The groom, Junker Cathair Ap Kriegstein, personally invited Ambassador Dagger and his retinue at Münzfest to his upcoming wedding.  After the recent campaign in Kahl'hatra Mythodea, Ambassador Dagger, Representative Djako and Don Anthem De'vigil Delos HORD traveled to the Western Seal of Mythodea with the Baroness Elflama and from there out of Mythodea and onto Pirmas.  Their arrival was fashionably late but nothing of import was missed.  Unfortunately, Djako took ill on the journey and was left at an inn to recover so as not to infect the wedding party. 

Diplomacy

The guests in attendance were varied from local lords of high and low standing, dignitaries from the Mittelander, Moringaard, Mythodea, the Realms and more.  Ambassador Dagger of Blackwood met with various people of high standing and explained his purpose, title, and presence to those who wished to know or those who the Ambassador thought best to know.  After the reading of the wedding contract, the Ambassador signed and sealed it with the Blackwood seal as witness. 

After the conclusion of the wedding ceremony, Ambassador Dagger of Blackwood and Don Anthem DeVigil, Delos HORD approached the newly married couple.  Dagger presented Don Anthem who in turn presented his gift of hand-crafted mug and glass holders.  The Ambassador then presented his gift, a special coin, to Cathair and to the lady a token of Blackwood explaining, "This is to remind you that even in lands as far always as the Realms and the Kingdom of Blackwood, you have allies that will defend your hearth and home."

Shortly after the gifting, Ambassador Dagger spoke with Jungker Cathair offering him the trade services of the East Blackwood Company should he ever take the Eastern Seal up on their offer of a fiefdom.  Immediately following, Ambassador Dagger applied the East Blackwood Company seal to the marriage contract as a reminder of that support.

The Wedding

The gracious host Cathair presented made ready comfortable lodgings for all guests in attendance.  The large building was three stories in hight complete with its own ballroom, tavern, feast hall and great hall.  The tavern’s name changed regularly depending on current events culminating with the Brenende Wirt so named after the tavern keeper who caught on fire during a fire show.  Though burned, he returned to his duties shortly after and is expected to make a full recovery. 

During there was a troll issue involving a troll’s eggs.  The troll was eventually killed by various members of the wedding party.  There were games and gambling provided by the East Blackwood Embassy and by the tavern itself.  The kitchens were constantly working on feeding those present and that team can only be recommended. The food was exquisite. Also, a pleasant delight were the bards who played sang for the wedding. Both were highly skilled at their craft delivering a variety of fine music with stringed instruments and qualitative vocals.

There was an altercation starting early the day of the wedding where soldiers of Kröppen captured the bride’s lady in waiting and attempted to bargain her for a fifteen gold ransom.  Cathair attempted to discuss terms and sent for the coin to be collected while a troop from among the guests ranged out to find the captured lady. It appeared apparent that the soldiers were doing their best to disrupt the wedding and it is the belief of The Ambassador Staff that Köppen held no intention of letting the lady live even if the ransom had been paid.  The matter was handled with quick brutality leaving many dead and wounded.  The lady lived and, after an arduous healing process, so did her saviors. 

The wedding itself started some hours after the ransom incident with the bride’s arrival and subsequent separation from the groom.  All „ladies", those not wielding weapons, were asked to leave the great hall with the bride while the marriage contract was read to the „men", those with weapons, who were present.  The contract detailed the terms of the marriage, the penalty for adultery, expectations of the wife and husband and the dowery. When the contract reading was complete, the nobles and dignitaries in attendance were invited to sign it after the ceremony was complete. 

Following the contract reading, the bride and her ladies were called into the room.  Both the bride and groom were asked what it was they were there to do and what they wanted.  Both answered that they wished to be wed to one another.  Cathair was called forth by a Priest of the Six Elements who declared that Cathair was not yet a man.  The priest ordered him forward to be made a man.  The priest then slapped Cathair across the face and blessed him with a branch and water sending him back to stand by his bride to be. 

Tamina was also called forth but this time by a Priestess of the Six Elements and a similar ritual was performed only this time the slap was delivered to the hand.  The ceremony continued with a symbolic ritual of defense and more words spoken by a priest and priestess.  When that part of the marriage ceremony was completed, the wedding party was invited up to the ballroom for the second half.

During the small break that followed, various guests of the wedding signed and sealed the wedding contract. 

The ballroom was blessed and with it the bridal pair by the priest and priestess. Those in attendance were asked if they opposed the until and in answer Cathair half drew his sword from its scabbard, ready to defend his right to wed Tamina.  The gods were likewise asked but Cathair, smartly so, did not dare challenge their will. The priest and priestess concluded the ceremony and bound Cathair and Tamina in blessed matrimony. 

After gifts were presented by the wedding party including by the East Blackwood Embassy on behalf of the Embassy and the Kingdom of Blackwood.  Later that night the wedding dance was performed as well as subsequent dances.  The last attraction and final send off for the new married couple was an amusing fire show which rightly changed the name of the tavern one last time.