Unto the Populace of the Cleftlands, greetings.
We would like to submit our names for consideration as Baron and Baroness of the Cleftlands, and thus hereafter present our qualifications. First, may we acquaint you with our history, and with the signs of service and esteem bestowed upon us.
I am the honorable Lord Pietro Niccolo da San Tebaldo. I discovered the Society while I was still in high school and joined the Cleftlands in A.S. 19. I was baronial Pursuivant and a Herald-at-Large, I have served as Cleftlands Seneschal, and I have been the baronial Arts & Sciences Champion, twice baronial Rapier Champion, and seven times an Event Steward. I practice and have taught a broad range of arts, I have fought in the Cleftlands’ armored combat unit, and I fight upon the rapier lists and fields as a member of that Baronial unit.
I am a companion of the kingdom orders of the Evergreen, the Willow and the Cavendish Knot, and am a principal of the baronial order of the Azure Chalice. I hold the kingdom awards of the Purple Fret and the King’s Chalice, and have received a Royal Augmentation of Arms.
These offices and these tokens are the fruit of thirty years in service to, and fellowship within, the barony of the Cleftlands. I’ve been a participant here since 1984. Save for a short time at the College of Coeur d’Or as was (Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh) I am, and have always been, a Cleftlander.
I now hand the pen to my lady wife so that she may introduce herself.
I am Mistress Aurelia Rosetti, Companion of the Orders of the Laurel, of the Evergreen, and of the Willow, Recipient of the Award of the Purple Fret, and holder of a Royal Augmentation of Arms. I first arrived in Cleftlands in 1998, A.S. 33, and after a hiatus out of Kingdom, returned to Cleftlands in 2014. Throughout that time, I have always considered Cleftlands my home.
My focus has been the Arts and Sciences community, as I am an oil painter in the Renaissance tradition. I have served the Cleftlands and the Midrealm as A&S War Point Champion, Scribe, and Baronial A&S Champion. My profound desire during this time has been to champion the arts and sciences within the Society, encouraging and modeling the study and excellence of research and experimentation within these areas.
As we both approach the consideration of this position, we would like to present you with our sincere hope for the Barony as it moves forward in these challenging times:
To us, the Society is our community. It is one vision and also many, shared by friends throughout the Known World. Each individual chooses their best vision of the Society, and moves forward toward their goals. The cook in the kitchen is fulfilling their vision just as rightly as the knight on the field, or the bard on the stage.
These years of plague have proved difficult, as you know well, and for those of us who remember a time before the plague. We long to return to those days, but know the road back will be long and hard, and we must be cautious as we venture back in person, to keep those we love safe.
However, an exuberance awaits for that day when we can return and once again see smiling faces without restrictions. We look forward to and plan for that day as well. In fencing, action takes place “within measure”, but the time “out of measure” is a time for consideration and planning. So this time out of measure, as we limit our in-person activities and explore new ways to employ the Paths Ethereal, is a time to reconsider the strengths and weaknesses of the Society. We must decide what we wish to encourage and create for a brighter Society when we return. We all have had plenty of time out of measure, and we are certain that those citizens of the Barony long for the return to the community as well.
We thank you for your consideration and for hearing our words.
We remain Your most humble and obedient servants,
Mistress Aurelia Rosetti and The Honorable Lord Pietro da San Tebaldo