Gaius Octavius Lunaris

Name/Blazonry

Per bend sinister wavy purpure and argent, a bend sinister wavy counterchanged between a tyger rampant contourny argent and a rose purpure barbed, slipped and seeded proper, a bordure counterchanged

Gaius Octavius Lunaris, known to his friends by Octavian for short. I have gone by Octavian Silvermoon since February of 1999, so you might know me under that name.

You can see to the right a visual image of my device. The badge is opposing fields of purple with a silver border and silver with a purple border while the device is the badge with a silver heraldic tyger on the purple field and a purple heraldic rose on the silver field.

Persona History

An Tir / West War 2008

Octavian was born during the early 1500's in what was once known as the town of Luna (Luni), which is in the Etruscan part of Italy. Luna was an ancient city of Etruria, Italy, and is located at the present-day city of Luni Mare, approximately 4 miles southeast of modern Sarzana. The town as it was known under the name of Luna was destroyed by Sardinian ships in the year 1015, and due to the spreading of Malaria, most of the population had moved to Sarzana by 1058. Only in 1204, with the transfer of the bishop's see to Sarzana, does the city become just a name, and it's called in writings "the cursed", cited by Dante amid the dead city and again mentioned by Petrarca as "once famous and powerful and now only a naked and useless name". 1

Being a coastal town, it had suffered the ravages of pirates documented as early as the mid- 800's. In one of these raids, Octavian was taken captive aboard a Portugese Nau called the 'Moca Sozinhia.' For his capability at scribal duties, massage and chainmaille, he was forced to remain on the crew as the Masseur and later the Scribe. While on the Moca Sozinhia, he learned how to defend himself with a Rapier and now enjoys the art of fencing. On one of the coastal visits that the Moca Sozinhia often had, he picked up a charming lass by the name of Amatite, and figured it was a sign that he found another Italian so far from her shores and whose last name seemed to be of his family's home just translated into another tongue. She joined the crew with him and they were married some years later. It was not to last in permanence however, and they parted and went their separate ways years later.

From the original crew of the Moca Sozinhia, rose forth from foam of the sea like Aphrodite a new ship called the Mer Serene. Now two ships, it became known as the Castillian Fleet(sic). through the years many ships have come and gone in the fleet such as Dragon's Blood, Sapphire Dragon, and Drakkar. The courtesans of the Mer Serene still sail the seas under the Castillian Fleet's red and black banner, but the Moca Sozinhia have since sold and burned their ship to buy lands inland and maintain a tavern as the Castillian Trading Co.

In the most recent years, Octavian has grown a bit restless with the sea life, and he has drifted inland, fighting within the Barony of Dragon's Mist as a fencer. The skills which he first learned aboard ship have been honed and has become defender of the (then-Shire) of Dragon's Mist in AS 45, and of the neighboring Shire of Mountain's Edge in AS 44 and 46. In this manner shall he be able to continue his marshal skills while still having time for the many crafts he enjoys.

SCA History

I was introduced to the SCA in the Winter of 1999 in the Shire of Coeur du Val. I was attending a Catholic youth conference on Valentine's Day Weekend where I found other people who shared my sense of humor and love for british comedy (Monty Python in particular). They told me I might like the SCA, and so I attended my first event soon after, which was Couer de Villian.

I lived in the Barony of Terra Pomaria[1] by boundary since then for the next 10 years or so, but never too much involved in the local scene. I spent 4 years in Monmouth for college at WOU, and another 3 still living in the area before moving back into Salem in 2006, and there is not much of an SCA scene within Monmouth/Independence and I didn't get out much. Starting in 2006 I became more involved in Terra Pomaria. I moved back home to Dragon's Mist in 2010 and continued being active with Dragon's Mist and Mountain's Edge. An Tir has always been my home and remains close to my heart, as will playing Norse Stickball

Awards

I can be found on the An Tir Roll of Arms

• Award of Arms (An Tir), By: Thorin Njalsson, Dagmaer in Hvassa Sep 24, 2011 (AS XLVI)
• Pinecone (Three Mountains), By: Alfric Rolfson, Jill Blackhorse Sep 22, 2012 (AS XLVII)

Championships

• Rapier Defender (Mountain Edge), Mar 28, 2009 (AS XLIII) through Mar 20, 2010 (AS XLIV)
• Rapier Defender (Dragon's Mist), Aug 21, 2010 (AS XLV)
• Rapier Champion (Mountain Edge), Apr 2, 2011 (AS XLV)

Interests

Historical Italian fencing styles for the early 1500's, fermentation of fruit wines, Norse Stickball, chainmaille,

Fencing

Mt. Edge Defender Tourney 2010, Octavius facing Benjamin Bishop

Fencing is my true passion in the SCA. I truly enjoy the art of the sword and practice Japanese Kendo as well as European Fencing. I first started fencing about 2000-2003, from Terra Pomaria's fencing practice and have continued through each of the places I live, the most recent being back home to Dragon's Mist. I am studying Camillo Agrippa who was fencing master during the 16th century in Rome, simplified Achille Marozzo's eleven guards down to four: prima, seconda, terza and quarta, which roughly correspond to the hand positions used today in the Italian school. He is also regarded as the man who most contributed to the development of the rapier as a primarily thrusting weapon.

Woodwork

If only I still had the house I rented in Monmouth with my garage work space to be able to do more, and the garage full of carpentry tools that my father has.

Scribal

I started learning calligraphy around the time that I became involved in the SCA, but have never been very good at it. I have also developed an interest in Japaense sumi-e and have started to learn proper technique of the brush.

Events Attended

Keep in mind, the A.S. year is determined by the 'new year' being May 1st, 1966. Mid Realm has a nice conversion chart if you need to check the date of an event, or today's date :) - http://www.midrealm.org/asconvert.html

Between my first event and AS44, I frequented the following events every year with rare exception: Dragon's Mist Defender's Tourney, July Coronation, William Tell, and Acorn War. Though unsanctioned, it is worth noting that I started to be a part of the Moca Sozinhia as of about 2001/2002 and started to go to, and help run, The Gathering as a part of the household that was running it, likewise did I start to go to Courtesan Carnival which was first known as "The Other 12th Night" until it got its' own name.

I have a few notable excepts that stand out over time, and I will keep them here, otherwise I have about 10 years of eventing history that is a repeat of those events.

AS33 (1998/1999)

• Couer de Villian

AS35 (2000/2001)

• Spring Coronet

AS36 (2001/2002)

• Gathering 2

AS37 (2002/2003)

• Gathering 3

AS39 (2004/2005)

• July Coronation
• Rapier Demo at Salem World Fair
• Gathering 5
• Courtesan Carnival

AS40 (2005/2006)

• Gathering 6
• Sea Dog 5
• Courtesan Carnival

AS42 (2007/2008)

• Autumn War

AS43 (2008/2009)

• Faire in the Grove Demo
• An Tir / West War

AS44 (2009/2010)

• Mountain's Edge Defender's Tourney - I won :)
• Faire in the Grove Demo
• Stoller Middle School Demo - All of the fighting were fencers.
• The Gathering - last one!
• Dragon's Mist Defender Tourney
• July Coronation
• Sea Dog Nights - day-tripping for fire dancing
• Long & Short of It
• Sport of Kings
• September Crown
• Acorn War
• St. Crispin's Feast

AS45 (2010/2011)

• Mountain's Edge Defender's Tourney
• Faire in the Grove Demo
• Dragon's Mist Defender's Tourney
• Grand Thing
• Blackethorne Revel
• Acorn War

AS46 (2011/2012)

• Mountain's Edge Defender's Tourney (I won :) )

Retinue as Queen's Guard for Ieuan and Gwyneth)

• Twelfnight

AS47 (2012/2013)

• Mountain's Edge Defender's Tourney
• Carnivale
• Egil Skalllagrimson Memorial Tournament
• Boar's Head Hunt (received AoA from Thorin & Daegmear)
• July Coronation
• Acorn War
• Feast of St. Crispin's
• Dragon's Mist Yule Feast
• Twelfthnight

AS48 (2013/2014)

• July Coronation
• Acorn War

References

1. Liguria travel