User:LdyDuvessa

My name is Lady Duvessa of Movilla. I recently moved from the Middle Kingdom, Barony of Brendoken Shire of Three Towers. (aka Mansfield, Ohio). I am new to An Tir. My husband is Lord Ulf the Wanderer. We have two children and two dogs. I started in the SCA approximately 15 years ago as a merchant and have been a merchant ever since. For the interesting part-My persona is a mid 1500's Irish Merchant. The story is that my grandfather was a merchant in Ireland in the Dublin area. He owned merchanting ships that sailed all over nothern Europe and as far as the Mediteranian. My mother fell in love with one of the sailors. Before they could be married my grandparents found out and sent him off never to be heard from again. The crew and the ship were never seen again. (or at least that's what grandfather said I think he sold the whole thing to a competitor). Anyhow, when my mother was due she was sent to the Abbey in Movilla to have me. She died in childbirth and I was given the name of Duvessa of Movilla. My grandmother taking pitty on me came and got me from the abbey. She took me home and convinced my grandfather to take me in since I was the only child of the oldest daughter. When I came of age my uncle did not want the business. He left and moved to Germany. That left my two aunts. One married a man who was sent to prison which brought shame to the family, the other became the person who took care of my grandparents in their old age. I was the only one left to take care of the family business. I married the son of a Danish military officer. When my grandfather died he gave the family business to us. So we are merchants and we sell our wears wherever we go and carry things from all around the world. In the development of my SCA story I have become a very accomplished seamstress, a period cook, a herald, researched various A&S projects, was a fighter for a very brief period and librarian. I love period cooking and with an emphasis in the North West for REAL food (organic, non processed non preserved) it is much easier to make period food in Oregon than in Ohio. I have been the feast steward for two different events. Cooking is one of the primary things that people get laurels for in the middle kingdom so I had many people around me that REALLY knew what they were doing and loved to show me. Sewing is a way for me to relax and I like to make things either without a pattern or modify one to the way I want it. Heraldry has become a passion of mine. I love the research, I love drawing and designing and finding if the name is right is fun. Illumination is a new thing that I found that I absolutely adore. I'm working on a book of the SCA restricted and prohibited herbs with medieval use references complete with pictures, illuminated letters and calligraphy. It's a very large project that is going to take years to complete but I enjoy every brush stroke.