I. FIRST ENCOUNTERS (21 PICS)
During the first days of Santhmoot only a few members gathered at Talia's house near Landshut and some had to leave already pretty early again. Thursday until Sunday of the first weekend (23rd until 26th of June) we first had to pick everyone up and then we could plan our first adventures. While Silfer missed his flight from Oslo altogether, causing some more grey hairs at everyone organizing the meeting, Fluffy and Aran arrived safely at Talia coming from Germany. They were soon joined by the Santharian Webmaster Artimidor hailing from Austria. Our famous American poetry writer, former RPG Admin and expert for pretty much everything, Rayne, arrived with her dad on Friday evening as well, so that we had 5 Santharians so far, who had joined the party: Talia, Fluffy, Aran, Artimidor and Rayne. First real life acquaintances were made, met wine was drunk, songs were sung, development stuff discussed and at the weekend our little illustruous group invaded Landshut to check out the medieval events going on there...
 

II. LANDSHUT HO! (30 PICS)
Among the first things we Santharians did together was to stroll into the Altstadt (old town) of Landshut on Saturday the 25th of June and watch the so-called "Medieval Get-together". At weekends during the Landshuter Hochzeit individual performers and groups enlived the main street with music and dancing. Amidst the Gothic houses of the town's burghers gay merry-making took place, as in former days. Here and there comedians performed slap-stick shows. They befriended visitors, gave a foretaste of forthcoming events, answered questions and made the tourist - and the Santharians - feel at home. Collected here are pictures of our first trip to Landshut, which we concluded by visiting the Laudate Dominum, a spiritual concert at the St. Jodok church.
 

III. LAUDATE DOMINUM & DINNER (21 PICS)
At the first Saturday afternoon we didn't only visit the Altstadt of Landshut, but also our first event at the St. Jodok church, where the vocal ensemble "ad libitum" held a spiritual concert with choral movements and hymns by composers from the time of the "Landshuter Hochzeit". In the evening we had a great Santharian Dinner prepared by Talia, featuring Stratanian Injeruillin, Smoked Chrondra Pork in Filo Pastry, Green Salad with Alianian Radish, Strata Salad, Brown Loibla, Red Eyelian Fruit Jelly with Lovano Sauce or Taenish Cream, Himiko's Delight, Kitruish and finally Shan-Thai Kafe. Drinks were available ranging from Mithral Spring Water over Santharian juices to the famous Bavarian... er... Dwarven Ale of course - plus Spring Joy wine. - And I can assure you: It tasted delicious! Mhmmmm...
 

IV. THE BRIDAL PAGEANT, PART I (36 PICS)
Sunday quite a lot of things were planned and we were lucky that the weather was fine: First we visited Burg Trausnitz, then watched the re-enacted Bridal Pageant initiating the wedding between Hedwig, the Polish King's daughter, and Georg, the son of the Landshut Duke - and finally Knightly Games, Tilting and Jousting awaited. So let's look at the morning photos first and then continue on with the bride's magnificent arrival to the town first. At the Bridal Pageant more than 2.000 participants, dressed in the gorgeous raiment of the period brought the middle ages to life as you will see! The Emperor, the Elector, princes and counts, but also ambassadors, the town's elders, camp followers, mercenaries and beggar folk followed the bride. The Late Middle Ages reveal not only the elegance and pomp, but also the darker side of the period... - At any rate: Sit back and enjoy!
 

V. THE BRIDAL PAGEANT, PART II (36 PICS)
The Bridal Pageant lasts nearly two hours as the whole wedding procession turns around in the city, allowing us to watch it all again when it moves back into the direction of the place where the knightly tournament will be held shortly. A good opportunity to make some more photos of things we have missed the first time - and perhaps we can even get a decent shot of the Polish bride... More musicians, knights, horses, carriages await - and some gypsies as well, who decide to be part of the show as well! Finally, following the Bridal Pageant jugglers, men on stelts, pyramid-building gymnasts and many more entertainers will keep the crowd cheering until the next event starts.
 

VI. THE KNIGHTLY GAMES (36 PICS)
The long Sunday still isn't over yet for the Santharians. Rayne already has to leave for America the next day, so the Knightly Games, Tilting and Jousting is already the last event she will attend with us: The wedding procession now moves on to the tournament ground, the scene where the bride first set foot in the town and was welcomed by here future husband. Seated at the raised banquet-table the bride and groom with their royal guests are paid homage by flag-bearers, mercenaries and tilters, all showing their many skills. In an exiting tournament young nobles joust for the prize awarded to the winner by the bride. When Duke Christopher the Strong jousts against a Polish prince, a feature of the wedding emerges from the past which, to this day, many chroniclers have considered worthwhile recounting...