Investiture XIV

The Barony of the Citadel of the Southern Pass invites all to come together to celebrate His Excellency Bernardo dei Medici’s final court and the Investiture of Maese Carlos Nieto de Andrade and Mistress Joella of Blue Lion’s Keep as the 14th Barón and Baroness of the Citadel of the Southern Pass.

Date: March 4th 2023

Gates open at 9 am and the event ends at 10 pm

Location: Tobin Nations United Methodist Church 9410 Roanoke Dr, El Paso, TX 79924 https://goo.gl/maps/c6kaLfPiiNk7m4Du9

From I-10: Head to US54, take exit 24 toward Fred Wilson Rd/Railroad Dr. Head North on Railroad Dr for 3.7 miles, turn left on to Hondo Pass Dr. Turn right onto Roanoke Dr, destination will be on the right .6 miles.

From US-54 (via New Mexico): Head south on US-54, exit McCombs and head south. Turn right on Sanders Ave, turn left on Roanoke Dr, destination will be on the left .1 miles

Site Fee: $20 Adults, $15 Members, Youth 17 to 15 are $15, children 14 and under are free. Feast is included in the fee. Pay Pay at the gate, Cash, or Checks made out to SCA Inc Citadel of the Southern Pass.

Merchant space will be available, $20 fee.

Autocrat Morgana of Land’s End, stewards@southernpass.org

RSVP (including food preferences) located at https://forms.gle/HzfrYY5zMdWZzzwr9

There will be a table set up where you can give/trade old books, garb, feast gear, or any other items that clutter up your house you no longer need.

We will have a photographer on site (donation based) to take photographs of the populace in garb.


The church asks that we not park on the Wren side of the building.

  • There will be a donation lunch.
  • Feast details
    • Appetizer
      • Roasted Parsnip and Honey Soup- Roasted parsnip drizzled with honey served with bread. Vegetarian, Welsh. 
      • Albondigas en tomate- Beef and pork meatballs served in a tomato sauce. Spanish.
    • Entrée
      • Glamorgan Sausages- Shallow fried fritter with Cheddar and Havarti cheese. Vegetarian, Welsh.
      • Tortilla Española- Egg omelet with potatoes and onions served with aioli. Spanish.
    • Dessert
      • Pwdin Eva- Bed of baked apples topped with a vanilla sponge served with a vanilla custard. Welsh.
      • Tarta de Santiago- Almond based cake with a hint of lemon. Gluten Free, Spanish.
  • There will be a competition for Baronial Bard (rules below)
  • Site is dry.
  • Please no stakes in ground if you bring a shade.
  • We will be making a pin book with wooden covers as a A&S project. We only have supplies for 24 so please sign up at registration if you are interested.
  • Mistress Catriona will be teaching Court Dancing in the afternoon.
  • Members of the Citadel populace have graciously sponsored two martial tournaments.
    • Lord Seamus O’Glacain has sponsored the armored tournament with a Swiss five format (five rounds spear/polearm, sword & shield, Florentine, great sword, and then axe). Prize is the materials to make a new weapon or two.
    • Lord Frederick Fortescue has sponsored the rapier tournament (format to be determined). Prize is an assortment of feast gear.
    • We hope all can attend and those watching the combatants bring a small gift or favor to give to a combatant that inspires you or fights with honor.

Having seen the success at Coronation of the Craft Person’s Green, we would like to invite all artisans to set up space and teach/demonstrate their work or projects during the day at Citadel Investiture XIV (weather permitting outside).

What is a Craft Persons Green? Crafts Person Greens are interactive Arts & Sciences displays where the artisans are encouraged to teach at their display. All artisans at any level are encouraged to participate!

Please reach out to Her Grace Morgana stewards@southernpass.org if you have any questions.


Hail Citadel! The rules for the Baronial Bard competition to be held at Investiture will be as follows:

Original composition on the glory of the Citadel. May be spoken, sung, or sung and accompanied musically. If you could please keep your composition under 5 minutes, please.


Event Schedule

(Subject to change at Their Majesties’ and Excellency’s Whims)


April 2022

We had a wonderful demo at Bel Air High School’s Big Red Comic Con.

Thank you to Lord Torbjen and his wife Diana, and their sons Clark and Bruce, Lord Cao Sheng, Lady Ásdís Alfriðardottir, and Joaquin for coming out and making this our first demo in…years.. be awesome. We had a large TV screen that ran SCA videos to show the visitors the larger events such as Crown Tournament and Pennsic. We also had a punching bag along with boffer weapons that allows visitors to try out the form and feel the fun that fighting is in the SCA.

We are still looking for applicants for: Treasurer, Arts & Sciences, and Chatelaine. If you are interested, please contact me at seneschal@southernpass.org

Yours in Service,

Mistress Joella of Blue Lion’s Keep

December Arts and Science Project Night

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday. This Friday we have a real treat for our A&S class. The Honorable Lady Dragoslava will be teaching Intro to Calligraphy. The class will be from 6 to 8pm at All Saints Episcopal Church 3500 McRae Blvd, El Paso, TX 79925. Please bring something to write on such as a notebook.

 If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to me here on through my official email artsandsciences@southernpass.org. Hope to see you all there!

Yours in Service,

Lady Ásdís Alfriðardottir

November Officer meeting, Populace, and more

Hail Citadel! A few news and notes for this week:

-The November Officer and Business meeting has been moved to _this_ Thursday the 16th, since the 23rd is Thanksgiving. The Baronial Calendar links have been updated.

-The second bench making class and cookout will happen November 18th at HE Carlos’s house. He will be grilling something, please let him know if you are coming and what you can bring for food/drink.

-The November Populace day has been pushed back to December 3rd (at Memorial Park) since the Sunday after Thanksgiving will be busy for most people.

-Lastly we will be hosting a St Stephens Day celebration, an event where the Coronets host the populace for food and fun, December 30th. The location is a work in progress but we wanted to put the event on everyone’s calendar.

Tui humiles servi,

Carlos and Joella, Baron and Baroness of the Citadel of the Southern Pass

Baronial Letter for October 2023

Hail Citadel! The month of October was an amazing success for the Barony, Crown Tournament was a resounding success by all who attended. Team Citadel came together and showed that we are in fact Libra Por Libra (pound for pound) able to run large events and work as a team! All hail Dread Lord Fjolverker and Dread Lady Melissa!

We will not be able to thank everyone who helped, and there was a huge list of friends that came together to make the event today magical and joyful for everyone. HE Joella for pushing to make this event happen, Lord Thorbjorn for being an amazing event steward and project manager, m’lord Arcadio and Lady Alondra for the help managing the food, Lord Iokepa for the absolute works of art for site tokens, Lady Hrefna and Santiago (and his father Raul) working gate, HE Benardo for filling in gaps as needed, Dame Eleanor and her family being tons of hands to help, Lord Grimric and family helping all over the place, m’Lady Mayala with setup and food, m’Lord Trey being an absolute monster of a man helping with set up and tear down, Isabel and Joaquin with their huge help with set up and tear down, the amazing decoration work of Lady Helena and Lord Fredrick being a great attendant. HE Warmin of Belshire’s kind donation of time and efforts to provide breakfast tacos and sandwiches for lunch I am told hit the spot. He has been feeding and taking care of the Citadel for a very long time and we are blessed to have him with us.

Another thank you we want to spell out was all the help of the youth of our Barony. Not just the Children Grim, but Dame Eleanor’s son, Lord Thorbjorn and Lady Hrefna’s two sons, Lord Iokepa’s nephew, my children, and Lord Fredrick’s and m’Lady Tally’s children. I know I am missing others, and they are also awesome helpers. All of our youth have been helping at events and practices. Helping distribute water and food, helping setting up or tearing down, serving as retinue, or helping with younger kids. It is a great feeling to see those of any age, but especially young ones, step up and serve others in all the ways that they do.

We are truly blessed.

The following Baronial awards were given out at Crown Tournament:

The Order of Thermopylae; given for skill at arms and chivalry, to Lord Thorbjorn Trollsbani Dansson

Lux Australis of the Citadel; given for chivalry, arts or service in those 16 and under, to m’Lord Dane Grimson, m’Lady Rayden Grimdottir, and m’Lady Rhiley Grimdottir.

Tui humiles servi,

Carlos and Joella, Baron and Baroness of the Citadel of the Southern Pass.

Their Excellencies Carlos and Joella at Crown Tournament, photo by m’Lord Symont Merrick of Dorchester

October Populace update 10/17/23

With Siege of the City happening on our normal Populace day, we have deiced to move Populace gathering a week back to Sunday, October 29th.

Where: Memorial Park Stone Bridge
When: 9:00 AM

Sign up for food/snacks : https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1y3LkPPR14D8rAW71cqNde6ue_VS_W8ppNtcWnJRI5-4/edit#gid=0

Baronial Letter for September 2023

HAIL CITADEL!

This month was packed full of joy! We attended Cavern City Renaissance Faire late in the month, a very fun event! We made new friends and recruited people from El Paso, which was very exciting. A&S project nights have been moved to the 1st and 3rd Fridays of the month, Populace Day has been moved to Memorial Park and is still the 4th Sunday of the week, be mindful of your combat authorizations and membership expirations. Awards can only be given to people with current memberships, per Society and Kingdom laws. Speaking of Populace Day, Octobers was another huge success with a 8 person Armored Combat tournament and an embarrassment of food. Lady Rusa did an outstanding job organizing the event.

Crown Tournament and our Barony’s 40th anniversary approaches! The event page is located at https://citadel.outlands.org/crown2023/ and will be constantly be updated. We look forward to seeing all our old and new friends there! Siege of the City (https://www.nahrunkabirun.org/siege-of-the-city/) is the other Southern Outlands event for October, we hope as many people from the Barony can make it out. The City of Rocks park is an amazing place for camping and events.

Tui humiles servi,

Carlos and Joella, Baron and Baroness of the Citadel of the Southern Pass.

Arts and Sciences Project Day – October 6th

Friday, October 66:00 – 8:00pm

All Saints Episcopal Church

3500 McRae Blvd, El Paso, TX 79925

This Friday’s A&S day we are working on anything for Crown Tournament and Citadel’s 40th Anniversary. Garb, projects, etc.

Come out to socialize, come out to work. Heraldry consulting might happen if you have questions, HE Carlos or Sayyid Yahyah al-Faris will effort to be there.

September Business and Officer Meeting

All are welcome to attend!

Thursday, September 28 · 7:00 – 9:00pm

Time zone: America/Denver

Video call link: https://meet.google.com/gme-bfrd-mtm

Or dial: ‪(US) +1 302-503-0196‬ PIN: ‪521 737 528‬#

More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/gme-bfrd-mtm?pin=9375731703741

Crown Tournament workshop

Sep 23, 2023 9 AM
All Saints Episcopal Church
We are gathering to begin cooking and creating other art projects as we host Crown Tournament. If you have any of the following supplies, please bring them and join us: air fryer, iron (clothing), sewing machine, and box fans. We will be cooking and painting (not at the same time) so wear clothes that can get grubby.

A&S nights updates 9/13/2023

After speaking with members of the populace we will be moving A&S nights to the first and third Fridays of the month in order to give more people a chance to participate.

The next class will be held on September 22 (6-8 pm at All Saints Episcopal Church, 3500 McRae Blvd, El Paso, TX 79925) and will be a split class. THL Edmund will be giving a class on A&S documentation to prepare those that wish to compete in upcoming events and Lord Thorbjorn will be giving a class on weapon tips and safety for the upcoming crown tournament.

Yours In Service,

Lady Àsdis Alfriðardottir

Baronial Letter for August 2023

HAIL CITADEL!

This month was packed full of joy! We attended Clan Wars, and gave out many back scrolls. The weather was absolutely lovely and much fun was had. Our Barony celebrated the nuptials of Lady Kath and m’Lord Arcadio, who proposed to Lady Kath at our Investiture, and there was a mini demo at the wedding reception. A&S project nights have been very successful, we have had a growth of cut-and-thrust fighting in the Barony, and we look forward to cooler days so hopefully mid week practice can re-start.

The big news of August is that the Barony had the winning bid for Crown Tournament in October, which will co-inside with our Barony’s 40th anniversary! The event page is located at https://citadel.outlands.org/crown2023/ and will be constantly be updated. We look forward to seeing all our old and new friends there!

Tui humiles servi,

Carlos and Joella, Baron and Baroness of the Citadel of the Southern Pass.