Real Name: Tom Tennant
SCA Name & title: THL Fiachna mac Cennetig
Years in the SCA: 17
How did you find out about the SCA?
I knew about the SCA for years before I finally joined. My friends would all talk about it, mostly the parties, it sounded neat, but I was poor, and I could party at home for cheap. I was kidnapped one January and taken to a Twelfth Night event in Blackstone Mountain, but it still didn’t stick with me. Fast forward a couple years and my then wife took me over to a friend’s house and they were throwing axes in the backyard…one afternoon later I was hooked.
Where did you start, what was your first event?
Not counting the Twelfth Night event…my first real event was Blackstone Raids, the last year they were at Camp Virgil Tate. I don’t remember much about the event, except the weather was crazy, and I met my now Pelican at that event.
What is your persona?
Late 900s Anglo Saxon/Celt. Really hadn’t taken the time, until recently, to flesh out my persona…it’s still a work in progress.
Why did you pick this persona?
I knew I wanted to be Celtic to honor my family’s roots. Cennetig is very close to my mother’s maiden name of Kennedy. Fiachna is Gaelic for Raven, which at the time just sounded cool to me…nothing more than that…LOL.
Do you have any group or household affiliations? Whiskey Dogs
Tell us a little bit about your life outside the SCA.
Mundanely I’m the data center coordinator for West Virginia University. I’ve been married to my current, and hopefully last, wife for 9.7 years. And I have two wonderful kids from a previous marriage who are slowly getting into the SCA.
What SCA activities do you or have you participated in?
Currently I’ve been focused on Service and Fencing, occasionally I still participate in Thrown Weapons. In the past I’ve tried Heavy Fighting and archery.
Tell us a little bit about your SCA experience (jobs, offices, duties, etc.)
I’ve been the Shire of Misty Highland’s Chatelaine, Web minister, Chronicler, Thrown Weapons Marshal, Exchequer, and Seneschal. I was DART 2 at Pennsic a couple years ago and have just stepped up to be Region One Seneschal.
When you started in the SCA what goals did you have?
Honestly none…I just wanted to hang out, make friends, and have fun. Which I have achieved all of that and then more.
What are your goals now?
I like to see a more unified Kingdom, we have such a great mix of populace that sometimes we get stuck in our own little groups and don’t branch out more to see what else is out there, I’m just as guilty…there are still places and groups in Aethelmearc that I haven’t been to yet and I know I’m not the only one.
What was the most intimidating thing you encountered in the SCA?
Talking to Royalty and I had it easy when I first came in as it was their graces Malcom and Tessa’s first reign. Even after that, anytime I would approach Royalty to ask a question I would still get nervous. Not so much anymore, it helps that for the most part the past Kings and Queens of Aethelmearc are good, humble people that make this game of ours a more enjoyable experience.
If you could accomplish only one thing in the SCA in the next year, what would it be?
Personally? I’m not sure…it keeps changing from maybe becoming someone’s cadet to just go out there and keep doing what I’ve been doing and whatever happens…happens.
What advice would you give to a new person in the SCA?
Take your time and enjoy the experience. My first year I was “forbidden” to hold a Shire office…I was encouraged to just play and enjoy it. Some of the best advice I ever received.
If you magically woke up with an SCA talent you do not already have, what would it be?
Leather working…that’s something that has always stuck in my head when I think about A&S skills and talents, which I have none…lol.
If you had to join the SCA in another “era” (1970, 1980, etc.), what “era” would you pick and why?
I like where I’m at now…sure it would’ve been cool to see Count Jehann in his prime, or watch Cariadoc lose the war he declared on himself. But we’ve come so far as a society, more open, more welcoming…I’d be more interested to see where we are in the future.
Don’t be modest, what award or honor would you like to receive above all else and why?
Pelican would be the next step for me. I love service, I love helping others have fun. If my picking up the marshal stick or a trash bag will help someone else have fun then I’ll do it.
If you could pick one thing you would like to see more of in the SCA, what would it be?
Bards performing at feasts. My first event there were story tellers and singers going from table to table during feast and it was awesome…I hadn’t seen that again until the first region one 12th night event where we tired to bring that back. I thought that just added another nice little touch to feast.
Any parting thoughts?
I just want to thank everyone for a wonderful and fun 17 years. I can’t name names because I’ll forget someone, but the friends and memories I’ve made in the SCA will last a lifetime. I love you all, I love my shire and I love my Kingdom…In Service THL Fiachna mac Cennetig.
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