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In an effort
to expediently address the most common concerns, your
Autocrat Team have compiled the following list of Frequently Asked
Questions. This list is not intended to be exhaustive. At any time, should you
have a question or concern, please feel free to address any member of the
Autocrat Team, and we will do our best to assist
you. Please remember, it is our fondest wish that you enjoy Autumn War to its
fullest, and we are here to help you in any way that we can.
Please click
on the appropriate question below to be taken to the corresponding answer.
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FAQ Answers
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Do I have to pay
2 separate fees at gate?
No! In response to your feedback, there will only be a single fee at
this event. If you wish to pay by credit card, please be sure to
visit our Pre-Registration page, as we will not be able to accept
credit cards at the gate.
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May I bring my domesticated companion animal (dog, cat, ferret,
etc.)?
Absolutely you may! For the health and safety of the entire
populace, we do have a few companion animal rules.
• All pets, regardless of species,
temperament or nature must be kept leashed or crated and under your
positive control at all times. There will be NO exceptions within
the event area. However, please note, that Dragon's Sphere
Recreation Park does have a designated off-leash dog park, which is
fenced and available for your use.
• All pet owners must promptly and
completely clean up the visible waste of their pet. Again, there
will be NO exceptions.
• Please remember that there will be a
number of unfamiliar sights, sounds, and people at any SCA event,
and your pet will need to be capable of safely interacting with the
rest of the populace and their companion animals. If your pet does
not play well with others, please consider leaving it at home.
• Please do not leave your pet
unattended all day long. August can be extremely warm, and it is
important to check regularly to ensure your pet's environment is not
dangerously hot. Additionally, if your pet has a potentially noisy
cry or bark, please consider that while you are gone, your
"neighbors" may be required to listen to your pet express it's
loneliness, displeasure, or other similarly loud opinion.
Please remember that we are an honor-bound society. We expect all
participants to take responsibility for their animals while
attending Autumn War. In the event that you unknowingly violate one
of the rules, an Autocrat Team member will issue you a warning. In
the event this rule is again violated, you will be ejected from the
site, immediately, and without a refund. We hope you can understand.
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What if I have a service
animal?
Service animals are, of course, as welcome as pets. Please note that
ALL of the same rules apply. Of course, service animals have a very
specific role to play for the people they assist, and we honor their
service. None of our site rules impact the intended role of a
service animal.
Please note, if you do need a service animal, please check in with
our Chirurgeon, Krystene of Blatha an Oir, as a courtesy, so that we
may better assist you.
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What if
I have a problem related to the event site?
DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES APPROACH THE SITE OWNER!!! We
cannot stress this enough. Please, please, feel free to approach any
member of the Autocrat Team with any concerns you may have. We are
more than delighted to assist you with any need. The site owner is
only one man and this is an enormous event; he cannot, no matter how
well-meaning he may be, address the needs of that many people. The
Autocrat is the only person who can approach the site owner, if such
an action is deemed necessary.
Please do NOT attempt to remove ropes, relocate biffies, or
otherwise alter the site. Please contact a member of the Autocrat
Team and we will be happy to address your specific need or concern.
Event attendees caught altering the site will be ejected from the
event immediately and without a refund.
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What
if there is a problem with one or more biffies?
Biffies can present several extremely unpleasant and emergent
issues. Any member of the Autocrat Team will be more than happy to
assist you with your concern as quickly as we are able. Please do
NOT approach the site owner with problems related to the biffies, as
he will not be able to assist you, regardless of how much he may
want to. Only members of the Autocrat Team will have the ability to
assist with biffie issues.
Please do not attempt to relocate or otherwise alter the biffies.
Event attendees caught moving or otherwise altering the biffies will
be ejected from the event immediately and without a refund.
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How can I tell
who's on the Autocrat Team?
All members of the Autocrat Team on duty will be wearing a
distinctive arm band or baldric. We will post a picture of this
baldric here and on the Autocrat Team page as soon as the prototype
has been completed.
If Gate is open, you may also wish to go there for assistance in
locating a member of the Autocrat Team.
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Where can I go if I need to purchase additional supplies?
For more information on Dragon's Sphere Recreation Park and the
surrounding areas, please visit their
Website. |
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Where is the nearest Urgent Care/Emergency Medical Facility?
For more information on Dragon's Sphere Recreation Park and the
surrounding areas, please visit their
Website. |
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What
are the Site Rules?
We're so glad you asked!
• Pets are welcome: rigorous waste
patrol required! Pets and service animals must be tethered or
leashed at all times and all animal waste or damage is the sole
responsibility of the owner. Owners of animals that present a public
danger as determined by the Autocrat will be asked to
remove their pets from the site.
• Participants shall not violate any
state, federal or local laws, nor commit any nuisance or damage upon
the premises.
• You must remove your own garbage and
use the dumpsters provided. If you leave your garbage in your
neighbor's camp, it will be assumed to be lost property and will be
returned to you.
• Please be mindful of the warfield and
archery range. Stay out of harm's way and obey the marshals: they are there for your safety.
• Horses and equestrian activities will
be on site. Please take care not to startle horses and to stay a
safe distance away. Do not approach horses without rider/owner
permission.
• Camp fires are allowed in designated
fire pits or above ground braziers only. YOU MUST HAVE water buckets
and/or fire extinguishers available within 8 feet at all times when
a fire is lit. Do not leave fires unattended at any time.
• There is no quiet hour and no time
limit on outdoor activities EXCEPT in the posted quiet camping
areas. Quiet time in the quiet camping areas will be designated by
the Autocrat.
• No swimming in the river! It is deceptively
cold, swift, and contains dangerous snags.
• No RV Parking outside of the designated RV
parking area, excepting those RVs that have made a substantial and
authentic attempt at a period appearance, are fully self-contained
100% of the time, and do not run their generators at any time, as
determined by the Autocrat. Such RVs may park within non-period
camping.
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What is the
cut-off for Pre-Registration?
July 25, 2008 is the last day we will be able to accept
Pre-Registration by credit card using the ACCEPS system. Any mail-in
Pre-Registrations must be postmarked no later than July 25, 2008.
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Can I pay the
event fee with a credit card?
Absolutely! We have a Pre-Registration option that will allow you to
pay with your credit card. Please note that we cannot accept credit
cards at the gate this year, as the site owner is no longer able to
accept them. Please also note that the ACCEPS system does not accept
Canadian credit cards.
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What hours will gate be open?
Gate will be open
and staffed to assist you from Thursday at noon until Saturday at
5PM. If you arrive in the wee hours of the night, and nobody is at
gate, there will be a radio hanging on the gate that you can use to
call the gate attendant on duty. After 5PM Saturday, the radio will
be available for your use. On Sunday, Gate will only be open from
8:00 a.m. until Noon, and the radio will be available thereafter. |
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Is the site ADA Accessible?
Dragon's Sphere
Recreation Park is a beautiful facility and very well-suited to the
needs of such a large event. The tavern is ADA compliant, and the
biffies the site provides do include handicapped biffies. However,
it is important to note that this is, above all, essentially a VERY
LARGE campsite. The ground is not perfectly level, many of the
activities are very spread out, and RV parking is not far from
general parking. Please remember that the site owner
has provided a complete site and removing ropes, relocating biffies
or altering the site in any other way is STRICTLY prohibited. If you
have any concerns or special needs, please feel free to contact the
Chirugeon.
 Update
7/15/08! Public Notice Regarding RV Parking at Autumn War
Good Gentles of An Tir,
I want to address some of the misrepresentations and misinformation
being circulated about the changes to RV Parking at Dragon's Sphere
Recreation Facility before the rumors get out of hand.
Due to recent events including, legal threats by certain individuals
and numerous complaints about the lack of period atmosphere due to
visible RV's, the site owner for Dragon's Sphere has had to make a
very difficult decision. Henceforth, at all Dragon's Sphere events,
regardless of the sponsoring organization, time of year, or wishes
of the Autocrat Team, there will be a specific, designated area for
RV parking from which there will be no deviation. All RVs will be
required to park in this specific location, which is near the
off-lead dog play area. A bridge is being built to facilitate access
to this area. We should note at this time that we have researched
the matter, and the new RV parking area at Dragon's Sphere is more
convenient to event activities than the RV parking at both Pennsic
and Estrella.
There will be one exception to this rule. An RV which has made a
substantial and authentic attempt at a period appearance may park in
the non-period camping area providing that the RV is fully
self-contained 100% of the time it is at the event, and does not run
it's generator at any time during the event. The Autocrat will
determine what amounts to a "substantial and authentic" attempt at
appearing period, and therefore which RV's meet that requirement.
Any unauthorized RV or 5th wheel caught parking outside of the RV
parking area will be required to move, regardless of how many tents
have been placed around it or how difficult that may be.
Period-looking RV's caught running generators will also be required
to move immediately, regardless of
the inconvenience or hour.
It is heartening to note that during the last few weeks, we have
received e-mails from many different people containing some
excellent suggestions regarding how events at Dragon's Sphere might
be made more accessible for physically challenged attendees at SCA
events. Innovating ways to maintain a period atmosphere within
modern constraints is always highly encouraged. When such innovation
is extended to making events safer and more comfortable for members
of the populace with special needs, it is to be commended. For that
reason, we are soliciting a volunteer to become the first "Handicap-Crat"
and we would hope to receive such a volunteer in time for Autumn
War. The Handicap-Crat would have the responsibility of organizing
as many ways they can conceive to make events more convenient for
physically-challenged members of the populace, without altering the
site, or breaking the site-owner's rules. Truly, suggestions such as
horse-drawn carts would be an excellent addition to any event on a
site as large as Dragon's Sphere and anyone offering to organize
such accommodations would receive the full support of their
Excellencies of Blatha-An-Oir and the site owner.
Questions and concerns regarding specific medical conditions and
whether or not they can be managed at an event should be directed to
the chirurgeon in charge. Anyone wishing to volunteer for the
position of Chivalry-Crat should contact the event Autocrat. Anyone
with questions pertaining to the SCA's official position regarding
accessibility should contact their Seneschal.
YIS,
Baron Aleksii and Baroness Elspeth
Baron and Baroness of Blatha an Oir
Emeil Kandi
Dragon's Sphere Recreation Park
Elizabeth FittzWilliam
Seneschal, Blatha an Oir
THL Dafydd Caerfyrddin
Deputy Seneschal Blatha an Oir
Autocrat Autumn War |
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