Background of Zygmunt Nadratowski

Deciding why you want to be a particular persona can stem from any reason under the sun. It can be as simple a reason as "I really like Italian Renaissance clothing" to something as complicated as "I want to try and duplicate the same experiences as a 12th century crusader knight." Or your reason could be that you have a favorite hobby which is duplicated in the SCA (e.g., sewing), and want your SCA persona to have that. Whatever kernal you begin with is just fine.

You can also use a particular point in time as a starting guide. Often, that will determine your dress and armor, and can help you define your persona further. A particular nation works well too, since many times they had their own distinctive national dress.

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How did I create my persona? Well, I knew I wanted to be from Poland (since my ancestors are Polish). Also, not many slavic personae are around, so I could be more unique. I really enjoy fencing, which meant that I was going to be sometime later during our period. My early period persona was built from the suit of chainmail I had built. But once I discovered the winged husaria, I was hooked. I focused on being someone that could have had all the best things that the Noble life of the Commonwealth could furnish, and yet remain anonymous. One of my early influences in the Society (Sir Stephen Edgermont) once recommended that you should pick your favorite painting or engraving, and work from there. So I picked this, from the painting "Patterns of History", in the collection of Goluchow Castle in Poland 

I filled in the rest from research, from the books "1000 Years of Polish History" by Adam Zamoyski, and "God's Playground", by Norman Davies. 
My current persona follows:

I am Pan Zygmunt Wojciech Nadratowski,, and I maintain a manor home in the Shire of Talonvale, Barony of Northwoods, Region of Pentamere, the Middle Kingdom.

However, I am not from Talonval. I am originally from Poland. Poland is situated between Germany and Russia, and has a coastline on the Baltic Sea. The Poland that you in the 21st century are familiar with is a nation about the size of New Mexico. In my time, the year 1579,  The Most Serene Republic of Poland-Lithuania also included a large chunk of Ukraine and Bielorus. I am a trusted Porucznik of Hetman Jan Zamoyski, in the service of our first elected king, Stephan Bathory. On his behalf, I serve as liason for him with the Crown of the Middle Kingdom in Their Barony of Northwoods.

I was born in 1542 in the small villiage of Nadratowo, near Mlawa and Czestochowa. I speak the local dialect of Polish that my family has spoken for generations. We are a member of the Szlachty, or nobility. My Ro'd ("Clan". We belong to the Nabram Clan), owed its allegiance to the King of Poland, at this time the Transylvanian Stefan Batory. He has 'cleaned up' Poland after a period where our country was cursed with an ineffective King. But one thing is important to underatand - much as you in America are loyal to the office of President, but not the person, so are we Szlachti loyal to our King, but owe no fealty to the person.

We are currently at war with the Muscovites, and it is rumored that they will attack us soon near Plock.

Like many others of my class, I went to University. I attended the Jagiellon University in Krakow for three years, and finished with three years at the Universities of Padua and Venice . Thanks to that I am literate in Latin, Greek, Italian and of course Polish. I know a small bit of Arabic, which helps me communicate with those I come in contact with from The Porte (the Ottoman Empire). Polish is just starting to be recorded as its own langauge, after centuries of being the local dialect, when Latin was the official written language.

During my time at University I became acquainted with the Arte of Defense, studying under masters who followed the syle of Marozzo and Saviolo. It was similar to my Szabla training (which I had done since a child).

Created: 27 OCT 07