(This is a series of posts from a class I taught at R.U.M.)

Presence for the Day

The royalty will need a place to set up “The Presence” during the day. If you are going to make an assumption, assume that they want to be near the heavy list field. This is not always the case, though. If the event is outdoors, are you providing shade? The royalty likely do not have space in Their vehicle to travel with something to provide shade. However, if this is something your group cannot provide, you must inform their chamberlain well ahead of the event so that accommodations can be made through acquaintances of TRMs to get shade to the event and set up. If you’re providing shade, are you also providing a rug? If the event is indoors, consider the placement of The Royal Presence when laying out the event. You might find yourself rearranging the site layout after TRMs arrive.

Dais

We in the Midrealm like to put our royalty up on a pedestal. Mostly, we refer to this as a dais. There’s something cool about having to climb up a couple of steps to enter the presence of the royalty. If at all possible, try to arrange for a dais. If the site has a stage and can accommodate the numbers for court, have court in the room where there is the stage. If the stage is removed from the main activities, then it doesn’t work to have their day presence set up on that same stage. Some sites have risers available, though some may charge extra for that and it may not be within your budget. Risers can be rented from rental companies if your budget allows for it. Be careful with rented risers. They are often pretty beat-up and may not be very stable. The same is true of the steps that often come with the risers. Some risers are extremely stable and work great at putting the royalty up higher than the rest of the event. It is recommended that you cover a dais with rugs. It helps to dampen the sound and to hide the modern look.