My primary interests in SCA 'rapier' run towards as accurate of a recreation of historical swordsmanship as possible. Primarily I am devoted to the German tradition began by Johannes Leichtenauer that ran from the 13th through 16th centuries. But for those not interested in such, I also teach a quick-and-dirty fencing style based on some of diGrassi's work, and can teach the basics of a very sport-oriented fencing style as needed.

Born in the city of Trieste in the Year of Our Lord 1507, Domenego Paladin was a son of a family of silk merchants. Over the last century the power of Venice across the sea had grown such that the Triestino family lost much of its wealth and priviledge even before young Menego had taken his first breath of life. His father, Artusio, and his mother Celia, sent him to learn the ways of great men in the northern lands of their Holy Roman Empire. Called Dominic Italianer ("Domenego the Italian"), he studied with the Marxbruders at their school of martial arts, where he learned well enough the sword that he acted as a Proboss (Provost) in his first battalion.

Distinguishing himself well in battle, Domenego became an Leutnant before eventually retiring from the military to search for great fortune in the New Found Lands across the sea. Buying passage on the Lady Joane Glorie, Domenego decided there was no better way to raise the family's fortune than to participate in some new shipbound mercantile endeavours, as his father and father's father had done before him. Thus did Domenego become "leutnant" of a merchantile vessel, and eventually shipmaster of his own crew... though perhaps his crew was involved in acts his family would not have rejoiced in discovering.

While he was thus engaged, the rest of his family's fortunes rose after his family resettled in the lands of Calontir. His elder brother advanced to high social rank, and the family felt no need to move to the frigid northern lands with Domenego. Having put down roots in Tir Mara, and in no danger of starvation, Domenego decided to return once more to ground. He disbanded the crew of his ship the Hydra, and took up the quiet life teaching young men the chivalric arts while engaging in periodic forays against the villains of the Eastern Woods between the lands of Ile du Dragon Dormant and those of the Skraels. Many of his crew joined with him again at the foundation of die Sable-Dämmerung (the Sable Dawn), a group devoted to serving their Excellencies of l'Ile du Dragon Dormant.