Here Did Meet - December 7th, AS49 - St Catherine's Faire - Ildhafn - Baronial Rapier Tourney

On the Seventh of December, Anno Societatis Forty Nine, on the list field of St Catherine's Faire in the Barony of Ildhafn did meet:

Queen Liadan ingen Fheradaig
Sir Inigo de Messaglia
Don William de Cameron
Don Emrys Twdr
Baron Oswyn Carolus
Baroness Cicilia Lyon
Lord Ludwig von Regensburg
Lady Anna de Wilde
Lady Katherine of Glastonbury
Lady Eleanor Hall
Lord James of Southron Gaard
Lisbet of Ildhafn

The outgoing Baronial Rapier Champion, Don Emrys Twdr was the Marshal in charge, and he had devised a handicap format.  Those who had previously won a tournament, and those who had a rank in the guild of defense, had restricted weapons forms compared to less proven combatants - scroll down for futher details.  The tourney format was a Round Robin, single bout, double kills refought.

It should be noted that Sir Inigo de Messaglia was at the time, the Kingdom's newest Rapier fighter, having just achieved his first Rapier authorisation minutes before the tournament.  There was one withdrawl from the tournament, Lady Eleanor Hall had to withdraw to attend to stewarding duties after the 6th round.

After the 11th round, there was a brief consultation with their Excellencies Ildhafn, and His Majesty King Niall, as there was a 3 way tie for first place in the tournament, and Ildhafn needed a new rapier champion.  It was his majesties pleasure that a 3 may melee should be taken between the contenders.  Baroness Cicilia, Baron Oswyn, and Her Majesty Queen Liadan. 

As they took the field, the Queen asked her Baron Oswyn for a truce while they defeated Cicilia, the only Ildhafn fighter left on the field.  The King advised Oswyn not to trust the Queen's words, and it the tension between the spectators was palpable.  Would the truce hold?  Would there be a betrayal?  Would Ildhafn be left with a foreign champion?

The melee met quickly, and Cicilia fell before the combined onslaught.  And the biggest surprise for spectators was no betrayal between Queen and Baron.  They spared off, and afterwards, the Queen stood victorious.

At the conferment of the Baronial Champion's cloak, Her Majesty took the cloak with grace, and passed it to Baroness Cicilia to take the active duties of Champion, since her home barony is so far from our shores.

Tourney Herald:
The Blue Lymphad Herald - Lady Vettoria di Giovanni da Verona

Lists by:
Lord Maximilian von Monsterberg

Handicap System and tournament format

At St Catherine's Fair this weekend as tradition demands there will be a tournament to select the Ildhafn Baronial Rapier Champion.

All bouts shall use standard rapier rules, with tip cuts allowed but no grasping of blades. Sidesword and blade grasping rules are allowed only if both fencers wish it.

This year will see a round robin, single kill tournament with an additional handicap as follows.

The handicap system:

Fencers will each be ranked as follows:

• 1st rank: Provosts, Guildmasters and Whitescarves
• 2nd rank: Journeymen, Free Scholars and winners of other tournaments
• 3rd rank: Everyone else

Weapons combinations are similarly rated:

• 1st rate: Two offensive weapons: Sword and Dagger or Case
• 2nd rate: Sword and defensive offhand (cape, buckler, etc)
• 3rd rate: Single sword

If the two fencers are equally rated they can fight with any combination that they wish.If the fencers are not equally rated then the junior fencer can choose their weapons and the senior fencer must choose a weapon combination of a suitably lower rank to a minimum of single sword.i.e. If a 3rd Rank fencer meets a Guild Master then that fencer can choose Sword and dagger and the Guildmaster being two ranks above must take single sword (two step below the sword and dagger combination)A second rank fencer chooses sword and dagger against a Guildmaster. The Guildmaster can choose sword and defensive off hand (one step difference). If the second rank fencer chooses sword and cloak (2nd rate) then the Guildmaster must take single sword (3rd rate).

~ Emrys Twdr