OPEN | the grand tourney!

[poleaxed]

WHO: All Y'all.
WHAT: It's the Grand Tourney! Like a normal Tourney, but grand.
WHEN: August Now.
WHERE: Kirkwall.
NOTES: Sports... injuries?

Every thousand days, the Grand Tourney is organized in the Free Marches, and all the City States-- and even challengers from farther abroad-- come together to celebrate the freedom of the Marches. This year, the event was intended to take place in Tantervale.

When that, uh, fell apart, the tourney was hastily moved to the relative safety of Kirkwall.

Festivities begin early, with musicians and entertainers coming from all around to entertain lords and ladies as they set up tents. Food vendors complete the picnic atmosphere-- you may not be able to get a seat in the stands, but the hills around where the field where it all takes place makes the event easily viewed by all. Jesters, bards, troubadours, food vendors, all are happy to serve and make the event lively and lovely-- for a price.

The first event is the Joust. The announcer goes through everyone's names, their origins, the part they play, so the crowd knows who to root for and who to boo. Before the individual bouts begin, the jousters are expected to ride around the field collecting favors.

The second event is the Quintain. A similar setup to the Joust takes place, with announcements and cheering, gaining favors, etc. The major difference-- besides the content of the event itself-- is the hastily erected judge's stand, where they can view the skills of each comptetitor. Some scores are met with cheers, some with boos. Some competitors schmooze with the judges before their bout. It's all very classy.

In the intermission guests are invited to play a game of tug-of-war over two large piles of flowers and flower petals. As the loosers will discover, there's a pit of mud underneath the flowers. Hopefully you brought a second pair of clothes, or maybe you just don't care Edgard.

If tug-of-war isn't your game, there's drunken archery. Darktown's very best (worst) booze has been generously donated (appropriated) for the event. One shot to begin, and more shots for every subsequent shot of your bow. Landing closer to bullseye garners more points, and prizes can be collected for high point scores. Nothing particularly valuable, it's more like carnival fare-- stuffed toys, shiny gems (they are colored glass), wood carved in various shapes (some lewd). The most expensive prize is a hangover cure potion (it does not work).

The final event is the ever-popular Melee, where several one-on-one matches take place simultaneously, until someone is either undefeated or the least defeated. As with previous events, each combatant is announced to the crowd and expected to walk around the stands, receiving favors. However, they're expected to do this between every match in the melee, as their popularity rises... or falls.

During all of this, the ever-noble Pas d'Armes event is taking place. If you wander away from the event at any time, Gabranth will be there, at a nearby bridge, judging and / or fighting anyone who wishes to pass. Of course, if you wish to pass without issue, he will accept a favor from you. At the end, he'll be crowned with a white wreath of flowers, in a 'peace offering', and that is the sign that the tourney is done.

Not counting the partying into the night. No medieval camping trip is complete without waking up half clothed in a field, right?

JUST TELL ME WHO WON ALREADY.fine, fine, jesus.

THE JOUST

1st Place: Tony Stark, The Iron Man (Erroneously called 'The Man of Iron' at least once by an announcer. Several people in the stands asked if he was made of iron, why he was called that, what is he doing, why.)
2nd Place: Weary Winona of Wycome (Never took off her helm, which was shaped like a woman's face and painted like she was crying.)
3rd Place: 'Sir Sullivan of Bonneville'(Who might just be Edgard in disguise, however legend has it he's actually an undead noble trying to reclaim his family's honor in the joust. This legend was started by Jone.)
Crowd Favorite: Ellis, The Bachelor (He was, at one point, mostly just a mass of favors, which may have been why he didn't rank. The crowd screamed his name repeatedly and at one point threw flowers at him while he was riding past.)

THE QUINTAIN

1st Place: Derrica, the Rivaini Raider (The chant 'carry me home' began during her bout, and continued whenever she walked near the field.)
2nd Place: Derek, Son of Derek, of the Ostwick Dereks (The 'carry me home' chant continued during his bout, as some confusion arose over whether Derrica was a distant relation of the Ostwick Dereks.)
3rd Place: Madame Noir of Hasmal (A ghostly pale woman wearing only a black gown during her match, there were rumors she'd bribed the judges with money or a low neckline.)
Crowd Favorite: Beth Greene, The Lady of the Green (Rumor has it that she was a wild woman who came from the forests just to compete. This rumor was also started by Jone.)

THE MELEE

1st Place: Pierre the Virtuous of Hambleton (On a particularly sunny day, some suspect he only won because the reflection from his bald head.)
2nd Place: 'The Dark Jaguar' (Who may be Erik Stevens in disguise. A nighttime assassin, he appears from nowhere during a fight usually with the aid of a conveniently placed piece of hanging black fabric but shhhh.)
3rd Place: Laura, Lady Nightshade (Rumor has it she threw her fight to get third place, but everybody who knows Laura knows she'd never do that... right?)
Crowd Favorite: 'The Acolyte' (A young man of roughly the same height and build as Benedict Artemaeus, the crowd really responded to how nervous, yet trying to be brave, he looked.)

THE OVERALL WINNER OF EVERYTHING:
Ser John 'the Anointed John' Pembroke of Tantervale
...who trained for this every day and is a professional Tourneyman, and whose win for Tantervale really lifted the spirit of the game to a high note, so how can we be bitter, really.
(Note to 1st placers in other events: this means he beat you in your event.)

[ooc Also final reminder that you don't have to have signed up for an event to have your character participate!!!]

Comments

[molineux]

"I didn't realize men of iron could dance." is the first thing Margaery says to Tony after she seizes the opportunity for a dance that tumbles into her path. It's no longer trepidation that plagues her gaze when she looks at him, even with the incredible glories he's achieved earlier in the day with his unique armor and rather bold maneuvers for cheer.

And so her smile comes much more easily now, all gentle amusement with wariness nowhere in sight - although, perhaps not without a hint of apology. It's difficult not to be contrite when she clearly remembers considering him to be a demon, after all.

"Have you done this before at all, good ser Tony? For a man from another world, you seem to have a gift in settling comfortably in any environment you find yourself in." Meaning - Margaery's not sure she's ever witnessed Tony looking terribly awkward.

[propulsion]

All of a sudden, he's got a Disney princess in the bracket of his arms, all smiles and not necessarily seeming like she's expecting his head to spin around or whatever demons do. Tony, in good spirits too, let's a crooked smile pull at his mouth as he walks them through the next few steps.

"Oh yeah," he says, "landed on my feet and everything. No freaking out or existential crises or sleepless nights to speak of."

He turns them through the scattering of paired off Marchers, apparently adept enough on a dance floor to keep an eye on their peripherals. "Thanks. I love learning. We did have dancing back where I'm from. And horses. And big sticks. You seem pretty settled in."

[molineux]

His manner of speech had initially caught her off guard, much like everything else about him. But Margaery knows to listen to it better now, finding the straightforward quality rather refreshing now that she can keep herself from taking the tone personally. She brightens too, to think that Tony's world consists of big sticks and horses and dancing - perhaps his court simply held different expectations when it came to decorum.

"I'm doing the best I can," she says thoughtfully, her thoughts darting from the formation of her friendships, her training sessions, and all the other days in between. But she's not here to tell him about her own growth.

"I wanted to apologize."

Hindsight is amusing more often than not. With the safety of distance and gained knowledge, Margaery can easily feel embarrassment at her own reactions the night she arrived in Thedas, and cringe at her own confusion and awful lack of instinct. But it doesn't mitigate the memories, nor the fact that she'd been so ready to consider Tony as the enemy.

"And thank you, properly. Now that I'm- I understand. You saved my life."

[propulsion]

"Apology accepted."

Tony is quick with it, even by the standards of his usual tempo. There's a crinkle of humour at the corners of his eyes as he adds, "Is what I say when it's easier than convincing somebody they don't need to be sorry. So it's water off a griffon's back, no hard feelings, you're given." Do they have ducks here? He doesn't remember seeing one—

He turns her a beat after the Marchers around them turn their partners, because he doesn't actually know these dances, but he's pretty good at pretending. Which is a nice metaphor, for the stuff she was saying about him.

"And welcome," because she thanked him. "Sorry we scared you, even though—compounding the trauma's hard to avoid. But now that you've had a little emotional distance, can I ask you something?"

[molineux]

She's still trying to remember if she's ever seen what a water does off of a griffon's back when Tony turns them. The realization that he's a beat off comes later, with a small amused smile - somehow, the thought of him falling into line neatly doesn't sit quite right.

"Of course." she says easily, almost as quickly as he'd answered her, although Margaery can't quite hide the surprise or the mild trepidation. After that buildup with trauma and emotional distance, she's not sure what he might have in mind. But learning to trust others has been a recurring theme ever since she arrived in Thedas, so she is also sincere when she adds, "You may ask me anything, anytime," after a (late) twirl under his arm.