PLOT INFO POST | the grand tourney.

[poleaxed]

The Grand Tourney is an inter-March event that takes place every few years. This year, it was supposed be hosted in Tantervale.

That fell through.

Kirkwall is now hosting the Grand Tourney in a week (it starts on the 13th). It will consist of four events (The Joust, The Melee, The Quintain & The Pas d'Armes.) The first three events are winnable, and you have to sign up below to be entered into the winning RNG. You do not have to sign up to have your character participate, just to have them potentially win. Likewise, your character can participate in as many events as you like. Along with winning, there will be a crowd favorite for every event.

But it's not all sports. Pageantry is an important component! Those of you familiar with professional wrestling may recognize some of the style. Every character who participates will need either an alias (if they're going anonymously) or an epithet, and if they have a shtick to warm the crowd up, the more the better (dyed armor! Trick weapons! A funny hat! Don't think too hard about it). Please consider if your character is a face or a heel.

(If you can't come up with one, let me know in your signups, and Jone, who volunteered to organize this, will ICly come up with one for you.)

Along with the hastiludes, there are games for non-fighters to participate in. There will be a tug-of-war game where the losers will fall backward into a mound of flowers... only to find there's a mud puddle underneath. There will be a very informal and chaotic game of tennis. There will be acrobats, jugglers, and musicians (and if anyone in Riftwatch has the skill, they are free to join the show). There will also be a drunken archery competition.

All of this is meant to bolster unity in the Marches, and show that even in the face of war, they can still rejoice.

On the 13th, a big log will be posted that lists the winners and goes over events in less clinical and more fun detail. Fun detail. Wahoo.

Comments

QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS.

[poleaxed]

Ask meeee.

(◕‿◕✿)

[coquettish_trees]

Lexie would like to ride around the field being pretty on her pretty palfrey and use her dramatic loud-ass Bard projection (...pretty?) to crowd hype, announce people, commentate, and hand out nice things. Is that a thing she can do?

[poleaxed]

yesss. just be careful to do it in between matches for safety's sake, but people are likely to throw roses and favors from the stands! think of it as halftime entertainment, people will love it

(unless you don't want them to, whatevers most fun for you!!)

SIGNUPS.

[poleaxed]

<b>CHARACTER</b>: <b>ANONYMOUS</b>? Are they participating anonymously? Y/N <b>EPITHET / ALIAS</b>: Give them a fancy name. <b>FACE OR HEEL</b>? Do they want the crowd to cheer for them or boo them? <b>COSTUME</b>: They don't have to have one, but it's fun. <b>GIMMICK</b>: If they have one. A funny voice? Weird clothes? Participating in… [ ] Joust [ ] Melee [ ] Quintain

[clawings]

CHARACTER: Erik Stevens
ANONYMOUS? Y
EPITHET / ALIAS: The Dark Jaguar
FACE OR HEEL? Heel
COSTUME: Cat-like mask
GIMMICK: Help him Jone-wan Kinobi, he (and I) have no idea
Participating in…
[ ] Joust
[x] Melee
[ ] Quintain

[poleaxed]

Jone says Eric should hiss at the crowd, then laughs into her drink and actually thinks about it for a few seconds. Can he move really stealthily, and show up suddenly and unexpectedly on the field? Jone volunteers to drape some dark fabric in a convenient place for him to hide behind. Catlike reflexes.

[clawings]

He could definitely do that! Thanks Jone, you're a bro.

[charmoffensive]

CHARACTER: Loxley
ANONYMOUS? N
EPITHET / ALIAS: The Flash, original trademark don't steal
FACE OR HEEL? Face
COSTUME: Just his colourful piratey rogue gear he rifted in with, and low-key magic boots that let him jump real good.
GIMMICK: Quips, unnecessary acrobatics like backflipping out of the way of a blow, exhausting a heavily armored enemy, etc. Silly swashbuckler debonair stuff.
Participating in…
[ ] Joust
[X] Melee
[ ] Quintain

[propulsion]

CHARACTER: Tony Stark
ANONYMOUS? N
EPITHET / ALIAS: Iron Man
FACE OR HEEL? Whichever
COSTUME: Very distinct visor helmet situation.
GIMMICK: Has never done this before.
Participating in…
[f yes, does he get the t-shirt] Joust
[ ] Melee
[sure] Quintain

[heorte]

CHARACTER: Ellis
ANONYMOUS? N
EPITHET / ALIAS: "Ellis"
FACE OR HEEL? Jone's discretion
COSTUME: Just his regular armor.
GIMMICK: Jone has more or less free reign over suggesting epithet, face/heel, and nudging him for a gimmick, but Ellis is truly just here to hit things with a mace.

Participating in…
[ x ] Joust
[ x ] Melee
[ ] Quintain

[poleaxed]

"You won't like this, luv, but you ought to be called the bachelor. Show your face, y'know, do that bashful smile... yeah, that one. Maybe hand out a few roses..."

[tender]

CHARACTER: Derrica
ANONYMOUS? N
EPITHET / ALIAS: Rivaini Raider
FACE OR HEEL? Face
COSTUME: Theoretically, a dramatic coat with the sleeves ripped off.
GIMMICK: N/A
Participating in…
[ ] Joust
[ x ] Melee
[ x ] Quintain

[muckspout]

CHARACTER: Edgard
ANONYMOUS? Are they participating anonymously? Y or at least that will be his intention
EPITHET / ALIAS: Sir Sullivan of Bonneville
FACE OR HEEL? cheer!
COSTUME: Edgard will not bathe, but will be dressed in the fanciest armor he can...borrow. It is extremely shiny and has yellow tassles
GIMMICK: he will use a low deadly booming voice that only a couple of people have heard when he's really irritated
Participating in…
[X] Joust
[ ] Melee
[X] Quintain

[poleaxed]

jone is personally disappointed there's no mention of the gullhorn, birdman

[muckspout]

This could absolutely be arranged eyeballs emoji

[altusimperius]

CHARACTER: Benedict
ANONYMOUS? Y
EPITHET / ALIAS: Assistance requested
FACE OR HEEL? In his heart he'd want Face but let's be realistic here
COSTUME: The finest and most intimidating mage robes that thrift shopping can provide, with a raised hood & black half-mask
GIMMICK: General vibes associated with entropic magic, basically a frustrating mindfucky type
Participating in…
[ ] Joust
[x] Melee
[ ] Quintain

[poleaxed]

my extreme bad for not seeing the assistance request before now, ive been sick

ANYWAY jone says benedict should play up his novice angle, he's just a little guy, it's his birthday, etc. since there's a war on with tevinter, playing a face would proBABLY BE GOOD

OH AND his backstory should totally be that his master said he couldn't compete bc he wasnt ready, get some sympathy from the crowd etc

[altusimperius]

Excellent yes

Scandalously, he will be reworking his outfit and persona to be that of an Orlesian Circle mage (fortunately there are lots of robes left over in the Gallows)((and still with a half-mask for safety)), and for his name will just go with The Acolyte.

Hopefully nobody notices the accent if/when he speaks Orlesian. let's not think about it

[justashotaway]

CHARACTER: Laura Kint
ANONYMOUS? N
EPITHET / ALIAS: ?????
FACE OR HEEL? ?????
COSTUME: ?????
GIMMICK: ?????
Participating in…
[ ] Joust
[x] Melee
[ ] Quintain

[poleaxed]

ALIAS NIGHTSHADE, no one knows where she comes from! appears from the darkness for bringing CERTAIN DEATH. also known as laura, likes oranges. HERO OR HEEL, NO ONE KNOWS????

[sincerelyours]

CHARACTER: Peaches the Secret Bear
ANONYMOUS? obviously
EPITHET / ALIAS: some synonym for Big Fuckr
FACE OR HEEL? indifferent
COSTUME: shrouded in a dark cloak
GIMMICK: Never speaks on account of being a bear. (people are very helpful in helping you mount and handing you a lance when they don't realize you're a bear)
Participating in…
[x] Joust
[x] Melee
[ ] Quintain

fuck, fine.

[withmeinparadise]

CHARACTER: Sam Drake
ANONYMOUS? Nnnnnnnnnnnnot really
EPITHET / ALIAS: El Draque
FACE OR HEEL? He'd prefer face but who knows how that'll go
COSTUME: What you people wear every day is already a costume
GIMMICK: ????? n/a probably
Participating in…
[x] Joust
[ ] Melee
[ ] Quintain

Re: SIGNUPS.

[littlemissfutility]

CHARACTER: Beth Greene
ANONYMOUS? N
EPITHET / ALIAS: help her, jone, you're probably who talked her into it
FACE OR HEEL? face
COSTUME:
GIMMICK:
Participating in…
[ ] Joust
[ ] Melee
[x] Quintain

[poleaxed]

jone suggests something that looks like a robin hood getup, complete with collar and fairy shoes, green hood, some story about how shes come out of the wilds for this competition!!!! 'the lady of the green'

[littlemissfutility]

beth like "don't i have the wrong accent for that"

[poleaxed]

nobody's listening to you talk!!!! it's all announced

[littlemissfutility]

the green lady it is, then

WAIT, HOW DO THESE MADE UP GAMES WORK.

[poleaxed]

MELEE.

[poleaxed]

Where people fight one on one, in full arms and armor. Winner will ICly be determined by most fights won.

While pretty simplistic in setup, this is by far the most popular game in the Tourney. If you want to get audience attention, this is how. If you want to get a light concussion, this is also how.

Any weapons can be wielded, and if a participant doesn't have any, they will be provided (no guarantee of quality in that case, tho). It's strongly encouraged you wear armor and helm, but you don't actually have to.

Magic is allowed, but it won't gain you any favors if you fry someone alive in front of a captive audience. Wounds are fine, but anything life-threatening or disfiguring is disqualifying.

JOUST.

[poleaxed]

Two people on two horses (respectively) run at each other, trying to knock the other off their horse in a match consisting of three runs. Aiming for anywhere but the shield of your opponent is considered unsportsmanlike, but allowed. No magic is acceptable in this event, but mages may participate.

This is the event most likely to involve serious injury or maiming, being dragged by a horse, or wounded by a lance. The lances are tipped with blunted metal to avoid stab wounds, but that stuff can still hurt. Be careful!!!

QUINTAIN.

[poleaxed]

One person on a horse charges at a quintain, a device that will swing if the shield side is hit properly with a well-aimed lance. Magic in any form is disqualifying in this event.

Since this is a game, however, the weighted end will not be a sandbag, but a bucket of water-- inexpertly hitting the shield, going too slow, or losing control of one's horse will result in the quintain dousing you in freezing cold water, fresh from the bilges!

Someone has painted a crude facsimile of Corypheus' face on the shield.

PAS D'ARMES.

[poleaxed]

Or, in Trade, the Armed Pass, isn't a game you can win, but participating grants great honor.

The Black Knight (Gabranth) will be positioned on a crucial bridge in Kirkwall. Non-combatants may pass, if they declare themselves as such, and give the defending knight a favor. (A favor can be something precious or expensive or... a bit of cloth torn off your person.)

The favor can be won back by combatants who successfully either: prove worthy in combat against the Knight, beat the Knight in combat wholesale, or prove worthy in some other way, depending entirely on the Knight's whims (a riddle, a quest, whatever, it's up to him).

Winning the favor of your beloved back from the Knight is considered a Big Flirting Opportunity. Giving your favor to the Black Knight and letting your beloved know they have to get it back is also an opportunity to flirt... or let somebody know they're in the dog house. It depends on context.

However, you don't need to have a favor you're trying to win back to participate, and you're free to take a favor that someone left and meant for somebody else, for whatever motive.

There's no way to win this one! If you want a certain outcome, feel free to say it happened, or thread it as needed. If you want to reach out OOCly beforehand, go ahead!