Sword and Sorcery.
The very concept of it has permeated both history and fiction across thousands of worlds for hundreds of years, a cultural reality for many nations great and small just as much as it is a fantastical escape for those who have only known it in imaginative fashion in script and on screen. The art of the sword is timeless, the craft of magic fathomless, and their marriage nothing short of incredible. It is that alliance of skill and wonder that we seek to celebrate.
Among the many tales of steel and spell, the legend of the relationship between King Arthur and the wizard Merlin has amassed a collection of admirers spanning centuries. Debated as both fact and fiction, the details surrounding their origins and relationship have been reimagined each generation. Where one might have seen Merlin as mentor and father figure to a youth of untapped potential, another has seen them as contemporaries and great allies side by side in battle, if not the best of friends.
It is in the collective spirit of those ideals that, with the help of our comrades in charge of the Duel of Magic, the Duel of Swords staff is proud to present:
The Summer Spellblade Spectacular!
The Summer Spellblade Spectacular is two parts tournament, one part celebration of Arthurian Legend, as reimagined in the spirit of dueling cooperation. Spanning the course of an entire week, it will kick off with a week of very special magic dueling , from August 16th to August 24th, and be integral to the outcome of the Spellblade Tournament that will take place on August 25th in a special set of rings set up in a surprise location for just this occasion. For those who don’t duel (and those who do), for the week of the Spectacular, the manor at Battlefield Park and the grounds surrounding it will play host to the Great Bazaar of Wonder, which will boast vendor stalls of all types, theme-appropriate carnival games, and nightly stage plays based on the words of T.H. White and William Shakespeare. There will be a number of raffles and auctions courtesy of residents and dueling celebrities for local Rhy’din charities. And more to be announced!
The Rules will be as follows:
This is a tandem tournament, which means it requires two participants for one entry. One individual to participate in regulation Duel of Magic duels and the other to participate in the Spellblade Tournament itself at the end of the week. The tandem team will be given a weapon, styled after their choosing, from the Battlefield Park armory and a special dweomer stone cultivated from Twilight Isle specially for the week long event.
Duel of Magic Participant -
Over the course of the week of the Summer Spellblade Spectacular and leading up to the Spellblade tournament itself, every 1 win (or 2 losses) in DoM will channel a powerful thread of magic (equally one Fancy/Mod) into the dweomer stone, to a maximum of 4 wins (or 8 losses) that will then be applied to the reforging of the chosen weapon (to a maximum of 4 Fancies/Mods). For those who are not magically inclined but still interested, there will be ample assistance and advice available, because the intent and spirit behind the event are camaraderie.
Duel of Swords Participant -
While it would be great of you to come out and support your partner in their endeavors over the course of the week, your only requirement will be to show up at 8 PM on August 25th for the Spellblade Tournament. This will be a single elimination tournament (or double if turnout is low) and much of your edge in the tournament will be predicated upon the efforts of your Magical Partner and the imbued weapon they have provided you (the only Fancies/Mods allowed in the tournament are those earned by the DoM Participant in the week leading up to the Spellblade Tournament. They will be the DoS Participant’s to use ONLY for the duration of the tournament and will replace those normally provided by rank or title).
At the end of the Spellblade Tournament, the winner and their partner will be declared Spellblade Champion and Spellblade Artificer, respectively (and will receive associating icons). All other participants will be awarded various prizes based on placing.
(Everyone involved will receive separate icons for participating in the event)
In addition, the tournament winner and their partner will get to name attendees of their choosing the King/Queen of Courage and the King/Queen of Charm, respectively.
The Grand Prize:
The newly established Barony of Cadentia, represented by the Desert Ring. Like the other Barons and their baronies, the Baron of Cadentia has no authority or claim to Cadentia itself, the manor will be theirs to watch over for the length of their reign, however long it is. This will be for the Spellblade Tournament victor.
Merlin’s Staff (the Spirit Staff) will be granted to the DoM duelist partner and will remain in their possession until the end of the cycle.
(Rules Note: If the winner of the Spellblade tournament is a sitting barony, they will have the option of taking on the title of the new barony in replacement of their current title. Should they choose to do so, the title they are giving up will automatically pass to their Summer Spellblade Spectacular partner. If they choose to keep their barony, the prize barony will be automatically awarded to their partner. In the event the Overlord is the winner of the Spellblade Tournament, the prize barony will automatically pass to their partner. In the event both participant partners are DoS titleholders, an equitable resolution will be worked out between the DoS staff and the winning pair. Merlin’s staff passes to the DoM participant regardless of the disposition of the prize title.)
Cadentia Villa:
Set out in the desert just outside of Cadentia’s township, between the start of the desert and the nearest oasisses, the manor house is a moderately old but immaculately maintained desert villa capped on its northside by a small but well traversed bazaar. The main entrance to the villa faces the east, the rear and poolside entrance facing the west.The villa is connected to Rhy’din proper via portal for convenience, with one end in a broom closet in the villa and the other within the Arena, accessible only with the Desert Ring of the baronial title.
Squire Weapon - Thirst (Khopesh)
Power - Ability to Find Water
Downside - Makes the wielder always thirsty
With the addition of an eighth barony, the Duel of Swords will be adopting some additional rules:
With a total of eight baronies available, it brings up an interesting situation regarding the potential of an even split between the number of Barons who are aligned Loyal or Renegade, which would deny either alignment the ability to establish a majority for or against a sitting Overlord. Such a split adds no value to the sport and the long established dynamic.
In recognition of the problem that represents, moving forward the Senior Baron (the one with the longest current tenure) will get to add a tie-breaking “vote” in the event of a spit Baron’s Council. This will allow the Senior Baron, in the event of a 4/4 split between Loyal and Renegade barons, to decide whether or not the sitting Overlord will have a Loyal or Renegade majority, preventing a deadlock that denies both alignments their perks and flaws, and at the same time adding another small strategic element to the sport. It makes the position of Senior Baron both more desirable and more dangerous to the sitting Senior Baron.
More announcements to come...!
