Athlstan Division: AJ Bird(7) vs. SeamusMacDonnaugh(10)

[Cassius Gaius Maximius]

AJ Bird

Gender: Male

Race: Warbird, a form of avian(bird-like humanoid). Was capable of flight, which theoretically could have given him an almost insurmountable advantage in the dueling rings. However, as a person of honor, AJay never utilized his powers of flight in the ring.

Point of Origin: Unknown, but I do know that he was related to the ruling family of his homeland.

Occupation: Nobility.

Preferred Weapon: A xenoblade. I'm not quite sure what this was, except that it was a form of longsword.

TDL History: 0-6 over one "full" season(four duels), and two appearances as a Free Agent. AJay dueled for Atrebla in Season 514, before acting as a Free Agent in Season 515. This is possibly the apogee of the phenomenon of the successful DoS duelist faltering in TDL: Quite possibly the greatest Baron of all time being saddled with an abysmal record in the League. To be fair...this is only 6 duels, barely enough to paint a picture...and any veteran could tell you that 6 duels is a perfectly reasonable amount of duels to lose in a bad slump. It's also very likely that AJay was just never that focused on TDL. As a sidenote, he lost to Arlingond in a 5-1 duel in Season 514...and defeated Arlingond in one of his 12 defenses of the Second Ring from around this time. It's unknown if the two duels were connected(i.e, Arlingond's dominant TDL win encouraging him to challenge the Baron in his element), but it certainly helps to vividly demonstrate the difference between the Warbird's DoS and TDL careers.

DoS Titles Held: Former Baron of the 2nd(12 defenses). AJAy held the Second Ring for two years and a month; he held this ring for the entirety of the "Age of Dalamar", a period which saw Baronial rings go through up to seven or eight holders. AJay never lost the ring in the challenge ring...or for that matter, ever lost in the challenge ring, period. He was obliged to vacate the ring in early 1999 after a mysterious illness struck him(anyone who says "bird flu" is automatically lame)...in a note of tragic irony, AJAy's longtime friend Tasslehofl Momus was obliged to vacate the Second Ring for the exact same reason in the spring of 2002.
AJay's reign as Baron of the Second is still widely considered to be the greatest single Baronial reign in the history of the Duel of Swords...and many still consider AJAy himself to be the single greatest Baron ever.

Challenge Victories: Daegarth Mithmellon(Baronial Challenge-2nd, shutout), Lyon ThrakHath(Baronial Defense-2nd), Baphelocutis est Lathodascia(Baronial Defense-2nd, shutout), Raiyko Hideo(Baronial Defense-2nd), Verceterix Gavin Favre--twice(2 Baronial Defenses-2nd, one being an intercession), Adonai Uziel(Baronial Defense-2nd), Arlingond(Baronial Defense-2nd), Evan Rush Rynth(Baronial Defense-2nd), Kingphisch of Covington(Baronial Defense-2nd), Duc Percival Marchand de Clermont(Baronial Challenge-2nd), Jesse Troyan(Baronial Challenge-2nd), Roland Sal Roa(Baronial Challenge-2nd), Deluthan Ev'rt(Baronial Challenge-2nd, Council's Champion), Tom Evasion(Baronial Challenge-11th, Council's Champion), G'nort Dragoon Talanador(Baronial Challenge-11th, Council's Champion). Evasion and Talanador were consecutively defeated in a challenge que of two. I believe that AJAy is the only duelist with multiple challenge duels under his belt, who went undefeated in the challenge ring.

Notable Tournament Wins/Placings: N/A

DoS Madness History: 2007: Seeded 3rd in the Gondar Division; lost to Tony Graziano in the first round.


vs.


Seamus MacDonnaugh


Gender: Male

Race: Human

Point of Origin: The Scottish Highlands; while he was often teased for a supposed predeliction for sheep, Seamus actually raised cattle. This strongly indicates that he hailed from the northwest of Scotland. While there are strong arguments for Scotsmen from both before his time(Ian MacKenzie) and after it(Grayson MacLeod), Seamus has a valid claim to being the best Scottish Highlander duelist of all time.

Occupation: Minor Nobility, with the title of distinctively Scottish title of "laird". Was either the chieftain of Clan MacDonnaugh or in a position close to it; Seamus was also a wealthy landowner, which power over many crofters and ownership of large herds of Highland cattle. In Rhydin, MacDonnaugh continued this lifestyle, becoming an extremely wealthy landowner by the time or his reign as Overlord in 2001.

Preferred Weapon: A double-handed Highland claymore. A form of heavy longsword, the blows which the claymore could deliver could be frighteningly powerful: Skeletons have been found in northern Britain cloven to the hipbones! While often associated with Sir William Wallace or Robert the Bruce, those famed Scottish warriors would have been totally unfamiliar with the sword: It was first introduced circa 1560, likely by Scotsmen who had served in central Europe as mercenaries in the first half of the 16th century(Scotland was a major source of mercenaries in the Renaissance period). There, they would have seen--and probably felt on many occasions--the German zweihander, a sword which is generally considered the inspiration for the claymore...especially this version.

TDL History: 12-16 over four seasons. Seamus founded a franchise known as Scots Pride in the inaugural season 516 and stayed as a duelist with them until Season 517. He captained the team for Seasons 514 and 515, stepping down in favor of Var Medici-Giovanni in Season 516 but remaining as a duelist on Var's newly renamed Phantom Scots. Best season was 6-7 in Season 515; Seamus never had a winning season.

DoS Titles Held: Former Overlord(3 defenses), former Baron of the 1st(1 defense), former Baron of the 4th.

Challenge Victories: Cletus Ganderfald(OL Challenge, 2-1 B03), Evan Rush Rynth(Baronial Challenge-1st), Xeric Mues(OL Defense, test), Drey Starke(OL Defense), Verceterix Gavin Favre(OL Defense, intercession), Daelin Dragonsblade(Baronial Defense-1st), Sartan(Right of Challenge in ToW, vs. OL's Champion).

Notable Tournament Wins/Placings: Fall 1999 WLT Winner; def. Elijah Basia Uhr in the finals, won the vacant 4th Ring as a prize. Won the Test of Worthiness-free Overlord Challenge by taking fourth place in the Fall 2001 Warlord's Tournament.

DoS Madness History: N/A.


Head to Head: Here we have an example of a duelist who excelled to an extreme in one facet of armed dueling, but faltered to a heavy level in all others...against a duelist who managed to at least be competent in all facets, but only to a certain level. As an aside, they have dueled in a major duel...Seamus def. AJAy in a 5-0 shutout in 6 rounds in TDL's Season 514.