Challenge for Earth

[Delahada]

Haru -

I like you but my lady wants more
Let's fight for your tower

- Sal

[Helea Alwin]

This challenge is valid and may proceed.

[Haru Jeong]

Let’s do it, I accept, wanna arrange a day and time over a chess match?

-Haru

[Delahada]

Presumably after lunch and a chess match, the following Sharpie written message was pinned up:


16 Saturday, 9 pm
Max is calling for us


(( With thanks to Max for agreeing to call, this match will take place October 16th at 9:00 pm EST. ))

[Partly Cloudy]

After conferring with Sal and Haru, gatito designed an epic grazing table for the Tower of Earth challenge. By request, he focused on spicy and sweet flavors, while also including items suitable for lighter and more sensitive palates.

On the table, guests could find a variety of cured and uncured meats from Matadero Meats, including prosciutto, soppressata, spicy capocollo, Calabrese salami, bresaola, chorizo picante, Jamon Ibérico, and classic paté. He had paired these with a wide range of cheeses, including pepper jack, habanero cheddar, smoked gouda, Manchego, Roquefort, Humboldt Fog, and Saint Nuage triple creme cheese.

To accompany the meats and cheeses, gatito included briny elements like marinated olives, peperoncini, stuffed peppadew peppers, cornichons, and garlic confit, and a range of traditional, sweet, and spicy condiments, including spicy honey, grainy deli mustard, truffle aioli, spiced fig jam, and bacon marmalade.

He also included freshly baked baguettes, flatbread and seeded crackers, savory shortbread, and spicy cheese twists, as well as a rainbow of crudités with homemade garlicky hummus and spicy whipped feta dip, and an assortment of other snacky essentials, like salted almonds, roasted pecans and hazelnuts, dried apricots and cranberries, and candied ginger.

And of course, he made plenty of room for the sweets. In addition to fresh fruit, like sliced Honeycrisp apples and Bartlett pears, blood orange wedges, halved figs, black grapes, and fresh strawberries and blackberries, he included two flavors of macaron (chili chocolate and vanilla chai), almond lace cookies, strawberry brownie truffles, chocolate-covered strawberries, and caramel apple slices.

At the very end of the table were carafes of hot Spanish coffee and ice chests filled with still and sparkling waters, fresh fruit juices, and sangria from Gardenhome Orchards.


((All images by Shannon Shipman.))

[Max Lager]

Tonight I got to call the Tower of Earth Challenge between Keeper Haru and challenger Salvador! Wanting to keep things exciting, Haru enthusiastically wished to handle the evening’s challenge in Titan. So we called forth the staggering pillars and rocky formations into the ring (thanks again Mart!) and the pair got down to business to settle things in this best of three challenge. It was two straight matches that Haru solidified his first defense of the Tower, besting Salvador in 5 to 2.5 in 6 rounds in the first match and then a repeat score of 5 to 2.5 in 9 rounds in the following match. Though Salvador did not succeed this time, it appears that he will likely try to challenge once more for the Tower when he is next able to. Congratulations Haru on your first defense and well-tried Salvador on your first challenge in the Duel of Magic rings! We look forward to seeing what happens in the Outback rings as the pair will face off over PathFinder next Saturday, October 23rd! Please look forward to it!

Hungry stomachs also want to know if the Opal match will be catered as beautifully as tonight’s challenge was. Hee hee!



Official Scoring
Haru Jeong def. Delahada, 5 - 2.5 in 6 rounds.
Haru Jeong def. Delahada, 5 - 2.5 in 9 rounds.