Tournaments of Artemis XIII - Tournament Results

 organized by Dani Lacasse

At Tournaments of Artemis this year we had a total of 12 competing teams; 

Church of Arius - Lead by Companion 

Team Corvus - Lead by Corvus

Team Princess - Lead by Princess Cressida

Team Fun - Lead by Irri

Svalborg - Lead by Hedda

Team Fern - Lead by Fern

Half of Suneicar - Lead by Crane 

Team Dunno? - Lead by Topaz

Team Shrimp - Lead by Second

Team 90 - Lead by Shandar 

Team 4 - Lead by Four

Vinya Ohtari - Lead by Lupa

Team Grand Melee

1st : Team 90  2nd: Vinya Ohtari   3rd: Team Half of Suneicar

Singles - Sword and Dagger 

1st: Half of Suneicar  2nd: Svalborg  3rd: Team Fern 

Singles - Sword and Shield

1st: Team Dunno?  2nd: Team Princess  3rd: Team Fern 

Singles - Five Foot

1st: Svalborg  2nd: 90  3rd: Vinya Ohtari 

13 Lives

1st : Team 90  2nd: Vinya Ohtari   3rd: Church of Arius

 

Pigeon Teatime

Winner: Team Dunno?   

Bear Pit

1st : Team 90   2nd: Vinya Ohtari 3rd: Team Fun

Danger Zone

*This tournament did not have time to complete, instead teams that one the first round were all given an equal amount of points.*

Winners: Team 90, Team Dunno?, Team 4. Team Princess, Team Fern, Svalborg   

Fights of Valor

1st : Team 90   2nd: Svalborg   3rd: Team Princess

Overall: 

1st: Team 90

2nd: Svalborg   

3rd: Team Dunno?

Superlatives:

Most Honorable: Vinya Ohtari

Best Energy: Team Fun

Most Tactical: Team Fern

Most Spirited: Team Shrimp

Most Resilience: Team Corvus 

Best Friendly Banter: Team Four

The Muse Award: Priona "Luna" Crescenti

Why I Want To Go - Tournaments of Artemis XIII

Organized by: Dani Lacasse

Written by: Various noted authors 

I have been trying for years to go to Tournaments of Artemis and I am thrilled to finally not only attend, but to compete with my team, Team Princess! I received a beautiful letter inviting me to take part and I immediately replied and started building a fierce team. Tournaments of Artemis highlights the many incredible women and gender minorities across the Realms and gives them a stage to show off their fighting, casting, and leadership. These tournaments are about tactics, command, and strategy as well as honor. I know I am excited to meet my fellow competitors on the field and have a great time with the many different tournaments being run by the illustrious Huntress Guild. There are several new tournaments this year including I Choose the Bear Pits, Pigeon Tea Time, and Gridway to the Danger Zone! I absolutely cannot wait to find out what those entail. In addition to small team fighting, the participating huntresses have been asked to bring a banner with either their team or personal heraldry to promote team spirit and help make the tournament field look fabulous! I am looking forward to showing off the Team Princess heraldry and admiring the many stunning banners. Whether you are competing, marshalling, or cheering from the sidelines, I look forward to seeing you this weekend at Tournaments of Artemis XIII!  - Crystal “Cressida” Welch

I am looking forward to Tournaments of Artemis this weekend and fighting alongside my team! This is an excellent time of year to get back into the swing of fighting against worthy opponents. At these tournaments, I have come to expect an atmosphere that is simultaneously lighthearted and competitive, in an excellent mix that I have found to propel me throughout the day. ToArtemis was in fact the first tournament event I went to (less difficult to achieve in 1021-1022) and while I’ve had to take a year or two away from this event, I’m excited to see what new games and challenges the Huntress Guild has come up with. Perhaps there will be some returning favorites as well, but we shall have to go to find out! - Kelly "Fern" Perfetto

Firstly, I wanted to say thank you to the entire staff that runs this tournament every year and for creating a space in which each and everyone of us can have the grace and presence to show off our skills. Now as to why I want to go to Artemis. It's an inherently crucial event to me both in and out of character as it's the first tournament I won almost a decade ago, and not only that; it's the event that I became a part of Invictus and earned my black wolf. It defines not only my achievements as a fighter, but has helped me realise that beyond everything else.. Beyond competitiveness, beyond the wins and losses, and beyond every problem we have going on in the outside world…We come together and do this to build and uplift a community and make new (hopefully life-long) friends. - Madi "Lupa" Neal

I’m really excited for Tournaments of Artemis this weekend as it will be my first official Tournament! I hope to have a lot of fun with my team and as the leader of the team, I am looking forward to learning more about strategy and leadership on the battlefield. I’ve also heard much about how this is a fun tournament where learning and sportsmanship is valued and I’m glad that my first tournament will be in such a lovely environment. There are also new fun sounding tournaments with goofy names that I’m looking forward to participating in such as Pidgeon Tea Time which sounds absolutely delightful. Overall, I think this will be an enjoyable event where I can hang out with my friends and learn a lot about how to improve my fighting skills and I’m psyched to participate! - Fin "Second" McMurtrie

Why do I want to go to Artemis. Oof, thats a bit harder to answer than most events. Combat is one of my favorite parts of the community, and the more people involved in that, the better. But because we have so many talented fighters in the community, it’s difficult to get involved and not feel like you’ll never do well. The Huntress Guild providing a place to help women and gender minorities learn and participate is one of the most important missions we have in the community. WGM often require learning a different style of fighting and training, and having a place where they can come together to learn from each other and share tips can be so valuable.

Tanja/Katasha founded the first Huntress Guild the year I started playing, and I had the privilege of spending a lot of time watching and learning from Tanja, and seeing the things she did differently and had to adjust. I don’t think she ever knew how much I looked up to her. Then years later, when Diana helped Alysha restart the Guild, I was lucky enough to be involved and help through her. It let me be on staff as a marshal, train at practices, and contribute in other ways. I always wanted to jump in and help as much as I could, but I was worried about trying to force myself into a place that, at the time, I didn’t belong.

In recent years, I became less involved. It was harder to be around and so desperately want to say I belong, while struggling with the feeling that I never would. So why do I want to go this year? This year I can finally go as a Huntress. I can finally go and say I belong. There’s no way this won’t be one of the most memorable events I’ve ever attended. It’s still surreal to me that it’s happening. I keep fighting the imposter syndrome that makes me feel like I’m doing something wrong. And part of what’s made me excited to go is how supportive the community has been in making me feel welcome and helping me get over that struggle.

I’m excited for a day of fun tournaments with many of the people who’ve helped me the most, including my team, who I wouldn’t be on that field without. I want to go and watch and face all the younger WGM in the community who’ve gotten more involved in fighting in the last few years. I want to go because it feels like starting a new, exhilarating chapter in my realm’s career, one that I finally have a chance to write. - Josh "Shandar" Learned 

Sonnets from Artemis XII

 By: The Huntresses' Teams at Artemis XII  

Stars Upon the Field

Strong Huntresses in stars and armor bright

Assembled stalwart allies on the field.

“Starfellows, arm yourselves and bravely fight;

We’ll die with honor ‘fore we e’er shall yield!”

So spake the generals of foe and friend,

Then fought with gritted teeth and steel eye,

And braved the rain and battled to the end

And gave their all to make the others die.

Yet as the battles raged with blood and sweat

As Huntress forces fought throughout the day,

The reason for it all none could forget

As friends so fiercely faced off in the fray –

That when adversity and strife is done,

The Huntresses – and all of us – are one.

They Need Not Yelll

The day they joined, they learned to wield a sword. 

Against their foes, they saved the ones they love. 

They spread their wings in service to their lord. 

They’ll make their place when push does come to shove. 

But overlooked they felt deep in their soul. 

They worked and worked but silence always fell. 

And harder still they worked to reach their goal. 

A group worked as their voice, they need not yell. 

Then came a day they were called up to court,

With recognition came a sense of pride.

Emboldened by their friends who gave support,

They learned and grew with people by their side. 

They found their home among the Huntress Guild,

And now the voice of people they can build. 

Why I Want to Go: Tournaments of Artemis XII

 By Lani “Gwen” Jones

Why do I want to go to Tournaments of Artemis XII?

Well first and foremost, I know it will be an amazing day full of tournaments that will be both competitive and tons of fun. Sir Shader of Ashenmark and her peerless staff have always done a fantastic job of creating an environment that pushes people to fight their hardest while also embracing the ideas of good sportsmanship, camaraderie, and support for one another. Every time I have participated in the tournaments or even simply watched them, I have really felt the true spirit of the Huntress Guild represented on the field.

It’s a day all about encouraging and celebrating Huntresses, women and gender minorities that want to grow and be recognized in the side of our game that is rooted in combat culture. I know I have personally benefited a great deal from the Huntress Guild from back when I was a newer player. It was a safe and supportive environment where I learned a lot about fighting from mentors I really respect. I am thrilled that the guild still exists, that people continue to benefit from it, and that this yearly event is still on the calendar. Even if you yourself are not a Huntress the Huntresses who are your friends will really appreciate your support, and I’m sure you’ll be glad you went.

And looking at this tournament list, what a day it looks to be! Castles? Bombs? Danger Dice? You can just sense the amount of work that went into creating tournaments that would allow for really fun combat experiences while testing leadership and strategy and just making everyone glad they were a part of it. I am absolutely certain there will be amazing moments in fighting alongside laughs and good times.

So join me this year at Tournaments of Artemis XII. I’ll be rooting you each on, and I promise to keep you all well fed as you celebrate the true spirit of The Huntress!

Women and Gender Minorities Forum Announcement

 By Kelly “Fern” Perfetto

This upcoming forum is about and for women and gender minorities. As such, only those who fall into these self-defined identities should attend.

On Friday the 23rd of August, from 7 pm to 9 pm (end time variable depending on interest), there will be a combination presentation night and forum discussion about Women and Gender Minorities in the Realms, hosted and moderated by Kelly Perfetto. 

This meeting will be split into two parts. The first is a moderated forum which will be recorded. The second is a more free-form discussion which will not be recorded. The recorded portion of the forum will be shared at a later date for anyone to watch. A way to access the zoom link will be shared prior to the forum in both the Realms Discord server and the event description, located here: https://www.realmsnet.net/events/1990

Dani (Elizah) and Nataliya (Shader) plan to present about the Knights of the Lunar Aegis and the Huntress Guild, respectively. 

We plan to have a wide range of topics relevant to the experiences of women and gender minorities in the Realms. Topics for discussion include:

• The roles and expectations of fighters and support casters
• Experiences in the Realms in the past and present 
• What behind the scenes work does and does not get recognized 
• How women and gender minorities are identified in comparison to male counterparts
• Women and gender minorities in leadership
• And more 

~ ~ ~

A quick note from Kelly:

Most events these days are getting a ‘Why I Want to Go’ article. While this is not an official event by any means, I want to share my thoughts behind holding this forum. 

I joined the Realms in October of 2021, and people I talk to keep saying the community is changing a lot, even in comparison to just five years prior. A lot of these changes are the natural  result of time passing; people step away from the game, plot lines wrap up, leadership turns over, new plots begin, new people join and learn the ropes of the community. 

Some changes, however, involve stepping away from rote expectations of the past. Even after less than three years in the game, I have seen improvements in the safety of weapons and fighting styles. The Realms is more dietary restriction conscious than many restaurants I’ve been to, and some feastocrats are trying to find even more ways to allow people to enjoy food at their events. Even the wording of the Omnibus has changed and adapted over time.  

I know the way women and gender minorities interact with the game and community is changing as well. There are more leadership opportunities available across the board. There are some incredible female fighters continuing to teach the next generations how to work with their bodies, instead of against them. Support casters and fighters now more often work as a team rather than a main character and extra. Previously thankless tasks like kitchen work, garb making, and organization are becoming more recognized. 

Our broad experiences still differ, though, from the experiences of the bulk of the Realms population. Come join me this Friday to talk about our shared experiences, ways we know the Realms has changed for the better, and ways we want to keep our game growing and changing. 

What You Missed - Tournaments of Artemis XI

 Written by: Anna "Hedda" Hewitt, Maria "Liselle" Carr, & Sarah "Evie" Fournier

"The Tournaments of Artemis is a tournament designed to let the women and non-binary people of the realms take the lead on the field of battle with a variety of tournaments.  On this day, four Huntresses took up the challenge;  Hedda and Evitta led team Vater and Rowan and I led team Nature Related. Throughout the day, the huntresses got to show off their strategy and prowess both on and off the field from noncom trivia about women and non-binary people in the realms to combat tournaments like Huntressassin, Kill the Huntress, Danger Dice and Queen of the Tiny Hill.  It was a long grueling day and all the huntresses fought valiantly throughout. I am proud to have fought with the huntresses both by their side and against!  It was an amazing experience! Thank you to everyone who came out and fought with the huntresses!  You were all amazing!  I also want to thank everyone who marshaled and Huntresses Kiira, Shader, Elizah and Irri for putting this all together." 

- Liselle

Why I Want To Go - Tournaments of Artemis XI

Written by: Maria ‘Liselle’ Carr

I would be lying if I said I wasn’t excited for Tournaments of Artemis.  It’s a day of fighting, fun and competition that focuses on the leadership and skills of the Huntresses.  Everyone will be divided into two teams and there will be a variety of challenges, everything from war-maneuvers that may or may not have a twist to them, to squad battles and individual matchups. 

The challenges that the teams will face are always creative and well thought out. ‘Stay in your Lane’ and ‘Dungeon Danger Dice’ will be returning and are both different and formidable.  There are also going to be new tournaments such as ‘Group Tarnisha’s Challenge’ and ‘Teamwork’.

I have gone to this event for the past two years and it never ceases to amaze me how much thought and prep are put into the different tournaments.  While we were stuck inside last year, due to the rain, Natalia still made it fun and engaging where everyone fought hard and had a blast.  This year the weather is looking promising and all the tournaments should be outside, giving us space to run and kill each other.

Also, let's not forget the food!  Throughout the day there will be snacks and a late lunch/early dinner which is great since we will all be building an appetite.  The last part of the day will be awards and a small induction ceremony for the Huntresses. 

I can’t wait to meet the other Huntresses on the field, as I will be one of them.

What You Missed at Tournaments of Artemis

By: Kersten "Ypnn" Prince

(*) Pictures taken by the author
(#) Pictures taken by Aaron "Laird Sir Magus Rel Zhirah" Metzger


As a starting note, I am amongst the newest adventurers of the Realms, with Tournaments of Artemis being my second event. Bear in mind I am still learning a lot about the verbal and written language, however this is written as accurately as I can manage!

Upon arriving in my carriage with my team members for the tournament and entering the tournament's building, we were quickly guided to the arena area for the tournament. Having arrived a bit early, we had plenty of time to unload our equipment and get armor on the fighters. From various training sessions, myself and my team members had met a few other teams participating in the tournament that set up with us upon arrival, leading to friendly chatter and fighting warm ups during set up as well. Those leading the tournament announced as various enjoyments opened such as the casino as well as when those participating had to sign off on being present.

# Some of the Earliest Preparations for Team Ttnn, Crazy Cats, and Cimone's Wyverns.

* Practice between Drifter and Garen before the Tournament.

Come the sun's highest point, the tournament began with Huntresses such as myself being called to the tournament's organizer. She announced the first event - a grand melee - as well as informed us that following the fight we would be speaking of who our teams were and announcing our team names. Us Huntresses returned to our teams to announce the ongoings, and we soon began.

# The Huntresses and Supporters Were Randomly Organized into a Circle for the Grand Melee.

As it was very early in the day, I missed out on learning the identity of who won the grand melee, however after the rather quick fight we organized ourselves into teams. With a mention to there being a contest on who had the most creative team name, each Huntress was called upon to share their name, the names of their supporters, and the team's name. It was also announced that there would be an ongoing side event of archery, where each participant could gain points through testing the aim on circles.

# Cimone's Wyverns during the Team Announcements.

# Team Ttnn During the Team Announcements.

# Crazy Cats During the Team Announcements.

Following the events announcements, we began classic 4 v 4 team battles, going through a series of fights against the other teams.

# The Crazy Cats against Cimone's Wyverns during the 4 v 4's.

After the 4 v 4 tournaments, the next challenge was announced to the Huntresses - Each team, beginning on three spaces of a massive depiction of a to-be-owned island's map display, would slowly expand throughout the map and fight those they challenged of the opposing teams. The Huntress of the team that won, no matter the results of the Tournaments of Artemis, would be the Duchess of this island.

# A Moment During the Island Competition.

After a break following the island competition, the Huntresses and their supporters were split up. While the supporters played games in another room to win lives for the upcoming competition, the Huntresses engaged one on one combat. Switching from single shorts, through the three popular combos, to each Huntress' preferred combos or whichever combo the Huntress wishes to use for a particular fight.

As these fights came to a close, the supporters, having completed their games, had began a gaming of strength that involved attempting to use a rope to pull the opposing team to their side while the opposing team attempted the same. Following this event and a break for the Huntresses, a new game was introduced involving attempting to have your foot inside of a box for as long as possible. Huntresses began with a single short while the supporters ran searching for the solutions to clues to get a better combo for their Huntresses.

As the time since the sun had departed grew longer, we moved from fighting to feasting as Huntresses and supporters alike participated in a very complicated "pun" game. This involved being given two hints to find a joke version of a word or phrase relating these hints. Following this game and a short break, we moved along to our final challenge: A "King of the Hill" challenge where each team was attempting to have as many members on a large box when time was randomly called. Having been quite tired by this point, myself and Huntresses I knew prior to the event, Aoife and Cimone, agreed to work together to find some success during this challenge.

# A Moment during the Final Challenge.

Following this challenge, the winners were announced and prizes chosen. Many of us took the time to talk to the other teams, congratulate winners, and enjoy the vitality of the event. A thoroughly enjoyable event, I believe we all traveled home exhausted but happy.

What You Missed - Tournaments of Artemis - Picture Edition

All photos by View Staff

The Huntress Guild banners hang with pride

Shader explains some tournaments to the Huntresses

Teams lined up for the Grand Melee

Cimone's Wyverns, led by Cimone 

Rani's Rolling Rangers, led by Sayeh

Crazy Cats, led by Aoife

Three's Company, Four's a Crowd, led by Charlotte

Ya' Gotta Eat the Whole Thing, led by Bree

Team Titan, led by Yppn

Charlotte attempts the archery range

The Live Risk map 

More Live Risk 

Code Names in Guys Being Dudes

Oven Mitt and Crayon Pictionary in Guys Being Dudes

Tug of War

Combat during the Huntress Melee

More Huntress Melee

Duncan's Challenge but with People

More Duncan's Challenge but with People

  

Furiously figuring out clues during Scavenger Skirmish

Guarding the center point in Scavenger Skirmish

Savage combat in Queen of the Hill

The prize table

The awards ceremony

Huntress Guild History

In honor of the 8th Tournaments of Artemis, presented by the Huntress Guild, here is some historic information from the Huntress Guild's past.

In 2002 the original inception of the Huntress Guild was created by Tanja "Katasha" Johnson. It was her goal at the time to give female fighters a forum to practice together and encourage one another. The following is the original email she sent to the Realms OOC mailing list, on February 6th of 2002.


From: *****@aol.com
Subject: [OOC Realms] For the female fighters of the Realms (future and present)
To: oocrealms@lists.the-realms.net

First of all, I would like to say that I do not intend the following as male-bashing or anything of that connotation...  

It is a basic fact that there are very few active female fighters in the Realms.  Period.   I have already have spoken to a few of you about an idea that I have wanted to implement for quite awhile now, and so here I am, attempting to put it into gear...

There are many reasons why some women choose not to fight in the Realms, I won't pretend to know all of them.  But what I do know is that often females are either uncomfortable by practicing/ learning from males (and vice versa), don't have the time to learn different weapon combos outside of events after becoming mages or they don't know where to go to get a little direction.  Some may not understand this, but as a female fighter I know that women need to learn a little differently from men.  The center of balance thing, the extra breastages thing, as well as a general lack of arm strength in comparison to men.  I am not saying that we can not fight just as well, only that often it is easier to lose self confidence when my practice buddy Joe Shmo shows me that I need to swing a one hander with straight bicep and forearm muscle, rather than utilizing more wrist and loosened grip (ask me and I'll show you what I mean..).  Time and time again I have ! ! observed during the One Woman at QoH that everyone takes time to stop and show one another some tricks of the trade for different weapon combos that at least one person has never come in contact with before.  We always talk about how wonderful it would be to expand that interaction, but it never happens.  

In regards to all of the above, I intend to offer the services of the Huntress Guild this season...  the Huntress Guild will be a nonofficial OOC group that is comprised of those female fighters in the Realms that wish to make a concerted effort in the development of more female fighters.  The idea behind this is to provide a period of pre-announced time during events (whether it be part of a dinner break, or the hour before the event officially starts, etc.) where a group of us will make ourselves available for fighter practice and interaction.  The practice itself is OOC, so any females who would like to try new weapon combos or get some practice on old ones will have an option.  
This concept is not based on saying who is horrible or who is better, it is based on a need for production and cultivation of those out there who would like a chance to do something different and have not had the initiative or an opprtunity.  There's absolutely NOTHING wrong with fighting with a dagger all day long, but have you ever wanted to learn something different?  Know what to do if you're an NPC or PC and have a polearm thrown your way to use? How 'bout a sword and shield? Florentine?

This is an option.  Use it if you want, or don't.  We'll still be practicing :)

If you are interested in participating, or have any questions, please email me ******@aol.com
Thanks for your time,

Tanja aka Katasha of Folkestone 


Many years later, in 2011, Alysha "Kyntela" Metcalf relaunched the Huntress Guild for a new era of Realms female fighters. This was her email sent to the OOC Realms list on May 10, 2011.

From: *******@gmail.com
Subject: [OOC Realms] The Huntress Guild
To: oocrealms@lists.realmsnet.net

To the women of the Realms:

At the Knights of the Eternal Flame tournaments this past February I was excited to compete against several women in the One Woman tournament. Again this April, at the Coronation of King Cecil, the One Woman tournament consisted of more than just one round. It is rare that the list for this tournament exceeds a handful of sign-ups, yet the tournament season thus far has already shown promise. In my ideal world, the One Woman tournament would have just as many sign-ups as the One Man tournament, or the lines would be blurred altogether and all combatants would compete in a single One Person tournament.

To that end I am resurrecting the Huntress Guild. Tanja Johnson started the original Huntress Guild to encourage women in combat and foster a positive environment for women who wanted to learn to fight. My goal is the same. Myself and other like-minded women of the Realms want to promote combat among women. We recognize many factors that keep women from involving themselves in combat, and strive to overcome the many obstacles that face women who want to fight.

The Huntress Guild is open to all women, whether you’re a fighter or spell caster. Since the practices will be OOC, you can break your weapon restriction. The Huntress Guild will be about achieving personal goals. Whether you’re a fighter whose goal is to learn a new style, a caster who has always wanted to pick up a pike, or anything in between, our practices will provide the environment for you to do so. It will be a place to learn, as well as to teach, and it is my hope that any woman who joins us will take away something positive from every practice.

The Huntress Guild practices will be held during dinner breaks and other periods of downtime at events. We will be holding our first practice at Green and Gold XIII (May 21-22) during dinner break. I invite all women to join us for this inaugural practice. We will have further information and details available at that time, including a list of events we plan on holding a practice. In the mean time, please feel free to contact us with any questions.

Thank you,

Alysha/Squire Kyntela

Contact:
Alysha Metcalf  *******@gmail.com
Jen DeNardis   ******@gmail.com


One more glance back into history - this is the tri-fold pamphlet that Alysha created and distributed to announce the relaunch of the Huntress Guild. The artwork that appears on the cover of the pamphlet was created by Alysha's father, J.S. Metcalf.

This link will take you to a full sized PDF of the pamphlet 

What You Missed - Tournaments of Artemis VII

Huntress Team Captain Bree (Siona Gouthro):

Nataliya pushed me to run a Huntress team this year and I cannot thank her enough. This is the realms at it’s best. I spent the event with some of the best people I know. I was pushed by the other huntresses beyond what I thought I could do. I was taught that I know my teammates both better and worse than I thought I did. And the attitudes between the teams was wonderful. This is what I want to do. I want to spend time with my friends, be challenged by my peers and leave thinking these are people I want to know better than I do. I want to do this all again. Just not for awhile cause it is Monday night and it still hurts to move. 

Team Bree (and Killian) (photo by Jason Rosa)

Huntress Team Captain Kite (Alexa Lecko):

First off, I want to say thank you to Damien, Daegan, Sean Angus and Ranger for being on my team and wading with me into the fun chaos that was this event. I couldn’t have done it without you guys’ tireless support and I couldn’t have asked for anyone better in my corner. I also want to thank Shader, the marshals, and everyone who worked hard to make this event such a success. This year’s Huntress Tournaments were incredible in many ways. I’ve only just recovered range of motion in my limbs for how hard we were all fighting—that battle for the point was brutal and exhilarating. I haven’t fought this hard in a long time, and despite battling a cold and borderline anemia I really enjoyed going all out. 

The energy at the event was great—highly competitive, yet full of warmth and camaraderie. Fight after grueling fight, we all had nothing but friendliness and praise for each other. Bree, Kara and I struggled together as much as we struggled against each other, laughing with every surprising result, wild strike, and floor wipeout (mostly on my end). They were welcome and very formidable rivals. My only wish for next year is there to be a little more streamlining of the background activities between tournaments, as we ended up running a little behind in completing them. Otherwise, this was an energetic, challenging event, and I am very excited for its next iteration. Plus, I got a knife and a dragon! 

KFSS 

Kite

Team Kite (photo by Jason Rosa)

Huntress Team Captain Kara (Emily Murphy):

ToA was amazing this year! My team consisted of Torolf, Saegan, Gordon, and Daekara (who was added to help keep the teams even while still having people playing and having fun) and I couldn’t have asked for better people, both fighting wise and general personality wise. The other teams were phenomenal too! They worked clearly as a unit and were very clean throughout the entire day. But, the entire event wouldn’t have even happened if it weren’t for the staff. They put in time and work into making ToA really fun this year. The tournaments were well designed and the non-coms were really fun to play! I would also like the thank Eldrich (Neil Kusleika) for bringing food. In short, ToA was great this year, and if your thinking about running a team next year: Do it!

Team Kara (photo by Jason Rosa)

Event Photos:

Photo by Paul Tilton 

Photo by Paul Tilton

Photo by Paul Tilton

Photo by Paul Tilton

Photo by Paul Tilton

Photo by Paul Tilton

Winner: Kara! (Photo by Paul Tilton)

What You Missed - Tournaments of Artemis VI

[Editor's Note: all photos by View Staff]

The Neden Carnival provided some entertainment and snacks

Team Respecting Women, lead by Kite

Team Legion of Lupa, lead by Lupa

Team Quinntessemtial, lead by Quinn 

Team Fake Newbs, lead by Nhadala (plus Kite's team and Aeston!)

Team Mongoose Cult, lead by Katya 

Team Snek, lead by Freya

The Huntresses gather to hear important tourney information

Quinn faces down her foe

Nhadala battles it out

Team Thunderstorm, lead by Kara

Kara unleashes her lightening 

Freya guides her teammate through the obstacle course in a team challenge

Team challenge: boulder volleyball

Legion of Lupa and Thunderstorm face off for control of the box

Battling for control of the square

Freya v. Quinn

Congratulations to the winning Huntress, Lupa!