by Renee "Kindrianna" Booke
For twenty-five years warriors of the Realms have gathered to test their combat prowess, their knowledge of strategy, their craftsmanship and their love of pageantry at Queen of Hearts; and this coming weekend they will gather again for the twenty-sixth time. Teams will compete for the honor of their respective Queens, and dare I say…legends shall be born!
Queen of Hearts has been a staple of our community for at least as long as I can remember. It features a combination of traditional team war maneuvers (ex. Bridge, Castle and Field Battles), unique and fun team tournaments, (ex. Targetball, Water Missile Melee, Rhiassan Live Chess) Individuals, and small group combat tournaments, as well as a variety of non-combat tournaments (Strategist, Loremaster, Foamsmith, and Armourer etc). The diverse array of tournaments keeps competitors on their toes and allows opportunities for teams to play to their different strengths. It also makes the tournament enjoyable for folks who may want to help or contribute to a team but don’t necessarily enjoy the demands of combat.
Personally, I love to go and witness the creative efforts of fellow craftspeople and cheer on my friends. I adore having the opportunity to push myself to achieve personal bests and encourage others to do the same. Queen of Hearts is a great venue for all of these things, but it is also a wonderful place to see the triumphs of people you may barely know and celebrate them anyway. This tends to be one of those events that people tell stories from years later, so you’ll never know what epic moments you might miss.
I also hear that this year Queen of Hearts will be offering entertainment for the younger adventurers through Rhiassan Cub Care. Kids can create themed craft activities and/or go on an adventure as part of the Page’s Tournament. Parents take note: Your children may or may not be traveling back to the time of the dinosaurs by way of a magical treehouse!
All in all, it’s going to be a fun time with lots to do, friends to fight, creations to behold, and court to witness. This continually evolving event has something for everyone. Can’t wait to see you all on the field!
P.S. If you want to see more detailed information about the
tournaments and scoring, head on over to
Rhiassa's Website!