by: Tucker "Temorse" Noyes
I’ve been to many Blackwood Tournaments, but this year was a special one. This year followed the previous years' format, and I was just as much of a fan this year as last year. The weekend saw a great deal to enjoy: fierce competition, new and innovative tournaments, ridiculous games, delicious food, and very hot weather. It was a joy to see a broad swath of the community gather and celebrate each others' victories throughout the weekend.
Friday night saw the return of the Fated Arena, although this was my first experience with it. Around twenty intrepid adventurers, from seasoned veterans to greenhorns seeking to make a name for themselves were dispersed around the area in the dark of night, all seeking to survive the arena’s hazards and their fellow adventurers for as long as possible with a limited number of lives. A variety of strategies were implemented, from scaling buildings to hiding caches of equipment, from fighting monsters to starting a new career as a weapons merchant. Eventually there could be only one, with Killian being the only one to survive to the very end, with only a single life remaining.
On Saturday we began with a more traditional set of tournaments with a mix of increasingly interesting ones as the day went on. The field of the competitors was quite a diverse one. Maybe I’m just getting older, but I felt challenged in every single fight throughout the day, both for the more silly ones and for the more competitive ones. Watching the fights was almost as much fun as competing in them. The fish slappery tournament stood out as one of the more fun ones to watch, and I am always partial to a bog-standard sword and shield tournament, despite being eliminated in round one. We were graced with some delicious and refreshing snacks from the kitchen during this time, which was a welcome boon in the heat of the day.
There were also some things happening throughout the day that I missed. Some purple dragon folks showed up to cause some trouble. Makhta engaged in some vampire antics. The Nemesis Wraiths showed up for some more fighting for those who hadn’t gotten enough yet. There were also some dungeon-like tournaments: the rogues dungeon, alchemist dungeon, and a scavenger hunt challenge from what I heard. While I didn’t participate in those, I heard many, many good things.
Following a long hot day of fighting was a short court, dinner, games, and general revelry. I unexpectedly missed court, but from what I learned various individuals were honored with Blackwood Scales, a warrior from Blackwood East was knighted, squires were taken, and nations were joined. Shortly after this, a delicious meal was served and a night of games and revelry began. The revelry started with the premier of the Blackwood Drag Show. The performers were enthusiastic and entertaining, and the show was a success. There was gambling to be had, as well as the social deduction of Dark Deeds and the improved stylings of the Bard Bellows games to enjoy. There was also a special edition of Nay Poxy Knave, where I graciously allowed the joint forces of the Realms to defeat me, allowing some group catharsis after the devastation that occurred at Pressure Point. The merriment lasted well into the wee hours of the morning for those who were up for it.
Sunday saw the tournaments continue and wrap up. The Goblin Hoards tournament was as unexpected as it was enjoyable. The Epic Swings tournament was its own…unique form of entertainment with an eclectic set of styles from its participants. Perhaps, as some would argue, the climax of the event was the hot dog eating contest. Never before have I seen a feasting tournament involve so much cleverness, treachery, and intestinal fortitude as we watched Jasper absolutely devour a quintet of franks. In the end he both literally and figuratively stood, be-glizziled, head and shoulders above his competition, finishing in less than half the time of his competitors.
At the end of the day the points were totaled and we all gathered to hear the results. While I’m sure a full list of winners may be published, the three main honorifics were Slayer, Skald, and Archmage. In the end, Shandar took the title of Slayer, Killian took the title of Archmage and Grindin took the title of Skald. Congratulations to those two, and all those others who showered themselves in glory throughout the weekend.
In full, I look forward to the tournaments next year. It is always a great pleasure to enjoy the rigorous competition and strengthen the social bonds with my fellow Realmsonian.
Temorse
