Mark your calendars for the weekend of June 19-21 as the Shire of Port Oasis is trying something new. Hosting an all tournament event to showcase pageantry and inspiration as well as honor and prowess. When asked what sparked the idea for a different type of event, Lord Olaf Steinabrjotr, co-autocrat for the event, said, “The model of this event was conceived out of a few of us talking when we discussed the lack of pageantry and the lack of tournaments in our southern reaches of the kingdom, and also the fact that we would have to travel outside the kingdom to get to an event.”

There is a full day of tournaments scheduled and announced:

• Bertie Beetle Tourney
  • Each fighter has to cut off an opponent’s body part. The purpose is to collect a whole fighter by body part. (Head, body, left leg, right leg, left arm, right arm). Once a needed blow is landed, the bout ends. All opponents continue to fight other bouts (AKA Round Robin) until a fighter collects a whole body. If an opponent is wounded with a body part already collected, the bout continues. If the opponent is killed with a headshot, the bout ends. All forms acceptable.
• Roman Style Grand Melee Tournament
  • All in melee. last two standing combatants will do best two out of three.
• Olaf’s Polearm Challenge
  • Single elimination pole arm tournament. First combatant to score 3 killing blows against an opponent will advance. Arm shots are ignored during this tournament.
• William Marshal Tourney
  • Each fighter is given five coins. Then a Round Robin structure of tourney is held. Each “loss” of a bout requires the fighter to give up one coin to the winner. Once the fighter runs out of coins, they are eliminated from the tourney. The winner is the fighter with all (or a predetermined amount of) the coins. AKA: Ransom Tourney. Round robin or speed tournament depending on amount of combatants
• Basic Single Elimination Tournament
  • All forms are welcome.
• The Final Tournament
  • A double elimination tournament fought in the same fashion as crown tournament.
  • Each match will be a best 2 out of 3 to advance farther.
  • The final bout between the top combatants will be the best 3 out of 5 in each of the different forms : weapon and shield, two weapon, great sword, pole arm, spear.
    

    Co-Autocrat Lord Olafr fighting tournament-style. Photo by Master Alexandair

The final tournament will be comprised of the winners from each of the five tournaments as well as a sixth combatant that will be chosen to enter the list based on the deeds and chivalric values demonstrated throughout the tournaments.

Not a fighter? Never fear! Port Oasis has also come up with a Day of Tournaments for the Arts & Sciences crowd which has a little something built in for everyone.

• The Water Tournament
  • Our shire’s heraldry features a boat and water.  Our spring event was canceled due to water related issues, but in mid June’s heat we’ll most likely welcome some extra water to cool off.  This tournament will honor the many aspects of water in any non-performance medium.
• The Period Technology Tournament
  • Let’s illuminate the populace’s knowledge of period technology!  Please share your working pieces, models, blueprints, research and other items of technological interest from anywhere within the known world of our period.
• The Handout Tournament
  • To make up for a lack of class offerings, we are offering the Handout Tournament.  This means that those who would have attended your class wont have to decide between two activities, and you don’t have to worry about space or pre-approval from those in charge of the event.
• The War Preparations Tournament
  • For this tournament, please show us any pieces that are related to period wars (such as a specific battle, people involved in a war, etc) but also anything created for warfare in the Modern Middle Ages such as your period camp equipment, garb meant just for war, war meals, fighter kits, photos of handmade pavillions, etc.  Please be creative and include any references that you have for this.
• The Bardic Tournament
  • The Bardic Tournament will be judging for a period performance and an original performance.  Any performance art (music, story, poem, dance, juggling, etc.) is welcome for either tournament.  These will be judged by the populace.

There are Archery and Thrown Weapons Tournaments in the works as well. The full event announcement and more details can be found here.