The Second Day Lists

[Deleted]

"Men usually fight in 'teams' at the start of a melee, Addam," Garrett said in a low voice. "My brothers and I will be fighting together. You have no one. Would you like to join us?"

[Lord Rhodri Arryn]

Ser Timm Vikary, Ser Vikter Jast and Ser Syward Spicer gallop into the lists and ride around the series of bleachers, boxes and pavilions. Vikary, while a Westerman by birth, is now among the honored Kingsguard, and wears his white armor with great pride. With his fellow Kingsguard Estermont shamed by a first tilt fall, it is up to him to defend the honor of his institution. Jast and Spicer are both Goldhands, Customs Officers who wield increasing authority under the directions of Lord Bettley.

Outside the lists, three more challengers await: the first is Ser Felwick Gower, a massive axeman riding a destrier bred to bear his weight. He is Master-at-Arms of Storm's End, and bears a black, white and gold shield with armor tinted to match. He is joined by Ser Galwyn Fell, a striking opposite -- a slender man on a fast mount, Fell is famed for his horsemanship and feats as an outrider in the War of Stag and Dragon. His shield is green and black, with a white crescent moon. The final challenger is young Edric Dondarrion, squire to Rhodri Royce, and cousin to the King's former Hand. Dondarrion carries a shield with the famous forked lightening on a starry sky, but his horse is draped in the Redspear's colors -- red and bronze.

[serdonaltyrell]

Addam looked across to Garrett. "Well as I am wearing the colours of the Vale it would be rude not to, Ser. What is the protocal for later in the Melee when the numbers are thinned out however?"

[Deleted]

Garrett grinned. "If you survive to that round, it's every man for himself."

[guest1]

Prince Elesters team will be following: Himself, Ser Arron Fowler, (Son of Lord Fowler) who arrived to Storm's End as a part of his entourage and Lucian Martell. (Presuming he will grat me the honor of fighting beside him.)

[Lord Rhodri Arryn]

Going forward, please shift melee signups and such to the new thread.

[Axell Lannister]

The bastard of Riverrun grinned toothily. He had expected the answer.
"Farewell then. Good luck friends."

[Princess Ariel Targaryen]

The Contest of Champions wore to a close, until Edrick Dondarrion unseated Ser Galwyn Fell to claim victory. The crowd began to cheer loudly.

Emelia smiled and clapped her hands loudly for the Squire's victory, turning to Lord Rhodri approvingly. "Your squire was well chosen, my Lord, though I'll not wager he'll remain a squire for much longer. And the Stormlands knights have won a legend this day that will not be soon forgotten."

She turned her face back towards the Squire who had become the hero of the day, a small smile on her lips. Shajura's glance at the boy, of course, was positively predatory.

[Horas]

"Clever Stormlanders," Kennos Keath's voice could be heard from the crowd, a trifle mockingly "Waiting until all the challengers were done before taking their turns. Didn't exactly have to defend their titles, did they?"

[Lord Rhodri Arryn]

"Aye", replies Ser Brandon Buckler, a Stormlander himself, "I would have too but the Redroyce chose me as a champion."

[Lord Rhodri Arryn]

The final afternoon of jousting had been a triumph of pageantry and skill. After the Lonmouth-Kidwell affair was resolved, the jousters took once more to the lists, with three Westermen challenging the standing champions. Warren Blackwood, the pagan of Raventree, continued his fine display, humiliating Ser Spicer in a single pass, but Donal Tyrell, the Mace of Oldtown, fared not as well against Spicer's goldhand comrade, Ser Vikter Jast. Jast unhorsed him with a heavy blow on their third pass.

The bout that drew the most attention of the three was the Whitecloak Ser Timm Vikary against the graying Ser Robert Royce. Royce had defended his shield ably throughout the first day, doing honor to the Vale. But Vikary was chosen to the Kingsguard wisely; his lance splintered Royce's shield, breaking the Valeman's arm. Vikary had reclaimed the "Knight of the Greathelm" champion's pole first occupied by his fellow Kingsguard Garrett Estermont.

[Lord Rhodri Arryn]

With the final three challengers entering the lists, four champions sat ahorse watching them choose their foes. Ser Felwick Gower, a mountain of a man on a huge shaggy horse drove his lance into the raven-clad shield of Warren Blackwood, breaking it in two. Ser Galwyn Fell showed more grace, lightly tapping upon the white shield of Ser Vikary. The final choice fell to the young squire, Edrick Dondarrion -- Ser Vikter Jast, a stranger from thousands of leagues away, or Ser Giles Grandison, who resided in the same castle and practiced tilting with Dondarrion every day?

Dondarrion chose Jast, preserving the hope that the four champions could all be Stormlanders. Ser Giles Grandison was now, for all time, the Knight of the Silver Spurs. Few men could have earned it so well, fighting from the beginning of the tourney to the end. The respect for him amongst his foes clearly rose from the start to the end; it seemed challengers could not line up deep enough for a chance at him the first day, but he was avoided completely on the second. He did not have a chance to ride forth with the six silken favors he had collected the night before.

The crowd hushed as six chargers stormed into the lists, a field of dust and rumbling earth as six lances collided with metal. The first passes in each match were inconclusive; Dondarrion struck Jast square, but all six men stayed in their saddles for the second passes. The second pass featured a stunning blow; young Dondarrion smashed Jast from the saddle, and became the most stunning champion of the tourney, the Knight of the Blade.

The next champion was determined on the fourth pass. Ser Galwyn Fell, the best horseman of the Stormlands, drove the Kingsguard Ser Timm Vikary into the dirt, Vikary's pure white armor now coated in dust. The crowd cheered loudly for the local hero, and the cheers continued as Gower and Blackwood continued their epic confrontation, now in its fifth pass.

On the fifth, sixth and seventh passes Gower struck true, but it wasn't until the seventh that Blackwood could no longer continue, exhausted from a long day at the lists and finally driven from his horse. All the crowd agreed it was the finest contest yet, and Blackwood, not even a knight, had earned respect for his performance in the tourney.

Galwyn Fell was proclaimed the Knight of the Greathelm and Gower the Knight of the Greatshield.

All four champions were Stormlanders. The roar of the crowd could be heard from the Drum Tower to the Kingswood, the Rain Wood to Blackwater Bay.

[Lord Rhodri Arryn]

Trumpets sounded from each end of the lists. The four men, the Champions of Storm's End, rode their steeds around the crowd, receiving the adoration of the masses, and the envy of their fellow knights. The ceremony was simple, yet grand. The four horseman sat in their saddles in front of the High Box, and dipped their lances to Lord Rhodri Redroyce and Princess Emelia Martell. [Note: this is happening late in the second day, and Emelia's news regarding the raid on Dorne would not come until that night's dinner.]

Four great prizes were born forth by pages. A massive ceremonial shield, with a fully engraved image of the cliffs of Storm's End, was presented to Ser Felwick Gower, a man large enough that he might even be able to bear it in battle. He would henceforth be called the "Knight of the Greatshield."

A towering greathelm, forged of brilliant, flashing steel, was awarded to Ser Galwyn Fell, the lithe cavalier who had defeated the Kingsguard. He accepted the honor with a bow and a smile, and a thousand maidens swooned. He was henceforth the "Knight of the Greathelm".

To Ser Giles Grandison, the Waking Lion, was a grand gift, a set of silver spurs. But that was not all; an ostler walked in a tall, black stallion, a great warhorse for a young knight destined for greatness. Lord Valwert Grandison, his father and Castellan of Storm's End, looked beside himself with joy. Witnesses close to him in the stands swore they saw tears roll down the salty old man's cheeks.

Edrick Dondarrion was the greatest surprise of the champions; a young man, squire to Lord Rhodri since Rhodri had joined Dondarrion's house four years ago. It was true he venerated the skills of the knight he served and strove to be as good a rider, but he was so young and green that his victory over the veteran Ser Vikter Jast had been stunning. His prize was to be called "Knight of the Blade", though he began the day unknighted. That, of course, changed -- Lord Rhodri Royce knighted him to the cries and cheers of the entire crowd, the second squire to earn knighthood upon the lists of Storm's End.

After the celebration and the fanfare, the four men rode back to the ends of the list. There was still fighting to do -- the Contest of Champions.

[Lord Rhodri Arryn]

The four defenders of Storm's End lined up quickly for the Contest of Champions. While this tourney would be remembered longest for the challenge between Kid Death and the Star-Eyed Knight, to win such a tourney was its own immortality. Grandison, whose reputation had climbed so high at this tourney, started well enough, scoring a hit on Dondarrion in their second pass, but was stunned when Dondarrion's lance drove under his shield on the third pass, earning victory for the newly knighted young man. Afterwards, Grandison rued not shifting to the magnificent black horse he had just been gifted.

Between Gower and Fell, two allies who had fought together in the War of Stag and Dragon, it was the better horseman who won out. Gower was a fearsome man, it was true, but Fell was natural in the saddle, and could evade the powerful charges of Gower well enough to win after five passes.

It left the finals to two men: Ser Edrick Dondarrion, his sparking gold and ruby sword at his waist, against the Knight of the Greathelm, Ser Galwyn Fell. The crowd was stunned when in a single pass the Lord Redroyce's former squire smashed Fell from his horse to claim the ultimate prize.

Lord Rhodri Redroyce rose cheering from his box, and in a grand ceremony, awarded a gilded spear -- the same spear he had used to hold Kid Death and the Star-Eyed Knight apart, since nothing else was at hand -- to young Edrick, and embraced the young man. All agreed it was a most exciting tournament.

[Lord Rhodri Arryn]

To the shock of the assembled crowd, Ser Edrick Dondarrion names Shajura, the Summer Island woman seated near the Princess Emelia, as the tourney's Queen of Love and Beauty.