Too shortly after dawn on Thursday 28 Jun 01, twelve bold warlords and two audacious warladies gathered in the Belmont Room to challenge each other for the throne of the Island of Marnon, wresting it from the absent King Navolis, the 2000 Champion. In accordance with the Rules of Challenge, the claimants were divided among three boards by Master of the Tourney Lord Bolduc, with two from each board to advance to the final showdown.

Round 1 had two five-player boards and one four-player board. Board 1 had Lord Paul Bolduc, 1999 champion ex-King Brooks Beyma, Lord Chris Le Fevre, Lord Brad Jones, and Lord Victor Hogen. Board 2 had Lord William Duke, Lord
Steve Scott, Lord Dan Farrow, Lady Verity Hitchings, and Lord Larry Lingle. Board 3 had Lady Katherine Hitchings, Lord Paul Saunders, Lord David Metzger Jr, and Lord Robert Eastman.

One innovation this year was the awarding of "Orcbait" and "Dragonfood" certificates to the players in each game that were munched most by frenzying orcs and the dragon, respectively. A second innovation was to allow the inclusion of the blank petition card in the deck and then to roll a random event when it was drawn. Three of the four games employed this rule.

BOARD 1 (playing with the Blank Rule). Ex-King Beyma captured the first treasure, his ring, as the fourth player in Turn 2, Lord Hogen responded in kind to capture his chest despite the Wizard denying him one man. Lord Bolduc recovered his crown on Turn 3. Lord LeFevre recovered his chest on Turn 4 and Lord Bolduc was the first to score two when he captured his ring; Lord Hogen again displeased the Wizard to the tune of one man. On Turn 5, Lord Bolduc suffered the Wizard's displeasure to the the tune of two men. On Turn 6 did Lord Jones capture his crown and ex-King Beyma his chest; both
Lords LeFevre and Hogen did suffer the Wizard's total displeasure and Lord LeFevre did move the last of Lord Bolduc's treasures. On Turn 7, Lord Hogen captured his second treasure, his ring; the Blank card appeared this turn and resulted in a "Move Dragon to the territory of your choice," and Lord Bolduc moved Lord Beyma's treasure. Turn 8 saw three treasures captured, Lord Jones taking his chest, Lord LeFevre his crown, and ex-King Beyma his crown to win; meanwhile Lord Hogen again moved Lord Bolduc's last treasure and Lord Bolduc experienced the Wizard's minor displeasure, losing a man. The
fighting continued since a second challenger was needed. On Turn 9, Lord Bolduc reluctantly eliminated Lord Hogen (,"He put his only army in the direct line between me and my treasure. I hated to do it to a rookie -- he may not be back next year, because of this -- but mistakes must be punished!)." Lord Jones suffered the Wizard's displeasure for two men. On Turn 10, Lord LeFevre finished the struggle by taking his ring as the first player in the turn. Thus ex-King Beyma and Lord Jones advanced to the Final. Lord LeFevre won the Dragonfood award with 13 men lost and Lord Jones took the Orcbait
prize with 19 losses. The Wizard most detested Lord Hogen's protestations, fining him all once and one man once.

BOARD 2: On Turn 1, did the Wizard first display his annoyance at the petty petitions of the players by denying Lady Verity a man and Lord Lingle two men (continuing his loathing from last year's Tourney, it seems). On Turn 2, Lady Verity captured her chest, but Lord Farrow also gained his ring. On Turn 3, Lord Farrow captured his chest (his second), Lord Duke captured his crown, Lady Verity captured her crown (her second), and Lord Lingle captured his ring. On Turn 4, Lord Duke captured his crown. Turn 5 saw Lord Scott capture his ring. Turn 6 had Lord Scott pick up his ring (his second). Turn 7 brought closure to the situation as Lady Verity won by capturing her ring and Lord Scott earned second by capturing his chest. Lord Scott was awarded the Dragonfood title with ten men lost and Lord Farrow the Orcbait with 14, since Lord Lingle uncharacteristically left the field early. The Wizard was displeased most with, if the scribe can be believed, Lord Lingle, with two lost on Turn 1 and no one losing any thereafter. This was the sole game not to use the "Blank card" option.

BOARD 3: This turned out to be the most vexious board of all, although it did play the "Blank option". On Turn 1, did Lord Metzger claim his crown, despite the Wizard denying him one troop and Lady Kathrine all. On Turn 2, Peacemaker denied Lord Metzger two more extra men. On Turn 4 did Lady Katherine snag her ring, but also did Lord Saunders lose two troops at the Wizard's whim, still, did Lord Metzger move the Wizard and Lord Eastman move the Dragon. On Turn 5 Lord Metzger captured his second treasure, ring, and Lord Eastman his chest with Lord Eastman again moving the loathesome Wyrm. On Turn 6 Lady Katherine captured her second treasure, her crown. Turn 7 saw Lord Eastman capture his second treasure and two more were moved. On Turn 8, Lord Eastman was eliminated, having been attacked by both dragon and orcs. Turn 10 ended the pain of the treasureless Lord Saunders who was eliminated by the Wyrm while Lady Katherine did suffer the Wizard's total displeasure. Finally, on Turn 12, after the Dragon ate 27 orcs and three of her men, Lady Katherine eked out the victory with the orcs controlling 32 of the 36 territories. Lord Metzger earned his entry to the finals by merely surviving. Lord
Saunders was awarded the Dragonfood certificate with 13 eaten and Lady Katherine & Lord Metzger both were named Orcbait with 17 losses each. The Blank card did not appear. The Dragon ate an incredible 99 orcs!

The final thus featured ex-King Beyma, Ladies Katherine and Verity Hitchings, and Lords Jones, Metzger, and Scott. It too employed the "Blank Card" Option.

FINAL: On Turn 1, ex-King Beyma lost two men to the Wizard's displeasure. On Turn 2 lord Metzger captured his chest, Lady Verity her ring, and Lady Katherine came one man short of capturing one of her treasures while Lord Jones suffered the Wizard,'s total displeasure. The Blank card also appeared, yielding a "no effect" result. On Turn 3, Lord Jones and ex-King Beyma captured their crowns while Lord Scott lost two men and Lord Metzger all for haranguing the Wizard. On Turn 4, Lord Scott again lost one man to the Wizard's whim. On Turn 5, many mighty deeds were performed as Lord Metzger captured his crown, Lord Scott secured his chest, Lord Jones, having held off a determined assault on Castle 2 by Lady Verity, recoverd his ring by storming Lady Verity's Castle 4, and Lady Katherine captured her chest. Two treasures were also moved out of harm's immediate way. Turn 6 saw ex-King Beyma and Lord Scott join Lord Meztger as leaders by capturing their chest and crown respectively. Turn 7 saw no captures but much repositioning of pieces as two treasures, the Dragon, and the Wizard were moved, while Lord Metzger did again suffer the Wizard's total displeasure and Lord Scott lost two more men also. On Turn 8 Lady Verity captured her chest, Lord Metzger did again lose one man to the Wizard's whim, and ex-King Beyma slew Lady
Katherine's hero who was guarding the passage to his third treasure. On Turn 9 the question was decided as ex-King Beyma recovered his ring and his throne to earn the right to rule Marnon.

The struggle continued to determine the new Royal pecking order with Lord Metzger again forfeiting all his men to the Wizard on Turn 10, Lords Jones and Scott losing one and two respectively on Turn 11, and Lady Katherine all on Turn 12. Lady Verity captured her final Treasure as the first player on Turn 12, followed shortly by Lords Metzger and Scott in the same turn. Fifth and sixth places were adjudicated to Lord Jones and Lady Katherine respectively. Lady Katherine was dubbed "Dragonfood" for her 16 losses and Lord Scott earned the "Orcbait" title for 22 losses. The Blank card came up twice, once moving the dragon (Turn 10) and once for a "no effect". Twas certain that Peacemaker did detest Lord Metzger the most,
perhaps because his scraggly beard was in so stark a contrast to the Wizard's own white, flowing one.

Thanks to all the players, and especial thanks to Paul Saunders and Dan Farrow, the Assistant Tournament Directors. Bob Eastman was nominated for the sportsmanship award for hanging in there after he was eliminated to maintain superb game notes.