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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#000000 size=3>Guardian of the Gauntlet</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#000000 size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#000000 size=3>Thirty stout hearts came to face the gauntlet.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#000000 size=3>Challenges were four.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#000000 size=3>Chance in the guise of a proxy where everyone laughed.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#000000 size=3>Knowledge of history and war in two out of three.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#000000 size=3>Martial challenges were of past glories and new.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#000000 size=3>Three challenges were defeated by nine and awarded with a new chance.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#000000 size=3>With two, Chance found ally with a prepared mind and a strong arm were awarded one additional life.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#000000 size=3>With the gauntlet behind them, challengers faced each other.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#000000 size=3>There could be only one.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#000000 size=3>Seven times victors faced each other.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#000000 size=3>Many succeeded and were surprised by the chance awarded redo.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#000000 size=3>Two continued to the end of three lives.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#000000 size=3>And so the story continues.</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT color=#000000><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Don Avery Shaw faced Don </FONT><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Christoforo Antonio Passavanti in the finals. Don Christoforo was undefeated and had been awarded a redo. Don Avery had one loss and no redos.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT color=#000000>Don Christoforo yielded his “redo” and gained honor.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT color=#000000>After two hard fought and very entertaining fights Don Avery Shaw is the newest Guardian of the Gauntlet.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT color=#000000>Honorable mention to Cadets Kelly and Brian as the two last cadets standing and making the quarter finals.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT color=#000000>Special thanks to Don Alaric, Don Sebastian as previous Gauntlet holders for bringing unique challenges to this Guardian.</FONT></SPAN></P><BR><BR>
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Date: Sun, 4 May 2008 13:52:02 -0500<BR>From: james@crouchet.com<BR>To: ansteorra-rapier@lists.ansteorra.org<BR>Subject: Re: [Ansteorra-rapier] Vivats for several fencers at Guardian of the Gauntlet / Iron Star<BR><BR>BTW, who is the new Guardian of the Gauntlet?<BR><BR>CD<BR><BR>
<DIV class=EC_gmail_quote>On Sun, May 4, 2008 at 1:50 PM, James Crouchet <<A href="mailto:james@crouchet.com">james@crouchet.com</A>> wrote:<BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE class=EC_gmail_quote style="PADDING-LEFT: 1ex">Thank you, Master Robin. This is a great report for those of us who could not be there. I hope we see more great acts of chivalry, courtesy and prowess at the upcoming Squires & Cadets.<BR><BR>Christian Dore
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<DIV class=EC_gmail_quote>On Sun, May 4, 2008 at 11:20 AM, Jay Rudin <<A href="mailto:rudin@ev1.net">rudin@ev1.net</A>> wrote:<BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE class=EC_gmail_quote style="PADDING-LEFT: 1ex">I've returned from the event, and several fencers caught my attention.<BR><BR>Don Dyryke, Don Sebastian. As previous winners of the Gauntlet, they each took the field and faced thirty opponents, one after another.<BR><BR>Don Alaric. Reminding us that our focus is more than just fencing, Alaric challenged each entrant by asking questions about period military history.<BR><BR>Giovanni of the Steppes. Facing me in the first round, he won the fight. He struck my neck when my blade hit (and bounced off of) my arm. I walked off content. But he wasn't. He realized that my shot had bounced into his chest, so he came up to me, and then the list mistress, to re-fight his first tourney victory over a Don, because he wanted honor more than victory.<BR><BR>Lady (?) Caitlin. Is there a more fun fight anywhere in the kingdom? She came up for pick-ups, and more than held her own against me in my furious, run-around, closing-fast style of fight. Her skills are slowly growing to match her level of fun -- no small feat.<BR><BR>Vyolante. Fairly new, she entered both the Guardian of the Gauntlet and a rather challenging bardic competition. But her willingness to help is strong enough that I had to find a replacement marshall for her so she could actually get to the bardic competition<BR><BR>Lord Brian ui William: No particular moment, but Brian always brings honor, respect and joy to our field. He is focused on his fencing, without ever losing sight of the fact that it's about more than a physical struggle. When he's there, the Star shines more brightly.<BR><BR>Delayed Banishment -- melee team of Prince Ulsted, Lord Corvin, Emmeline, Caitlin, and one other, (Somebody please supply the name. He / she deserves the word-fame. The team was formed on the day, from people who had not worked together and didn't even attend the same practice. With no White Scarves, they fought well together and placed into the finals. Well done!<BR><BR>Prince Ulsted. His Highness honored us by fighting in both the tourney and the melees. He turns out to be pretty darn good at protecting himself with a large shield. Who knew?<BR><BR>Baron Avery. In his first Iron Star melee, his opponents tried what seemed like a good tactic -- isolating Avery from his team. They sent two fencers to keep him busy. It worked reasonably well -- they forced him back and kept him away from the main melee. But while he was defending against them both, he was able to keep watching and directing the rest of his team -- giving commands that were winning the battle. That was probably the most impressive fighting feat I saw throughout the Star melees. (It convinced Us that it wouldn't be good enough to isolate Avery's physical presence -- because his mind was still deep in the rest of the melee.)<BR><BR>Iron Star defenders -- Baron Avery, Baroness Gwenneth, Master Pug, and two more whose names I can't place (name please?). After a round-robin that reduced the field to three teams, they were fighting Us, and had reduced Us to Uilliac alone against four of them. They offered him single combat, which he won. Had the four of them chosen to swarm him, they would have easily won. The only reason they didn't place into the final round was the high level of honor they showed to their opponents. We are honored to follow them as defenders of the Iron Star.<BR><BR>Lord Uilliac. He was the star of the team that eventually won the Iron Star. He faced four on one, was granted single combat, and then faced three-on-one, two-on-one, and then one-on-one with both of them grounded. He won that fight, setting up the final bout (and his team's eventual victory). He is also the only fencer who has competed in every single Iron Star tourney.<BR><BR>The White Scarves, supporting the arts. Attending the Elfsea bardic competition were one knight, one Pelican, one Laurel, and three White Scarves. Yup, we showed three times the support for this arts competition as any peerage, including the Laurels. Also, there was deep White Scarf support for the event. We had Dons / Donas made in 2008, 2006, 2004, 2002, 1997, 1996, 1993, 1992, 1991, 1984, and 1981.<BR><BR>There were more great moments. I didn't see it all, and don't remember all the great moments I saw. But all day long, I was continually reminded how proud I am to be associated with Ansteorra's fencers.<BR><BR>Robin of Gilwell / Jay Rudin <BR>_______________________________________________<BR>Ansteorra-rapier mailing list<BR><A href="mailto:Ansteorra-rapier@lists.ansteorra.org">Ansteorra-rapier@lists.ansteorra.org</A><BR><A href="http://lists.ansteorra.org/listinfo.cgi/ansteorra-rapier-ansteorra.org" target=_blank>http://lists.ansteorra.org/listinfo.cgi/ansteorra-rapier-ansteorra.org</A><BR></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV><BR></DIV></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV><BR></BLOCKQUOTE><br /><hr />Get Free (PRODUCT) RED™ Emoticons, Winks and Display Pics. <a href='http://joinred.spaces.live.com?ocid=TXT_HMTG_prodredemoticons_052008' target='_new'>Check it out!</a></body>
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