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<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=802502820-18122006><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>I have to agree with Grimolfr's comments. As long as
Northkeep is using this style of competition, I, too, will not compete.
All too often, I've been the one who is too polite to say "no". And,
frankly, I'd rather judge one bardic competition than 30 throughout the
day. </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=802502820-18122006><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=802502820-18122006><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>I also don't like having to "guess" who is in the
competition and who isn't. Are they available right now for a
"bout"? Can we find a judge? One we'll agree on?
</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=802502820-18122006><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=802502820-18122006><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>Just my 2 cents worth,</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=802502820-18122006><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>Nyx</FONT></SPAN></DIV><BR>
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<FONT face=Tahoma size=2><B>From:</B> bards-bounces@lists.ansteorra.org
[mailto:bards-bounces@lists.ansteorra.org] <B>On Behalf Of </B>Kevin
Valliquette<BR><B>Sent:</B> Friday, December 15, 2006 6:02 PM<BR><B>To:</B>
Ansteorran Bardic list<BR><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Bards] Topic:
Comparisons<BR></FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>For discussion's sake, here's another perspective on the format Robert
mentions: I participated in this style of competition once (at a Northkeep
Castellan 4 years ago or so) and won't do so again. The reason? While it
sounds fun in writing (and to be fair, some people seemed to enjoy it), the
reality is that if you want to have any chance of winning, you have to spend a
fair part of your day going around and, well, bothering people. "Hey, will you
stop what you're doing and listen to the two of us perform and pick your
favorite." Most people will do so unless they're terribly busy, but I get the
distinct feeling that they're only doing so because they're too polite to say
"no, I'd rather not." So, to me, this is a form of "attack bardic." Your
mileage may vary, of course. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Grímólfr<BR><BR> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=gmail_quote>On 12/15/06, <B class=gmail_sendername>Robert
Fitzmorgan</B> <<A
href="mailto:fitzmorgan@gmail.com">fitzmorgan@gmail.com</A>> wrote:</SPAN>
<BLOCKQUOTE class=gmail_quote
style="PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid">
One format I have used approaches the martial tournament form. The
Bards in the competition all meet in the morning and are handed a number of
tokens. Throughout the day the Bards challenge one another and wager
tokens on the outcome. The Bards determine the nature of the challenge
and choose a judge or judges acceptable to both of them. At the end of
the day the Bards meet again and the 3 or 4 Bards with the most tokens go
into a final round that is judged by the retiring Bardic Champion and the
local Nobles. <BR> The Barony of Northkeep
often uses this format with the added provision that the final round must be
an extemporaneous piece composed on site to a given topic.
<BR> It's a lot of fun, you get as much bardic in as
you want, and it involves the populace in the process of choosing the Bardic
Champion. It also allows the people competing for, or running,
the championship to do other things throughout the day without being tied to
a particular place for a long period of time.
<BR> A couple of things you want to look out for
though. Don't allow more than three bards in any particular challenge
and don't allow wagering more than one token per bard per challenge.
This prevents 4 or 5 bards who are way behind at the end of the day
from throwing all their tokens in one big multi-bard challenge and going
from way behind to top of the list on one performance.
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