Baronial Champions

Every year, for Baronial Anniversary (March/April), the skilled and puissant members of the populace of Southron Gaard compete to be named the Baronial Champions for the coming year. These Champions are:

The Arts & Sciences Champion, whose token is a gold tower. Decided by Arts & Sciences Competitions held throughout the year and/or at Baronial Anniversary itself.
The Heavy Champion, whose token is a blackened steel tower. Decided by the Baronial Heavy Championship Tournament held at Baronial Anniversary.
The Archery Champion, whose token is a silver tower. Decided by the Baronial Archery Championship held at Baronial Anniversary.

The Rapier Champion, whose token is a fine velvet cape. Decided by the Baronial Rapier Championship Tournament held at Baronial Anniversary.
The Y.A.C. (Youth Armoured Combat) Champion, first contested in A.S. XLVII. Decided by the Baronial Y.A.C. Championship Tournament held at Baronial Anniversary.
The Crossbow Champion, whose token is a black horn tower. Decided by the Baronial Crossbow Championship held at Baronial Anniversary.

_{NB: If fewer than three members of the populace step forward to contest for a Champion position in a given year, the post will be left unfilled for that year.}

Letters of Intent

In order to compete in the Baronial Championships, a gentle must first supply to the Baron or Baroness a Letter of Intent. In the words of His Excellency Bartholomew Baskin:

These may be scrawled on a nearby bit of slate, or calligraphed in your most elegant hand, but the key requirement is that they leave no doubt in the mind of the reader or listener of your firm intent and undoubted capability to wrest the Championship from all other contenders. Your letter will be read – an your script be legible – when you are introduced to the populace before the tourney, and we hope to exhibit them (those which are small enough to carry through the door) at the Baronial Anniversary Feast.

Letters of Intent are delivered to the Baron and Baroness within the requested timeframe.

Duties

In addition to the duties mentioned for some Champions above, all Champions have the following duties:

To join the Court at the four “Quarter Day” Courts if invited — Baronial Anniversary in March, Yule in June, Spring Tourney in September and Christmas or Twelfth Night in December/January
To perform for the Barony a relevant task or work of their choosing, to be made known before or at the next Baronial Anniversary

Champion’s Oath

New Champions may be asked, but not required, to take the following Champion’s Oath when they are given their tokens:

Will you have it known to all, present and future, that you voluntarily swear that, if called upon to do so, you will to the best of your ability, whether by deed or word, consent or counsel, strengthen and defend the Barony of Southron Gaard, her tower, her lands and all her divers possessions, in good faith and without deception, against all malefactors and invaders, living or dead, who might wage war or make common cause against her?

Examples of Letters of Intent

The Barony has been privileged in the past to receive some remarkably, er, creative Letters of Intent, both in format and content. Here, for your edification, are a number of slightly anonymised extracts from past letters of intent, ranging from the formal to the absurd. All are to be encouraged!

“Flee in terror, puny mortals!
Come this xxth day of March, on the Anniversary of the great and puissant Barony of Southron Gaard, we will take the field. All who do not wish a most untimely and gruesome death should fall before us! …”
(Rd’A)

“This done to reflect the ideals and teachings of my Knight Sir M. and with the favour of my lady, Mistress C … If however another shall better me on the field I shall hold them no malice but aspire to higher skills yet.”
(TJ)

“To their Excellencies
I most humbly inform you that I, a young fighter of no great experience, will be your next baronial heavy champion. While the role of champion is typically held by someone of great experience and age, I believe that the strength, stamina and slim build of my youth can outperform the wisdom, experience and more rotund statures of the elder warriors…”
(PF)

“…If by some slim chance I should win, I promise to acquiit myself both valiantly and honorably as well as, as chivalrously as a knight should hope to act, to protect the Barony and its subjects from that which may confront it or its heads of state.”
(UB, transcripted via Brother Cuthbert of Lindisfarne)

“…Let it also be know that he will not resort to the use of ungodly contraptions in a blatant attempt to win at all costs, instead he will use only luck, natural skill and his long bow.”
(GM)

A particularly fine letter of intent, composed and scribed by Yseult Corista verch Edenevet in A.S. XLI

“I should like at this time to beg the boon of being able to fight for your honour and glory in the upcoming Baronial Heavy Champion Tourney. Should utmost fortune smile and I be blessed with winning this benefice, I swear that I would constantly strive to fulfill any and all dutues thusly required of me, and I would work tirelessly to add glory to your names and to the Barony.”
(VG)

“I beg humbly that you accept this most tardy missive and grant my wish to compete for your honour this day.”
(BH)

“I hop mi myssyve fyndes yew welle & inn goode harte. I wright too beg too be a-lowed in-to your lystes bothe hevye and arching. Ryte well do I no howe hevye ways the burdyn of thys rolle but fox alle that I am your man. As to mi motyves evenn allowing for mi own vanitye and for the chans to wallope sum of the shivalrye (witch joye sum maye saye is reason enow to joyne the fraye) — It would be mi honnor to represent thys Baronie defendying her good name against alle who wood impune it. So there!!!”
(CM)

Roll of Baronial Champions

AS LVII (2023)

Armoured Combat – Baron Richard d’Allier
Archery – Baron Richard d’Allier
Youth Armoured Combat – Lord William of Hazelburn
Rapier – Master James of Southron Gaard
Arts and Sciences – THL Þorvaldr inn Suðreyski
AS LVII (2022)

Archery: Lord Thomas Raphael Luciano de Picardo
Rapier: Master Lucius Cornelius Gordianus
Arts and Sciences: The Honourable Lady Joana de Bairros
Armoured Combat: Sir Ratbod von Borg
Youth Armoured Combat: William of Hazelburn
AS LV (2021)

Heavy fighting – Tycho Julso
A & S – Eleanora van den Bogaerde
Archery – Darius Freeman
Rapier – James of Southron Gaard
AS LIV (2020)

Heavy fighting – Radbot von Borg
A & S – Þorvaldr inn Suðreyski
Rapier – James of Southron Gaard
AS LIII (2019)

Heavy fighting – Grim of Thornby
A & S – Þorvaldr inn Suðreyski
Archery – Darius Freeman
Rapier – James of Southron Gaard
Boffer – Loki Ljodrson
AS LII (2018)

Heavy fighting – Radbot von Borg
A & S – Vitale Giustiniani
Archery – Ellen of Whytley
Boffer – Cassandra
AS LI (2017)

Heavy fighting – Radbot von Borg
A & S – Eleanora van den Bogaerde
Archery – Ceallach Wulfhairson
Rapier – Tycho Julso
AS L (2016)

Heavy fighting – Callum MacLeod
A & S – Brian di Caffa
Archery – Ceallach Wulfhairson
Rapier – James of Southron Gaard
AS XLIX (2015)

Heavy fighting – Philippe de Tournay
A & S – Ginevra Isabella di Serafino Visconti
Archery – Richard d’Allier
Rapier – James of Southron Gaard
AS XLVIII (2014)

Heavy fighting – Tycho Julso
A & S – Ronan mac Briain
Archery – Ronan mac Briain
Rapier – Elena Sofia Luciano de Medici
AS XLVII (2013)

Heavy fighting – Vitale Guistiniani
A & S – Agnes de Kyrri
Archery – Daravayaush
Crossbow – Callum McLeod
Rapier – Elena Sofia Luciano de Medici
AS XLVI (2012)

Heavy fighting – Callum McLeod
A & S – Elisabetta Foscari
Archery – Daravayaush
Crossbow – Callum McLeod
Rapier – Baron Oswyn Carolus
Boffer – Sophia
AS XLV (2011)

Heavy fighting – Raife de Massard
A & S – Ginevra Isabella di Serafino Visconti
Archery – Ronan mac Brian
Rapier – Martuccio Lorenzo Cavalcanti de Medici
AS XLIV (2010)

Heavy fighting – Tycho Julso
A & S – Elisabetta Foscari
Archery – Khorvash Zareed
Crossbow – Gilbert de Montfort
Rapier – Martuccio Lorenzo Cavalcanti de Medici
AS XLIII (2009)

Heavy fighting – Philippe de Tournay
A & S – Anne de Lacey
Archery – Khorvash Zareed
Rapier – Tycho Julso
AS XLII (2008)

Heavy fighting – Vitale Giustiniani
A & S – Isabel Maria del Aguila
Archery – Elise Marchand
Rapier – Emilio de Batista
AS XLI (2007)

Heavy fighting – Vitale Giustiniani
A & S – Peregrine Flamstead
Archery – Darius J’fa
Crossbow – James of Southron Gaard
AS XL (2006)

Heavy fighting – Vitale Giustiniani
A & S – Peregrine Flamstead
Archery – Richard d’Allier
Crossbow – Gilbert de Montfort
AS XXXIX (2005)

Heavy fighting – Vitale Giustiniani
A & S – Eleonora van den Bogaerde
Archery – Peregrine Flamstead
Crossbow – Gilbert de Montfort
AS XXXVIII (2004)

Heavy fighting – Vitale Giustiniani
A&S – Heloise de Mont St Michel
Archery – Richard d’Allier
AS XXXVII (2003)

Heavy fighting – Vitale Giustiniani
A&S – Vitale Giustiniani
Archery – Richard d’Allier
AS XXXVI (2002)

Heavy fighting – Vitale Giustiniani
A&S – Vitale Giustiniani
Archery – Gilbert de Montfort
AS XXXV (2001)

Heavy fighting – Vitale Giustiniani
A&S – Helois de Mont St Michel
Archery – Vitale Giustiniani
AS XXXIV (2000)

Heavy fighting – Tycho Julso
A&S – Eleanora van den Bogaerde
Archery – Richard des Alpes
AS XXXIII (1999)

Heavy fighting – Vitale Giustiniani
A&S – Sinech ni Cumhaill na Cruachan
Archery – Gilbert de Montfort
AS XXXII (1998)

Heavy fighting – Ulf fra Sjelland
A&S – Lughaid Cnuach-Darach MacOengus Dubh
Archery – Vitale Giustiniani
AS XXXI (1997)

Heavy fighting – Sebastian von dem Schwarzwald
A&S – Cristia ni Cairbre o’Callanain
Archery – Callum Macleod
AS XXX (1996)

Heavy fighting – Olaf Ulfsson