Unto the Mighty Middle Kingdom do We, Runa, Draconic Princess, and Arch, Martial Prince, send greetings.
It is with great joy that we look upon the Land and see the snows finally melting. With the rebirth of Nature, We are minded to consider the rebirth of Our Throne as well. With this in mind, know now the[DN1] Requirements of Our Crown List.
All letters of intent must be sent to Ourselves and the Kingdom Seneschal on or before the day of Our ascension to the Throne (May 7, 2022) and shall be submitted in accordance with Kingdom Law. The Crown Tournament will be held in Our Barony of Middle Marches on May 29, AS 57 (2022).
1) Both consort and combatant must be acceptable to the Crown.
2) Both consort and combatant must be a citizen of the Middle Kingdom as stated in Kingdom Law.
3) Both consort and combatant must have received an award bestowing an AoA or higher.
4) Both consort and combatant must read and understand Kingdom Law and Corpora.
5) Both consort’s and combatant’s SCA membership must be valid from May 7, 2022 through May 31 of 2023.
6) If the KEM or the Crown are forced to speak with you above your calibration and/or behavior during the tournament, you may be required to resign from the list and withdraw from the tournament, regardless of how many wins or loses you may have had.
7) We expect you to present to the station you aspire. You should have a period, documentable presence upon the field, regardless of time period. All items are required to be in good repair. Garments should not be torn or have excessive stains. Your harness should not be rusted or cracked, and all paint should be new or in good condition. Helmets must not have stickers or tape marks. Shields may not have obviously mundane garden hose edging, nor may the edging be zip-tied onto the shield. Shields and armor may not be covered or held on with duct tape. No visible plastic or obviously non-medieval items will be allowed; however, plastic bosses and basket hilts will be permitted. No modern sporting equipment may be visible. Non-medieval shoes may be worn, but they must appear to be medieval.
No visible tennis shoes are allowed.
Tournament Rules, Weapons and Format:
1. Middle Kingdom rules and general customs for tournaments will be used.
2. Tournament shields only. Shield size should be proportional and historically appropriate to your portrayal. If you are unsure, please ask the Crown.
3. All weapons forms and styles which are legal in the Middle Kingdom shall be allowed in Crown, with the exception of madu, which is not permitted.
4. “Buckler and weapon” shall be considered different from “shield and weapon”.
5. Backup weapons are permitted.
6. There shall be no length restriction on weapons. The tournament space may force restrictions of pole weapons/spears of greater length, and a determination will be made on that day with consultation of the Marshallate. The Crown shall have final say on any weapon or shield. If in doubt, please contact the Crown.
7. Crown Tournament will be a randomly drawn double elimination tournament.
8. All pairings in the Crown Tournament will be best 2 out of 3 fights, with no repeating weapons styles. Weapons styles shall be matched. Senior consort shall pick first weapons style, junior consort shall pick next. If a third bout is needed, Her Majesty shall pick the style.
9. The Finals of the Crown tournament will be the best 3 out of 5 with matching weapons styles. The styles for each match will be selected in this order:
a. First Match: The higher-ranking Consort,
b. Second Match: The lower-ranking Consort,
c. Third match: The lower -ranking combatant,
d. Fourth match: The higher-ranking combatant (if necessary),
e. Fifth match: Her Majesty (if necessary).
Yours in Service to the Middle Kingdom,
Runa and Arch,
Tanista and Tanist