View source for Iron Ring of the East

[[Image:Ironringoftheeast.jpg]]

==The Challenge of the Iron Ring==

The Iron Ring is a symbol of prowess (and only prowess) in rapier fighting within the bounds of a particular Kingdom. Currently there are five Rings active in the Society - in the Middle Kingdom, East Kingdom, Ealdormere, Meredies, and Northshield.

The only way to acquire the Iron Ring of your Kingdom is to challenge the current holder. The format of the challenge is fixed and shall be strictly followed to insure this does not alter from its original intent:

* To declare the challenge the challenger declares 'I request the Challenge of the Iron Ring'.
* The proper responses are 'I accept your challenge' or 'I am forbidden from accepting your challenge'.

The Iron Ring may only be exchanged once in any given day; if another challenger requests a Challenge to the new holder on the day they have won the ring from another, the holder is required to decline the Challenge. Otherwise, the holder may accept ''up to'' three Challenges in a given day, assuming the holder is the victor of each preceding Challenge that day. 

The holder of the Iron Ring is required to accept the first Challenge in a day. The second and third Challenges are optional, and the holder should only accept those if they feel that they can show sufficient prowess and stamina after the exertions of the first Challenge.

Once the challenge is issued, it should be taken up as soon as is reasonable. (And really be reasonable here - if the challenged holder would like time to warm up, that's acceptable. If they are called away suddenly by an important commitment or royal command, that is also acceptable. "Calling dibs" on a challenge immediately after the current one ''may'' be acceptable, but calling dibs for tomorrow and expecting that challenges be refused until then is not.)

A challenger for the Iron Ring may only issue a single challenge per day.

The fight for the Iron Ring shall always be best 3 out of 5 fights to allow for the occasional lucky shot.

The Challenge can only be made while both participants are fully in dress rapier armor (non-period practice armor is not acceptable) and there is still opportunity to fight that day.

The Challenge must be met before said rapier armor is removed or the holder forfeits the ring to the challenger. 

Choice of weapons is left to be negotiated between the combatants, but in all cases must include a rapier wielded in an offensive manner as this is a token of rapier prowess.

The Challenge must meet its Kingdom's rules for tournament combat. (This precludes the use of RBGs or other projectiles.)

The Iron Ring may not reside outside of its Kingdom's borders. As such, it will revert to the previous holder if the current holder moves from the Ring's home kingdom or stops playing. 

The Iron Ring shall be worn prominently while in period armor so potential challengers may know who is the current holder.

Lastly, it is the duty of the outgoing holder of the Iron Ring to make sure the incoming holder is fully aware of these rules.

==History==

'''Lineage of Bearers'''
{|{{tablestyle1}}
! Name
! Event
! Date
|-
| Geoffrey Gryphon (first bearer of the Iron Ring)
| Pennsic 
| 2003
|-
| Jean-Paul Justen Casse (first to win the East Kingdom Challenge of the Iron Ring)
| Pennsic 
| 2003
|-
| The ring was passed back and forth many times
| 
|
|-
| Griffith Davion of the Argent Tyger
|
|
|-
| [[Ian Raven of Tadcaster]]
| May 19th 
| 2006
|-
| Caine Ramsey
| August 16th 
| 2006
|-
| Anssem van Rienen
| [[unknown]]
|
|-
| [[Donovan Shinnock]]
| Pennsic
| 2009
|-
| [[Owyn Greenwood]]
| Birka
| January 30, 2010
|-
| [[Konrad von Ulm]]
| King's & Queen's Rapier Champions
| February 27, 2010
|-
| Nathaniel Wyatt
| Gulf Wars
| March ?, 2010
|-
| Orlando Sforza
| Mudthaw
| March 27, 2010
|-
| [[Christopher Stanley]]
| Quest
| May 30, 2010
|-
| Lord Brendan Firebow
| Practice
| June 3, 2010
|-
| [[Christopher Stanley]]
| Practice
| June 17, 2010
|-
| Don Nathaniel Wyatt
| Practice
| June 27, 2010
|-
| Robyn Wolfclaw
| Pennsic
| 
|-
| John Radburne
| Pennsic
| 
|-
| Dominus [[Tiberius Tarius Britannicus]]
| Tir Mara Rapier Championship
| June 25th, 2011
|-
| Lord Xavier the Sinister
| GNEW XXV
| July 9th, 2011
|-
| Dominus [[Tiberius Tarius Britannicus]]
| Dragon Dormant Practice
| July 11th, 2011
|-
| John Radburne
| 
| 
|-
| [[Donovan Shinnock]]
| Birka
| January 28, 2012
|-
| [[Thomas of Effingham]]
| Practice
| February 10, 2014
|-
| [[Remy Delamontagne de Gascogne]]
| Great Northeastern War
| July 12, 2014
|-
| [[Lucien de Wyntere]]
| Pennsic
| August 3, 2014
|-
| [[Lottieri Malocchio]]
| Practice
| October 21, 2014
|-
| [[Devillin MacPherson]]
| Practice
| November 10, 2014
|-
| [[Llewellyn Walsh]]
| 100 Minutes
| November 22, 2014
|-
| Robyn Wolfclaw
| EK Regional Rapier Practice
| January 4, 2015
|-
| [[Jean Michel le Vaud]]
| Practice
| March 26, 2015
|-
| [[Lupold Hass]]
| Mudthaw
| March 28, 2015
|-
| [[Sorcha Dhocair]]
| Practice
| April 6, 2015
|-
| [[Nathaniel Wyatt]]
| War of the Roses
| May 23, 2015
|-
| [[Caine Ramsey]]
| [[Unknown]]
| [[Unknown]]
|-
| Therion Sean Storie
| Hunter's Moon
| September 5, 2015
|-
| [[Caine Ramsey]]
| [[Unknown]]
| [[Unknown]]
|-
| [[Lucien de Wyntere]]
| Neddingham Country Fair
| September 19, 2015
|-
| [[Rafael de Ayala]]
| Northern Region Rapier Champs
| November, 2015
|-
| [[Robert Tytes]]
| Birka
| January 30, 2016
|-
| [[Mikulaj von Meissen]]
| Practice
| January 31, 2016
|-
| [[Robert Tytes]]
| Practice
| February 1, 2016
|-
| [[Caine Ramsey]]
| Practice
| February 8, 2016
|-
| [[Robert Tytes]]
| Practice
| February 14, 2016
|-
| [[Caine Ramsey]]
| Practice
| February 22, 2016
|-
| [[Mikulaj von Meissen]]
| Practice
| February 29, 2016
|-
| Therion Sean Storie
| Genericon XXIX Demo
| March 5, 2016
|-
| [[Caine Ramsey]]
| Practice
| March 7, 2016
|-
| [[Anne De Basillon]]
| EK Rapier Academy
| March 12, 2016
|-
| [[Grim the Skald]]
| Practice
| March 14, 2016
|-
| [[Mikulaj von Meissen]]
| Practice
| March 21, 2016
|-
| [[Robert Tytes]]
| Practice
| March 28, 2016
|-
| William Deth
| Mudthaw
| April 2, 2016
|-
| [[Robert Tytes]]
| Wars of the Roses
| May 26, 2017
|-
| [[Mathias Grunwold]]
| Wars of the Roses
| May 27, 2017
|-
| [[Robert Tytes]]
| Carolingian Regional Practice
| June 4, 2017
|-
| [[Kenric æt Essex]]
| Southern Region War Camp
| June 10, 2017
|-
| [[Marguerite Ingen Lachlainn]]
| Quintavia Practice
| July 17, 2017
|-
| [[Lucien de Wyntere]]
| Pennsic 46
| August 9, 2017
|-
| [[Christian Woolfe]]
| Malagentia Practice
| December 1, 2018
|-
| [[Maxton Gunn]]
| Malagentia Practice
| January 23, 2018
|-
| [[Radbod of Ravenser Odd, the Disinherited]]
| Endewearde Practice
| March 25, 2018
|-
| [[Camille des Jardins]]
| Malagentia Practice
| June 19, 2018
|-
| [[Trian O'Bruadair]]
| Malagentia Practice
| June 26, 2018
|-
| [[Cedric of the Floppy Hat]]
| East Kingdom 50th Anniversary
| June 29, 2018
|-
| [[Robert Tytes]]
| East Kingdom 50th
| June 30, 2018
|-
| [[Matija Potocnik]]
| Concordia of the Snows Practice
| July 9, 2018
|-
| [[Alastar Tucker]]
| Concordia of the Snows Practice
| July 16, 2018
|-
| [[Grimolfr Skulason]]
| Pennsic 47
| August 4, 2018
|-
| [[Matija Potocnik]]
| 100 Minutes War
| November 17, 2018
|-
| [[Robert Tytes]]
| Concordia Practice
| November 19, 2018
|-
| [[Devillin MacPherson]]
| Bergental Practice
| January 30, 2019
|-
| [[Melchior Kriebel]]
| Southern Region War Camp
| June 8th, 2019
|-
| [[Mathias Grunwold]]
| Brennan and Caoilfhionn's Ducal Challenges 
| September 7th, 2019
|-
| [[Rodrigo Medina de la Mar]]
| Quintavia Practice
| October 14th, 2019
|-
| [[Arngeirr Refskegg]]
| Carolingia Practice 
| October 21st, 2019
|-
| [[Thomas of Effingham]]
| Carolingia Practice
| November 8th, 2019
|-
| William Deth
| Birka
| January 25, 2020
|-
| [[Donovan Shinnock]]
| GNEW
| July 16, 2022
|-
| [[Robert Tytes]]
| GNEW
| July 16, 2023
|-
| [[Rodrigo Medina de la Mar]]
| EK Rapier Champs
| November 11, 2023
|-
| [[Donovan Shinnock]]
| Carolingia Practice
| November 16, 2023
|-
| [[Alastar Tucker]]
| 100 Minutes War
| November 18, 2023
|-
| [[Aziza Andrade]]
| Concordia of the Snows Practice 
| December 3, 2023
|-
| [[Liam Guyversson Of EldVatten]]
| Concordia of the Snows Practice 
| December 10, 2023
|-
| [[Grim the Skald]]
| Anglespur Practice 
| December 13, 2023
|-
| [[Aziza Andrade]]
| Concordia of the Snows Practice 
| December 17, 2023
|-
|[[Robert Tytes]]
| Anglespur Practice
| January 10, 2024
|-
|[[Jódís Borsdottir ]]
| Anglespur Practice
| January 17, 2024
|-
|[[Sherwood]]
| Anglespur Practice
| January 24, 2024
|-
|[[Aziza Andrade]]
| Anglespur Practice
| January 31, 2024
|-
|[[Robert Tytes]]
| Concordia Practice
| February 4, 2024
|}


Other past Bearers of the ring include:
*Don Collin Monro
*Don Caine Ramsey
*Don Duncan Keiran
*Don Quintin Brilliant
*Don Nathaniel Wyatt
*Don Griffith Davion

Modifications to the Ring: 

During the year that Wil Deth had possession of the Iron Ring and none could take it from him, he mounted the ring in a custom made wrestling belt. This is its look as of 7/18/2017.

[[Image:2017-IronRing.jpg|300px]]

==An Ode the Iron Ring==
*Iron Ring Challenges, a style of Darkest Dungeon Diary* by [[Thomas of Effingham]]

<poem>
In time you will know the tragic extent of my failings. I picked up the cursed object from [[Arngeirr Refskegg | Arngierr]] at a practice in Cambridge. It's Iron twisted in to a ring, it was familiar. This isn't the first time you've visited me. It's been a number of years since I last had this item come to my possession. I knew soon the challengers would be at my doorstep.

The first of these nightmares came in the form of [[Eva Woderose | Eva]], I was teetering at the brink, staring into the abyss. Knowing that a predator is often blind to its own peril, I was cautious and retained possession of the trinket.

The second of these monsters came in the form of [[Rodrigo Medina de la Mar | Rodrigo]], His prodigious size alone does not dissuade the sharpened blade. He could be felled, he could be beaten. Again, the trinket stayed by me unwilling to pass to it's next victim.

The third and final abomination of sanity came in the form of Arngierr. Whom I had surely dispatched before. Did he crawl back from hell to claim this cursed prize again? Regardless, the blood pumps, the limbs obey! A flurry of dizzying blows to body, and mind left me alone at the end.

Victorious? 

Victory is a hollow and ridiculous notion regarding this Iron Ring. As I continue on this journey I know a Devil walks these halls, he has my name, my number. Eventually we all succumb the darkness, and the Ring will pass on to it's next host.
</poem>

[[Category:Artifacts]]