Angel Reaches Finals in Disappointing Fashion

Dateline: 6 Mdnothiel's Month - Lesser Colosseum, Khazigur Revels District
Baron Grims Angel defeated Marquis Etienne du Mairie this afternoon in the second semifinal match of the Spring Tournament without even drawing a weapon.
In what spectators have universally criticized as the most disappointing round of the tournament thus far, Angel used a stored spell to dominate the mind of the Marquis Du Mairie within the opening seconds of the match, before either had even moved closer to one another after the initial setup. The Marquis, who made short work of the Tozzite enchanter Dakleh Ardeshir in the previous round, evidently changed up his strategy but overcompensated for a physical battle against a non-wizard, and was unable to resist the magic effect that forced him into a submissive surrender with less than four seconds elapsed on the official timer.
The stunned crowd looked on in disbelief, and by the time they realized what had happened, the two men were exchanging handshakes and what appeared to be a set of armor. Angel was wearing a different suit of plate mail in this event but it appeared to have no bearing on the outcome.
Etienne will now return to his division of Minonois cavalry engaged in the ongoing border war with the hoards of Mlastina. Sources say that his popularity at home had plummeted when he left the front lines on a mission of uncertain nature and joined the spring tournament; feelings seemed to shift as he moved up through the ranks, and despite a string of unlikely wins for Angel, the Marquis was favored in the match today, riding a wave of popular support.
That feeling has likely turned completely with the loss, which was both unexpected and humiliating. Nevertheless he will not return empty handed; Several military units with prepaid gear and upkeep will be transiting to his stronghold outside of the Minonoise capitol city of Mairie, and lavish prizes in gold will be moved to his treasury accounts from his winnings in earlier rounds, assuming no disqualifications are found.
Grims Angel is enjoying unprecedented success as a newcomer this year, having broken all the records for newcomers upon his victory in the round of 8. A member of the Baron Council appointed conditionally by the Duke of Elkur this past winter, he was also the winner of the Zauzet Duchess' Yuletide tournament held late last year, before things turned catastrophically bad for the Rakkir house, with the Duke now under a writ of execution and a penalty of 29.4 million gold pieces on the estate following a court finding of guilt in the first degree for a false flag attack last fall in the province that tallied over two hundred fatalities and millions of gold in damages. Elkur has wisely bifurcated the holding such that the estate penalties cannot be assessed to his lands, but if Camilla Engels-Rakkir were to be captured, the estate penalty could pass on to her. Baron Angel, though her Champion by rank, is not involved in the criminal or civil proceedings against her or her family.
The 4-second match last night comes after a 24-second fight two nights before, where Daggy Chihir severely injured his opponent with a disemboweling kick that the judges will review further, as it possibly violates the honor rule which states that combatants are not to use any singularly fatal attacks, such as beheadings, death spells, disintegrations or similar effects. The review is expected to let the victory stand, as the kicking slash is in its way no different than a deadly effective slash with a sword, but it was clearly only the magical safety net of the tournament's death ward that prevented the slaying of Two-Tone Corrabor, who quickly bled out amid a pile of his own intestines in the middle of the arena floor.
Chihir, a Thri-Kreen native of the protectorate island of D'har, has run a popular martial arts training school, The Way of Six Fists, in the Temple Shores district of Khazig. A fifth-time competitor in the tournament, he was disqualified in the early rounds on his second year for eating the foot and lower leg of one of the competitors after winning the match. His manners may have improved, but his teachings that promote a focus on critical hits and quick fatalities seem to have only grown more deadly with time.
The final round is set for 13 Mdnothiel's, in a 90' by 90' cordon inside the Colossae Magni (Great Colosseum). Capacity crowds are expected to fill the 110,000 seats, with 100,000 in the regular seating and another 10,000 in raked temporary seating on the floor reserved for noble houses and merchant class only. The Autarch and his eldest son, Governor Evan Cazaxanes, were both in attendance at the semifinal matches, and are both expected to attend the final round along with nearly the entirety of the Imperial council, as well as the heads of state of Pilaan, Khafra, Naarod, and D'har and their various courtiers and noble attendants.
The victory parade will commence the next morning, 14 Mdnothiel's, through the City Green, with the official closing of the tournament at sundown that evening.