He Who Touches the Stars (Iron Chef Bidding War, May 2003)

By THLaird Colyne Stewart

Countess Marion FitzWilliam began the call to arms. In this case a call for arms to dip into purses. As Spring Tune-Up came closer and closer, and people began to madly bid for seats on the judge’s panel for the Iron Chef competition, she noted “that Septentria's Baron Corwyn, renowned for his culinary arts, was not only NOT one of the competitors, he was not even one of the judges. We were appalled that a cooking competition of this magnitude was scheduled to take place without the participation of one of Septentria's leading stars in the kitchen.  This was an utter farce, nay, a tragedy!”

Those of us present at the baronial fight practice where these thoughts were first expressed agreed that Corwyn should be a judge and so we began a fund raising campaign. (We also agreed that if we did a baronial push for one of the judge’s seats, perhaps other baronies would do the same. If we started a huge bidding war the winner would be the Ealdormere Teachers Fund, to which all the raised money was earmarked.)

In a post to the E-list, dated May 20, Marion went on to say:

Let it be known that the good people of Septentria have banded together to
right a grievous wrong, and have thus proven that the might of Septentria
remains unchallenged!

…We knew that we needed to remedy this injustice, and see our Baron given his due honour as a kitchen guru.

To that end, at the Baronial fight practice held at Skeldergate last week, a
plan was concocted.  We, the people of Septentria, decided to band together
and pool our resources in order to bid on a judging position for our Baron.
In less than one week, we have already raised $160 in pledges to make sure
that Baron Corwyn becomes one of the Iron Chef Judges, as is right and
proper.

Let all other baronies bear witness to the fact that the people of
Septentria stand behind their Baron and his skills, and we will see him in
the Iron Chef Judges' Panel come Saturday.  Even should others try to
supplant him, we shall see Septentria victorious!  All pay heed to the
strength and unity of Septentria!

Posts such as these did incite some rumblings of intent to outbid Baron Corwyn’s Cadre.

The seat we were trying to win was called Ilhuicamina's Seat ("He Who Shoots Arrows at the Heavens"), and it was the most prestigious of all three seats. (Why was it the most prestigious? Because the organizers said so.)