
It was dark and quiet in the Red Keep; the moon hung low over the walls—not yet full, but striving toward it. A guard in a golden cloak paced upon the wall.
Once inside, Ned passed two more knights of the Kingsguard. Ser Preston Greenfield stood at the foot of the stairs, and Ser Barristan Selmy waited by the doors to the royal bedchamber. Three men in white cloaks, he thought, recalling, and a strange chill ran down his spine. Ser Barristan's face was paler than his armor.
Ned needed only one look at him to understand that something terrible had happened. The royal steward opened the door.
– Lord Eddard Stark, – he announced.
– Bring him in, – a strange, hollow voice spoke.
Flames burned in two hearths at each end of the bedchamber, filling the room with a grim, bloody fire. The heat inside was suffocating. Robert lay under a canopy on the bed. Towering over the bed was Grand Maester Pycelle; Lord Renly paced restlessly before the closed windows. Servants scurried back and forth, adding logs to the hearth and boiling wine. Cersei Lannister sat on the edge of the bed beside her husband.
The king lay in his boots. Ned saw dried mud and blades of grass clinging to the leather of the boots, their toes protruding from under the blanket covering him. His green doublet remained on the floor, ripped open and discarded, the fabric covered in dried bloodstains. The room smelled of smoke, blood, and death.

– Ned, – the king whispered upon seeing him. Robert's face was whiter than milk. – Come... closer.
People helped Ned approach. He leaned his hand against a canopy post. A single glance at Robert was enough to see how poorly the king fared.
– What?... – he asked, his throat tightening.
– The boar. – Lord Renly remained in his same green hunting suit, his cloak stained with blood.
– The devil, – the king wheezed. – It is my own fault. Had too much wine, damn it, missed!
Eddard lifted the blanket. They had done all they could to stitch the wound, but it was not enough. The beast must have been a seasoned one. It had ripped open the king's belly from bottom to chest with its tusks. The wine-soaked bandages applied by Grand Maester Pycelle had already turned black with blood; the wound reeked terribly.
– It stinks, – Robert said, – it stinks of death, or do you think I don't realize it? – The king's smile was as ghastly as his wound. – Now leave us, all of you leave. I must speak with Ned.
– Robert, my dear lord... – Cersei began.
– I said everyone leave, – Robert snapped with a shadow of his former ferocity. – What in my words is unclear, woman?
Cersei gathered her skirts and her dignity and headed for the door, followed by Lord Renly and all the others.
– Damn it, Robert, – Ned spoke once they were alone.
– Pen and paper are here, on the table. Write what I command.
Ned smoothed the paper on his knee and took the pen.
– As you wish, your Grace.
– By the word and will of Robert of House Baratheon, first of this name, King of the Andals and so forth... insert the damn titles, you know how they sound... I command... to determine a new king of Westeros by means of a tournament among the Great Houses. Ser Barristan Selmy is to ensure that the battles are conducted fairly and nobly.

– Have you written it?
– Yes, your Grace. – Ned handed the paper to Robert.
The king signed blindly, leaving a bloodstain on the paper.
– Deliver this to the council after my death.
The king closed his eyes and seemed to relax.

Tournament Rules:
1) The tournament is team-based with 10 teams (Great Houses). The number of players per team depends on the number of registrants.
Each house plays with the same castle throughout the tournament:
Starks - Tower
Lannisters - Rampart
Tyrells - Castle
Baratheons - Swamp
Greyjoys - Pier
Martells - Inferno
Arryns - Conflux
Targaryens - Dungeon
Dothraki - Stronghold
White Walkers - Necropolis
Each player uses the same starting hero throughout the tournament (different for different team members).
2) Team formation is via snake draft (as in OzV). A house can be chosen instead of a player.
3) Tournament format - round robin with 2 groups of 5 houses + playoffs.
In the group stage, each player plays 2 games against every player in their basket. Total of 8 games in the group stage.
1 point is awarded for a win in each game, 0.5 points for a draw.
Arranged results are not accepted; draws or technical wins are granted only by decision of the organizer.
An additional point is given for the best result in the basket (split if there are multiple contenders).
Points are also awarded for "Battle Royales" (see below).
In case of a tie in points, an additional match between teams will be held.
The 2 best houses from each group advance to the playoffs.
Players who did not make it into teams after the draft will form the team of Wildlings.
Wildling Regulations, Additional Rules.
Each participant in the group tournament must play 1 game against any wildling.
If, at the end of the group tournament, the wildling team earns more points than the team that took second place in a group (if more than both teams in 2nd place - then the 2nd place team with fewer points), the wildling team will advance to the playoffs instead of them. In such a case, the composition of the wildling team in the playoffs will consist of the top 6 players from the wildling team based on group round results.
4) Templates:
- Jebus Cross
- Diamond
- Mini-Nostalgia
- 6lm10a
- Spider
Before starting a series, each player crosses out 1 template; then, from the 3 remaining templates, one player chooses first, followed by the second. In both cases, the player lower in rating speaks first.
Color is negotiated.
Roads - fast on Jebus Cross and medium on others.
Red-rush is allowed on all templates
The crossing out of templates and color negotiation should be done immediately after the group draw, so that players in lower baskets can practice knowing their template and color for future games.
5) Simultaneous turns as standard:
- 7 days on Jebus Cross
- 12 days on Mini-Nostalgia
- 5 days on Diamond, 6lm10a, Spider
6) Timer 16+8+1 on all templates
7) Players have the right, by mutual agreement, to make any changes to the rules except for the choice of starting castles and heroes.
8) During the tournament, several "Battle Royale" mini-tournaments will be held - a short competition (~2 hours) on skill in battles with neutrals (Example №1, Example №2).
Winners will bring additional points to their houses in the table. Detailed regulations closer to the date.
9) Each team must choose a coordinator - a person who will handle negotiations with other teams and the tournament organizer. This does not have to be a 1st basket player; this needs to be someone who is often online and likes communicating with people.
Disputed issues (including simultaneous turn deadlines) are first resolved by team coordinators, and only upon disagreement should the organizer be contacted.
10) In case of a player's disappearance, replacement is possible:
- replacing a missing player with a lower basket player can be done without restrictions (it is sufficient to notify the coordinators of both teams)
- a team coordinator may ask the opposing coordinator to replace both players in a pair; in this case, the opposing coordinator must choose the basket number whose players will step in as replacements (no more than 1 such replacement per match)
- by agreement with the organizer and other team coordinators, full replacement of a missing player with a new player not previously registered for the tournament is possible
- in all cases, starting heroes are taken from the players being replaced, not those replacing them
11) All tournament participants must place their house crest (to be determined after the draft) in their signature for the duration of the tournament. Optionally - set a corresponding avatar.
12) The tournament is fan-made.
Tournament games go into the rating by default, but may not if requested by any player. Notification must be given before the start of the game.
13) Tournament start - in one month, 15.05.2017
Group stage duration - 4 months, until 15.09.2017
Tournament organizer and judge - skd
UPDATE:
Team compositions:
Tyrells: (Castle)
BISHOP
Diabler
Vatya
Hi-Tech
Sevan_80Lannisters: (Rampart)
KobRa_RR
=Stinger=
StickyFingaz
Piterius
Proger
9li9htStarks: (Tower)
Redwhait_HP
Mizrael
Blitz
ShadowManiac
mals
MonttMartells: (Inferno)
FireToSky
Falcone
flate
Xocenk
CourtWhite Walkers: (Necropolis)
Dawidu91
tun7gus7
ЯR
Izgoy
Принц
BenisTargaryens: (Dungeon)
De_Luxe
Antal_RR
sonic111
Be3y4uu
DreadKn1ghtDothraki: (Stronghold)
RozenKran
yan_vas
herolwy
Невротэпично
Surreal
IamsamstanBaratheons: (Swamp)
Lizard
caliban
Loinz
matador99
freesha
sShreksArryns: (Conflux)
LuckyF
Wizard_576
MikeM
Al Feyn
TT_HNK
avellimachiGreyjoys: (Pier)
Wildlings:
fill-ua
Aiwe
K_Shadow
Sav1tarrr
fanatTwaryny
OchenZloyPapashka
Ca5per
In the 1st bracket, FireToSky hasn't played any games, while the others have played all their matches against each other, resulting in 60% completion.
In the 2nd bracket, only 15% of the games have been played, which is not good... especially for yan_vas and tun7gus7, who haven't played any games.
In the 3rd bracket, socola has 2 games, and the others have played all their matches against each other.
In the 4th bracket, 25% of the games have been played, which is also low... flate hasn't played any games.
In the 5th bracket, 50% of the games have been played, and everyone is participating, so things are going well.
In the 6th bracket, Iamsamstan and Benis have played 6 games each, but the others haven't played against each other, with 50% completion.
**Group B:**
In the 1st bracket, the pace is slow, with 30% completion, and LuckyF hasn't played any games.
In the 2nd bracket, it's even worse, with 25% completion, and Wizard_576 hasn't played any games.
In the 3rd bracket, 45% of the games have been played, and everyone is participating.
In the 4th bracket, there's high activity, with 65% of the games played.
In the 5th bracket, 55% of the games have been played, and everyone is participating.
In the 6th bracket, avellimachi and sShreks dominated the bracket, and the other players haven't scored any points in matches against them, nor have they played against each other, with 60% completion.
**Team Results:**
In Group A, there's a tight competition and a high density of results.
The Martells have the highest win rate at 62%, but they've played very few games, so it's not very indicative.
The White Walkers have a good result at 58%, and they are currently the main contender to advance from the group. And yet, no one wanted to choose this Castle... but the real battle is still ahead.
In Group B, a trio of leaders has emerged: the Arryens (71%), the Baratheons (66%), and the Targaryens (59%), while the Lannisters and Greyjoys are significantly behind.
In total, 110 games have been played out of 240, which is 46%.

