the forms of kanly must be obeyed
Formal Necrodemian duels are called to resolve infractions or perceived infractions
on kav elfar honor and to resolve matters of Necrodemian Law in a Trial of Combat.
When a Necrodemian citizen calls out another citizen, a challenge is made. The
challenged party must make amends or accept the challenge to a Necrodemian sanctioned duel.
Failure to appear at a sanctioned duel is often construed as insult to the parties who
are present at the appointed time, whether they be observer or duelist. Failure to
appear the next morning at the agreed location of the duel loses honor for the missing
person. Any Necrodemian Court settlement under contention becomes resolved against the
missing duelist. Failure to appear revokes Necrodemian citizenship.
Death of opponnents in a sanctioned duel is not required to satisfy kav elfar honor or
Necrodemian Law. However, death in duel is neither dishonorable under kav elfar codes
nor illegal under Necrodemian Law.
For a public duel, legal responsibility for a Truthsay's payment is summoned in equal
measure from the duelists, even if the Truthsay was un-requested and un-desired. It is
lawful and honorable to demand a Truthsay observer for a private duel, but the legal
responsibility for the Truthsay's payment is summoned from the requestor.
Once a duel begins, Necrodemian law and kav elfar honor forbid any person from entering
the dueling square before the duel is concluded. The law and code forbids a duelist from
re-entering after departing a progressing duel. Once the duel begins, Necrodemian law and
kav elfar honor forbid anyone but a duelist from targeting a spell or miracle within the
dueling square. Presence of a Necrodemian Truthsay overseeing the duel is guarantee that
law and honor are preserved.
When honor is satisfied a duel concludes. Four choices determine how honor may be
satisfied.
choose the form of your destructor
Under Necrodmian law and kav elfar code of honor, the challenged party makes the first
of four choices regarding the configuration of the duel. In order of complexity, the
choices are:
- numbers
- weapons
- place
- mode
The Choice of Numbers is usually limited to single combat or with teyn.
Single combat means the challenger and the challenged are each represented by one participant.
Teyn is the kaf elfar word for bond-brother, or life-partner. Thus a teyned duel is
one in which each side is represented by two participants.
Once a duel begins, Necrodemian law and kav elfar honor forbid entering the dueling square
before the duel is concluded. Once the duel begins, Necrodemian law and kav elfar honor
forbid targeting a spell or miracle within the dueling square. Presence of a Necrodemian
Truthsay overseeing the duel is guarantee that law and honor are preserved.
Necrodemian law permits the challenged party to be represented honorably by a stand-in
substitute, such as a hired champion. Necrodemian law permits both challenged teyn and
challenger teyn to be represented honorably by stand-in substitute such as a hired
champion.
However, kav elfar honor requires the challenger and the challenged to be participants.
Kav elfar honor is lost unless one represents one's own honor when dueling. Kav elfar
who do not fight single combat must fight with their true teyn and never a stand-in
substitute.
Teyn status often pre-determines the Choice of Numbers, for it is dishonor to ask a
teyn-less kav elfar to fight teyned. Ignorance is no excuse; a kav elfar making Choice of
Numbers: teyned against a teyn-less kav elfar is himself dishonored.
Duelists of non-Kav elfar races often hire a champion, especially when fighting teyned kav
elfar. Hiring a champion for fighting teyned is permitted and honorable under Necrodemian law.
It is notable that kav elfar honor permits a teyn-less duelist to fight with a hired champion
if that teyn-less kav elfar himself makes the Choice of Numbers.
In rare infractions against the honor of an entire kav elfar holdfast, multiple teyned
pairs participate in a single duel. Necrodemian law does not permit duels of more than
four participants. Conflicts between Necrodemian dueling laws and kav elfar honor codes
have been known to cause tension between the Necrodemian Empire and the kav elfar nation.
The Choice of Weapon is typically limited to blades or spells. However,
it is not uncommon to limit the choice to a subset of blades or spells, and it is not
entirely unknown to experience the Choice of Weapon: Mind.
The Choice of Weapon: Blades permits the duelist to assault the opponnent only with a blade.
Multiple bladed weapons are honorably used. Handheld and thrown weapons are honorbably used.
Ensorcelled and miraculous magics may be imparted honorably by the assault of a blade. However,
offensive magics are not honorable if delivered without the cut of a blade or the stab of a blade.
Limitations are honorable. It is honorable to select arrows, longswords, knives, hammers, body,
hand, etc. for a Choice of Weapon.
The Choice of Weapon: Spells permits the duelist to assault the opponnent with only magical means.
Magic delivered by impact of physical token on the opponnent are not honorable. Sorcery and miracles
delivered by hand or touch are not honorable. Limitations are honorable. It is honorable to select
sorcery, evocation, charm, divine miracle, etc. for a Choice of Weapon.
The Choice of Weapon: Mind has no public body of common knowledge.
The Choice of Place determines a public or private duel. A duelist is
honor-bound to select a Choice of Place to which both parties have free access;
Yet honor is satisfied even if access is utterly restricted against observers,
including the participants' teyns.
Since ability to travel is often difficult to assess, honor is wise to select a public
dueling square nearby. However, a pending honor duel is known to grant the miracle of
Road Travel to any honorable kav elfar. Use of this tactically is not to be underestimated.
A lawful Necrodemian dueling square is invariably an honorable place for a kav elfar duel.
Necrodemian dueling squares are typically 20 foot by 20 foot squares, clearly marked on a
surface, whether it be dirt, or grass, or pavement. Some lawful dueling squares are raised
on low or tall platforms to enhance the ability of observers to discern when a duelist has
been forced from—or voluntarily fled—the duel.
If a polite challenge is made merely to preserve kav elfar honor, a place which is absurdly
diffcult to reach might be chosen by the challenger as a signal. Participants leave public
view until after the morning of the duel, and thereafter participants do not discuss the
challenge or the duel.
The choice of mode determines the manner of the duel. Kav elfar names are used when
they are known.
First Blood This is fight of honor or blood. Honor is satisfied when opponnent(s)
are wounded showing blood, or are departed from the dueling area.
The entire dueling square may be honorably utilized.
Walk the Line This is fight of honor or blood. Honor is satisfied when opponnent(s)
are departed from the dueling area.
A limited dueling area of four inches by twenty feet is honorably utilized.
Death Square This is fight of blood. Honor is satisfied when the opponnent(s) are
spiritually departed from the dueling area. Death of opponnent(s) is required.
The entire dueling square may be honorably utilized.
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