Board Thread:Midian Ideas/@comment-4701109-20170211223731

I have added the following to the Association. I would like your opinion.

Duel:
Put simply, a duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two individuals with matched weapons in accordance with agreed-upon rules. Duels are not inherently lethal though they are very dangerous to those individuals foolish enough to be involved and those bystanders that are near enough to be injured.

Duels are fought not so much to kill the opponent as to gain "satisfaction", that is, to restore one's honor by demonstrating a willingness to risk one's life for it, and as such the tradition of dueling is generally reserved for members of Baron Households; however, it extends to those of the upper classes generally. On rare occasions, duels amongst even the poorest members of society occurs.

Offense, Challenge, & Satisfaction:
Within the Association a Duel is a very specific legal action taken by two willing principal participants. Breaking any of the legal protocols required for a duel can lead to charges being brought against the principals. A duel generally finds its roots in an offense, perceived or genuine, of one individual (offended) by another (offender). The offended individual challenges the offending individual in writing. ''*Note the idea of delivering a challenge by assaulting the offender with a slap a cross the face with hand or glove does not meet the legal requirements of a duel in the Association. It is far more likely to lead to an immediate violent response that will not be condoned by the laws of the Association and it will leave both principal parties liable for their actions.'' The challenge, a legal document written in formal language, must detail the, real or imagined, grievances and a demand for satisfaction from the offender. Within the challenge the offended and offending individuals must be identified and are known as the "Principals". The challenge must be delivered within one week of the offense, if a challenge is not or cannot be delivered within one week's time no duel can legally proceed. Usually the challenge is delivered to the offender by the offended's chosen "Second".

When a challenge is received the challenged party may chose to accept or refuse the challenge. Their are several reasons why a challenge may be refused, the first and most common is that the perceived slight or offense was false or frivolous. In this case a letter of refusal and apology may be enough to bring satisfaction in accordance with the law. In the case of a genuine offense, a refusal may be perceived as cowardice and an individual that often gives offense and refuses the challenges generated by said offense will gain a reputation of cowadice. In addition a refusal letter is a legal document and the challenger may bring the challenged to court if they are not satisfied with the apology given within the letter of refusal. Once in court a Judge will hear the case and determine the outcome of the case, including but not limited to fines and imprisonment.

When a challenge is accepted both Principals chose, if they have not done so already, a trusted representative to act as their second. Being chosen as a Second by either Principal can be an honor and can be very dangerous. The Second serve a vital role, they make all of the arrangements between the Principals and the principal parties should have no direct dealings with one another until the matter is resolved. Seconds are also required to persuade their principal to find a safer alternative to resolve the grievance. This could involve back and forth correspondence about a mutually agreeable lesser course of action, such as a formal apology for the alleged offense. After all of this, if the principal parties are determined to proceed with a duel additional arrangements must be met.

Arrangements:
In accordance with the law the challenged party has the right to set the terms of the duel, if the challenger is unwilling or unable to meet the terms set by the challenged party than their grievance is considered frivolous and their challenge must be withdrawn by their second. The terms and conditions of the duel must be agreed upon by both principals. These terms and conditions include but are not limited to: time, location, weapon, and lethality. Often duels are set to terms such as first blood, or in the case of firearms, a single shot. Again it is the role of the second to persuade the principals to agree on terms for the duel that would limit the chance of a fatal outcome.

In addition to the terms of the duel the second must also arrange for a physician/s to attend to the principals and a "Master of Arms" to proceed over the duel. The Master of Arms ensures that the agreed upon terms are upheld and that the weapons for the duel are of equal quality. The Master of Arms can stop a duel at any time if they feel that the duel has gone beyond the terms or the principals have broken the terms of the agreement. The Master of Arms is often a Gunslinger but can also be a Justice, a General, or a Baron as long as they are agreed upon by both principals.

The location of the duel is one of the terms of the duel and it must be secured in advance of the duel. A good duel location should give no advantage to either principal. A good location should also limit the risk of injury to bystanders based on the chosen weapons. For example, an indoor location might be suitable for a duel that is limited to short swords but is unlikely a good choice for a duel with pistols.

Additional arrangements for the duel that must be seen to by the seconds includes determining who should be formally invited to act as witnesses to the duel, the dress code of the duel, and whether refreshments will be provided. Any cost of the arrangements for the duel must be provided by the principals and is also part of the agreement.

The Duel:
According to the law, a duel must occur within one month of the challenge. If the agreement cannot be reached for the duel to occur within one month than the duel cannot proceed, though the offended party may still seek legal action by the courts for their grievance.

At the time and place of the duel only five individuals may be within the field of honor of the duel. These individuals are the principals, their seconds, and the master of arms. At least one physician must be present to be able to provide medical assistants but at the time of the duel the must be outside of the immediate area of danger. Additional witnesses can be present according to the agreement and other bystanders may be near but every effort should be made to keep them back at a safe distance.

Each second will keep on their person throughout the duel a white flag, or other such device, that will indicate that the duel should be ended. The duel will be initiated by the Master of Arms who will first make a final request to each principal to reconsider the duel for a more peaceful alternative. If both principals are determine to proceed the Master of Arms will start the duel according to the agreement; counting paces, dropping a red handkerchief, waving a flag, et cetera. 