Trial by Combat

From: Peter Larsen <plarsen_at_...>
Date: Fri, 10 May 2002 09:41:35 -0500

At 2:02 PM +0000 5/10/02, nichughes2001 wrote:
>> just how do think tough Humakti are? - there seems to be an idea on
>this
>> list that all Humaki are some kind of mindless death-incarnate
>Yojimbo like
>> unstoppable killing machines - there are plenty of other skilled
>warriors
>> out there in a society of warriors that can cut a Humakti down to
>size....
>>
>
>Of course there are, but 85% of Orlanthi society is made up of
>regular people who farm/herd/whatever and only pick up their weapons
>on fyrd practice day. For those people the prospect of taking on a
>Humakti in a fight is not an appealing one.

        Trial by combat may be more of a threat than a regular practice, anyway. _Njal's Saga_ has a number of very good scenes that play on this.* First Hrut (a good fighter) challenges Mord Fiddle (an old man) over the return of a dowry. Later, Gunner (a really good fighter) challnges Hrut over the same dowery. In both cases, the weaker fighter backs down, abandons the claim or the money, and looses some prestige. Basically, the challenge to trial by combat is more a form of legal bullying than a judicial tool.

        Now, actually fighting the combat is probably more exciting for the players, and Heortlings, with much better wound-recovery abilities than Icelanders, are probably more willing to accept a chancy fight (the gods _might_ intervene, after all). However, if your fond brother is Ragnar Bull-axe, famous Styrman, people may well be willing to settle before the chance of a chellenge is offered. And finding someone willing to take up a challenge might be an adventure in itself.

Peter Larsen

*By the way, if you haven't read _Njal's Saga_, it's packed with scenario hooks, characters, bits of daily life color, etc.