I see two potential problems here. Or perhaps possibilities for intrigue and roleplaying!
They have agreed to replace their blood-debt by a duel. But is it theirs to give away? If a clan have such a grievious loss to avenge, is it the right of one daughter to say "If I die here and now, all debts are forfeit! And furthermore, not even my death can you avenge." This is where Humakt comes in, I think. If he severs the duelants from their clan and kin for the duration of the duel, then their lives or deaths will not leave a debt to be paid. Maybe that is howcome "duels" is a humakti thing to begin with? But still, if Theyrun falls... How many will feel that justice has truly been served and that the blood debt is made good? On the other hand, if this is resolved according to agreement, two clans won't have to go to war. And peace is better than war. "There is always another way", and today this is it. Making magic Oaths, invoking the Humakt and binding their clan magic and connection to Orlanth and Ernalda, and getting horrifying consequences if they renagade, certainly helps.
I imagine there would be people who think that this is a good idea visavi a bad idea, on both sides.
Then there is the whole "to-the-death" concept. That is done easily
enough if two mortal enemies should chance to meet in the wilderness,
and murder each other. But in this duel everyone will be there to
watch. So what this "to the death" actually means is that both have
promised to not give up, to keep attempting to kill the other even if
they are too tired to have a chance, to continue fighting, or at least
not ask for mercy, even with one arm and one foot cut off... Which
might be easier said than done.
Now, the humakti referee would say that it means that the winner have
the right -nay duty! -to execute the looser once he is down, or
unconcious, or have given up and is begging for mercy. Somehow I doubt
that the rest of the Orlanthi would agree.
Well, a lot will certainly depend on how the duel ended. Maybe Theyrun won it fair and square, and killed Grimbjörn in action, and there were no other surprices. That would certainly make a lot of things easier.
Nice scenario!
Cheers,
Dan Guillou
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Powered by hypermail