Primetrial

The punch landed with a sickening thud in the middle of her abdomen, knocking the wind from her and causing her to double over, clutching her stomach and gasping for air. The corners of her vision started to blacken as she glanced up at her opponent, who had turned to the cheering crowd and was waving her arms, encouraging them into a frenzy of excitement. The ringing in the woman's ears made the loud crowd sound miles away. There was too much at stake; honour, pride... her side bet. She stood and braced herself as she steeled her resolve, and charged her opponent.

History

The first records of Primetrial are found in annals of oral histories of the first peoples of Caldara. To settle disputes, combatants would face each other in hand-to-hand combat. It is said that an innocent man will never give up a fight to clear his name of a falsehood, and so the first to surrender or be rendered unable to continue is considered the guilty.
The rules for Primetrial were simple. No time-limits, biting, no digging out eyes, and no weapons. People from all walks of life could claim the right to Primetrial. Overseers would ensure the rules were followed and justice was served in accordance with the outcomes of the Primetrial.
For events that had rumors surrounding it, or had repercussions beyond those in the pit, crowds would gather. The overseers did not appreciate the crowds and would try to schedule Primetrials at different times of the day to try to dissuade crowds from gathering. Runners, young boys of five or six summers, would be tasked to watch over the pit until a Primetrial started at which point they would run to notify people that the Primetrial had started.
Children would play Primetrial for fun, and would reenact different fights. If someone did something particularly daring or interesting, they would name the manoeuvre after the person who first attempted it. Soon, young men and women were holding Primetrials for fun, putting the manoeuvres to work and trying to best their opponents.
One Spring, the Primetrial Games were held. Any person, man or woman, could nominate themselves to participate. There was no prize, only the honour of being the Primetrial Champion.
Primetrial can still be called upon by those facing a court, though it is rarely done.

Execution

The are ten people to a round and around is won by the person left standing. At the end of the preliminary rounds, the winners face each other and again, the last standing in the winner.

Observance

The Primetrial Games are held annually, on the day after the first full moon of the Spring. The games normally take place over three days, but the number of entrants determine the length of the competition.