Balatar Training

"First day we gather and see
See what sheriff thinks you'll be
Give you a chit and run you round
Send you home if you hit the ground


Five days of hell and we will see
See what kind of fighter you'll be


Next day we stomp the ground flat
Just don't see no way around that
Dress your left and dress to the right
Keep the block nice and tight


Five days of hell and then we will see
See what kind of fighter you'll be


Day three is fun with sticks and stones
Learn a hundred ways to break a bone.
Then we fight a war on straw
Show those dummies we give it our all


Five days of hell and we will see
See what kind of fighter you'll be


Now at last is hell day four
We drop our sticks and use our boards
We push and strain and buzz like bees
Then we line up and fuck the tree


Five days of hell and we will see
See what kind of fighter you'll be


Finally we use our hard won loot
Militia tokens that pay for food
Then we go home with head held high
Except for One Chit Charlie I hope he dies"


~Common running cadence of Balatar, used during training.

History

Training of the balatar militias has remained mostly unchanged since Iliac set it up. Every settlement has their own minor tweaks and changes, but it is always similar enough that balatar can band together with little difficulty to form larger groups.

Execution

The whole process takes five days, during which the participants are given only three meals which they eat when they can find the time.
At dawn the first day, the trainees muster. A roll call and inspection of the equipment is performed. Each participant is given a token (called a militia penny) and the training begins with a full kit run six times around the settlement from which the balatar is formed. Anyone caught lagging so far behind the formation that they are caught by the front is dismissed and they can usually expect to be mocked for at least a month unless illness or disability is the reason for their failure. After the run, races are performed along the same path with the winners earning another militia penny. The whole balatar then marches into the settlement's center and set up camp.
The next day is spent on maneuver, with the balatar spending the entire day marching in formations and responding to orders for direction and speed changes. They settle in for the night in their camp again.
The third day is weapons training, which is a series of simple forms performed in unison followed by a series of melee and sling range contests, at the end of which the winners receive more tokens.
The fourth day is spent on the shields. In the morning, they perform 'shield jousts' and bull-in-the-ring. The first, participants rush each other at a dead sprint, slamming into each others' shields in an attempt to knock one or the other off of their feet, or break their shields. The second, participants square off and attempt to push each other out of the ring. Winners get more tokens.
The afternoon of the fourth day is spent performing The Ancient of War, until either the tree breaks (an extremely rare occurence) or the half-starved trainees are too exhausted to continue. They camp one more time.
The morning of the fifth day is a vendors' feast. The local farmers (that didn't participate in the event) and shopkeepers bring out food and drinks, setting up stalls around the camp. These vendors accept militia tokens in lieu of currency as a way to share the burden of defense costs.

Components and tools

Balatar Kit, Militia Tokens

Participants

The leader of the local balatar, usually the sheriff, schedules, announces, and conducts the training.

Observance

Traditionally, training is conducted at the end of the month. Exceptions are made often to accommodate holidays, festivals, and planting or harvest.