Val-Yuddha

Val-Yuddha, roughly translated to "duel of swords", is a form of ritualistic, non-lethal combat practiced by the Solarions of Idari.

History

Before life on the Idari (where population control and camaraderie became a necessity for survival) Val-Yuddha was often a duel to death, enacted by the ancient Kasatha to settle grave disputes. Over the centuries, killing during Val-Yuddha became illegal, and additional laws were put in place to make such duels legally-binding. In the modern era, most Kasathas prefer to handle their disputes through lawyers and community leaders, although the Solarions of Idari regularly perform Val-Yuddha, both for training and tests of skill.

Execution

The ritual begins when a warrior (the use of a singular form is intentional) challenges one or more persons to Val-Yuddha, which they can individually accept or deny. If the challenge is accepted, the challenged party picks an arbiter to watch over the ritual, terms are set, and the duel commences. There are few strict rules in Val-Yuddha, which can be summarized as:

1. Before the duel begins, each party must agree upon the consequences of their conflict, which are confirmed and enforced by the arbiter after the ritual.
2. After the consequences are set, each party agrees to the victory conditions. Traditionally, one party wins when the other yields or is knocked unconscious, but virtually any condition in the spirit of Val-Yuddha can be set. If the two parties cannot agree, tradition takes precedent.
3. If either party kills or permanently maims another participant (friend or foe), they immediately lose the duel.
4. If either party causes harm to an observer of Val-Yuddha (including the arbiter), they immediately lose the duel. 

When the duel is over, it is tradition for the loser to bow to their opponent, but this is not a requirement. Regardless of the outcome, the ritual of Val-Yuddha does not end until the arbiter confirms that all intended consequences have been placed upon the losing side. It is common for duels to begin and end in a matter of minutes, but the resolution of the actual ritual may take days or even weeks to complete. Of note, warriors who violate the terms of Val-Yuddha are considered irredeemable by the Kasatha, and are sentenced to death.

Participants

There are three main groups in Val-Yuddha:

1. The challenger, which can be any individual that speaks the words "Val-Yuddha" to a potential opponent.
2. The challenged, which can be one or more persons who accept the request for a duel.
3. The arbiter, who is selected by the challenged to oversee the entire ritual.

The challenger and challenged have few tasks relative to the arbiter. They are expected to peacefully agree to terms before the duel begins, act honorably in combat, and accept the consequences of the duel with grace. While not a hard rule, custom dictates that the losing party bows to the winner, as a show of respect for their strength.
The role of the arbiter is considered an immense responsibility, and thus few fools have ever held the position. Traditionally, community leaders are most-often selected, but it is not unheard of to find another, neutral party. It is considered unwise to select a friend as an arbiter, as this puts them in the difficult position of potentially having to punish an ally. Selecting a family member or lover is a taboo in Val-Yuddha, but not forbidden. The arbiter is responsible for all judgement calls during the ritual, including settling the initial disputes surrounding terms, declaring a winner in a close match (there is no concept of a tie in Val-Yuddha), and seeing that the agreement made at the beginning of the duel is upheld. Of note, if the arbiter finds that either party violates the agreement after the conclusion of the duel, they are responsible for enacting the death penalty on those individuals, and are protected by Kasathan law.

Primary Related Location

Idari