Drawing the Circle

Ritual combat, descended from ancient Antari ways.

History

The ancient rites of the Circle harken back to the dawn of Antari culture, when it was used for formal challenges to the leadership of a clan. Nowadays, it is the strictures in which official duels can be fought and settled.

Execution

When a challenge is uttered and accepted, both combatants enter the circle with honour and may make a single claim on the other should they win. Then, each may make additional boasts, up to three in total each. For each boast they take, they may make another claim upon their opponent should they prevail.
The traditional boasts of the Circle are as follows:

• "I shall grant ye the first strike" - Only one of the combatants may grant this.
• "I shall bare my heart before the Gods" - The combatant shall wear no armour.
• "I shall hold no iron." - The combatant shall not use weapons, only their fists and feet.
• "I shall make an offering of myself." - The combatant bloodies themselves before fighting with a ritual knife.
• "One of us will breathe their last." - One way or another, this fight shall end in death.
  

The victor may make one lawful demands on the loser, and additional demands for as many boasts as they have uttered and agreed upon. The loser must comply or forfeit their honour, a grave social injury that stains their family's reputation.

Components and tools

The Circle is always drawn under an open sky, in full view of the old gods and the new. There are always at least one witness for either combatant, but oftentimes whole villages will turn out to bear witness. The duel may or may not include weapons or armour, depending on the terms set by the combatants. 
The Circle is always drawn with a knife in the earth by the witnesses. If any participants willingly leave the Circle, they are considered to have lost the duel. If someone is shoved or driven out of the Circle, they will be given opportunity to return to it to continue the duel.

Participants

Duels are always one-on-one affairs. If any enter the Circle to assist one of the parties before the duel is concluded, the Circle is broken and the duel ends in favour of the opposing party.

Related Ethnicities

• Antari Highlander
• Banteavan Culture