Champion

Champions are people who make a career out of dueling, particularly acting as a hired sword to represent a party in a Trial of Blades or a jousting match. While many mistake them as sellswords or mercenaries, they are separate from these things in that they are exclusively hired to participate in duels or jousts, rather than working as personal bodyguards soldiers for hire to fight in upcoming battles.

Career

Qualifications

Champions are well-trained in the use of all but the most exotic of weaponry, though typically they do not use any ranged weapons. They often spend many years honing their skill before entering into their first duel, and it is this skill with weapons that attracts their clientele. As champions tend to work independently they also need to have a mind for business to ensure they are paid appropriately and are not cheated by their client.

Payment & Reimbursement

Champions are rewarded for their work depending on their success in a duel. When negotiating with a client, the payment reached is typically the amount owed to the champion should that champion win the duel they are being hired to participate in. However, if the champion loses the duel, the client pays half of the agreed upon amount. Duels to the death are more expensive, but should the champion lose the duel the money is paid out to the family of the champion for their service and sacrifice. To ensure that the client pays this sum of money to the champion or their family, an oath will be sworn at a shrine of Æcepan in front of either a Sworn Judge or Oathbinder. The Judge or Oathbinder will hold onto the payment following the agreement between the duelist and their client, and after the duel the Judge/Oathbinder will give the corresponding reward based on a win or loss, sending the full payment to the champion's family in the event of the duelist's death.

Other Benefits

Champions tend to be well-respected amongst the nobility of society, and the more wins that they achieve the more their prestige grows. This means that more people will come to the champion with offers to represent them in an upcoming Trial of Blades or jousting match and that they are willing to pay more for the service of the duelist.

Alternative Names

Trial fighter, Duelist

Type

Military