Challenges and Ambrosia
There are about two hundred sites in New Dunston which produce essence. As factions get more of these, they are able to provide more ambrosia to their members, and as they lose control of essence sites, their members have to make do with less.
By law, the only way an essence site can be transferred from one faction to another is through the challenges. Every two weeks, representatives from the factions gather to conduct a series of contests; in practice, these meetings are where much of the public business of the city is transacted.
There are two rounds of challenges, held on alternating sessions. In the first round, traditionally held in the second week of each month, each faction is permitted to challenge a single other faction to a duel, with the winner's faction receiving a single site of ambrosia from the loser's. Of course, many factions may choose to challenge the same one. In the second round, the factions are randomly paired, and must duel the faction matched to them. Again, the winner's faction receives a single site of ambrosia from the loser.
Factions are also permitted to exchange sites on a one for one basis to prevent a faction's essence sites from drifting too far from their base of operations.
There are sixteen recognized means by which a dual may be conducted. They are arranged in a grid, and one faction chooses the row while the other simultaneously chooses the column. The intersection is the method which will be used. In the first round of duels, the challenger always chooses the row, while in the second, which faction chooses the row is decided at random.
The grid is given below, followed by explanations.
Sword Fighting | Tafl | Boxing | Racing
|
Fire | Archery | String | Falconry
|
Orienteering | Liar's Dice | Escape | Climbing
|
Rock Breaking | Pistols | History | Holding breath
|
- Sword Fighting
Dex x Large Melee
A fight with swords to first blood.
- Tafl
Edu x Sport (Tafl)
An old Germanic board game. (See here for more information.)
- Boxing
Res x Brawling
- Racing
Quick x Sports (Track)
A 1000 meter race
- Fire
Will
Both participants hold their hands in a fire until one pulls out.
- Liar's Dice
Will x Gambling
A single hand of the gambling game Liar's Dice (the variation called "Common Hand" here, but with no wild).
- String
Str x Sport (String)
Two players stand in a circle with their hands connected by a strong piece of string. The winner is the first who forces their opponent to leave the circle without directly touching the other.
- Falconry
Edu x Animal Handling
- Orienteering
Quick x Navigation
The two contestants race through the small maze under the capitol building to visit certain required locations (different for each contest) and then leave.
- Climbing
Str x Climb
- Rock Breaking
Str
The contestants attempt to cut into a rock with a ceremonial sword. The winner is the one who makes the deeper cut.
- Escape
Dex x Escape
The contestants attempt to escape being tied up faster.
- Holding Breath
Res x Swim
The winner is the one who holds their breath the longest
- History
Edu x History (New Dunston)
The contestants are asked questions about New Dunston history.
- Pistols
Quick x Handgun
Ceremonial pistols which do not deal serious injury are used.