How to duel with a powrie

[Jakob]

Hi to all,

last friday, my PCs decided to challenge a powrie (called Baron Viscera) who lives in the old house of one of the PCs, along with his coterie of folkloric fey kobolds.

The powrie is a half-mad assassin and thief (male powrie assassin 3/shadowdancer 3, CE), and his cohorts (folkloric fey kobolds rogue 3-6) are to blame for the strange sounds heard at night, and for the strange disappearances of precious metals around the town.

The characters managed to bluff him into beleiving that a duel between him and the PC whose house he lives in (female half-vistani monk 8, LG... Yes, she's a half-vistani monk. His father was a Rokuma "naturalized" Darkonian) is part of the Law of the Arak (yes, our aristocrat/wizard knew about the Law. She got a 30 with Knowledge [folklore] and a 30 with Bluff to trick the powrie. That, and excellent roleplay. ).

My question is: what would the Law say about duels? Can you help me creating 5-6 key laws all the Arak would follow when dueling?

Thanks in advance.

EDIT: The powrie is an outcast, who was sent away for kidnapping another fey's changeling (one of the PCs of my old campaign ). He is forced to stay away from the Rift until he "Gathers enough riches to fill a house", that are to be given, then to the fir whose changeling he stole. I'll create his salient weaknesses and the like once I figure out exactly what could be good for him. If you wanna help as well...

EDIT2: "Baron Viscera" is not its truename...

[ScS of the Fraternity]

Arak Laws of dueling, eh?

1) First and foremost, the challenger of the duel must provide an appropriate time and location for the duel. Time and place are very important for duels, for if even the slightest element of ambiance is disrupted, the entire duel is declared null and void.
Suitable locations may include the center of a burning city as its inhabitants are slaughtered, the shadow haunted ruins of a temple not used in 100 years, or a pond where two lovers drowned themselves.
In any case, a long history of appropriate drama is absolutly required for any confrontation.
In preparation of the location, the challenger may take as many centuries as necessary to prepare the dueling grounds. It is suggested, though not required that the challenged party assist the challenger.

2) Both the challenging and challenged parties must name Seconds, to fight in their place should they be unable (or uninterested) in finishing the duel. This is espeically important when mortals are involved, since its entirely likely that mortals will expire of old age long before the dueling ground is prepared. In such case, dueling obligations are passed along the family lines.

3) Duels may be to the death or conversion. The victorious party has the right to slay the vanquished party, but it is considered faux pas. In most cases the vanquished party accepts the loss and begins the long process of changing personality, alignment and shape, becoming a different form of Arak.

4) The princes of the Arak may intervene in any duel. If they decide that a duel is unbalanced, they may elect substitutes. Politcal fueds often work their way into duels. Many times neither the challenger nor challenged have actually participated.

5) When a duel is called, someone must die. As the ancient proverb states, a sword unsheathed must taste blood. Arak blood is precious, so when the victorious and vanquished party agree the duel is over, they merely slay a mortal.

[DocBeard]

Nice.

Gruseome as all hell, but nice.

[Rotipher of the FoS]

5) When a duel is called, someone must die. As the ancient proverb states, a sword unsheathed must taste blood. Arak blood is precious, so when the victorious and vanquished party agree the duel is over, they merely slay a mortal.

Nice touch.

I take it that it wouldn't be just any mortal, but one the losing Arak deems to be of value? They won't risk their own skins (which would break the Law of Arak), but they'll ante their favorite pet mortals' lives on the outcome?

Hmmmm. Something tells me that if the PC doesn't find about that little corollary to the rules until after she's won, she might regret having beaten the powrie! It'd be just like a redcap to pick a "favored mortal"/sacrificial lamb whom the monk can't possibly bring herself to kill in his stead, if she beats him....

[Isabella]

Well, does the winner of the duel pick the mortal, or does the loser offer up one in his stead? And, of course, these are the Arak; they might just find some random mortal that doesn't mean anything to either party involved simply to state tradition. Definitely a detail that should be decided before the match.

[Jakob]

Arak Laws of dueling, eh?

1) First and foremost, the challenger of the duel must provide an appropriate time and location for the duel. Time and place are very important for duels, for if even the slightest element of ambiance is disrupted, the entire duel is declared null and void.
Suitable locations may include the center of a burning city as its inhabitants are slaughtered, the shadow haunted ruins of a temple not used in 100 years, or a pond where two lovers drowned themselves.
In any case, a long history of appropriate drama is absolutly required for any confrontation.
In preparation of the location, the challenger may take as many centuries as necessary to prepare the dueling grounds. It is suggested, though not required that the challenged party assist the challenger.

2) Both the challenging and challenged parties must name Seconds, to fight in their place should they be unable (or uninterested) in finishing the duel. This is espeically important when mortals are involved, since its entirely likely that mortals will expire of old age long before the dueling ground is prepared. In such case, dueling obligations are passed along the family lines.

3) Duels may be to the death or conversion. The victorious party has the right to slay the vanquished party, but it is considered faux pas. In most cases the vanquished party accepts the loss and begins the long process of changing personality, alignment and shape, becoming a different form of Arak.

4) The princes of the Arak may intervene in any duel. If they decide that a duel is unbalanced, they may elect substitutes. Politcal fueds often work their way into duels. Many times neither the challenger nor challenged have actually participated.

5) When a duel is called, someone must die. As the ancient proverb states, a sword unsheathed must taste blood. Arak blood is precious, so when the victorious and vanquished party agree the duel is over, they merely slay a mortal.

Hmm. Neat. It will be challenging to see how the players will react to the rules. After all, they are mortals.

The time and place has been already decided (the character's house, during new moon in an overcast night "so dark will be complete" (to avoid lunatio kicking in at the worst moment ). The problem is: how will the powrie react? After all, to an Unseelie, dueling according to the rules with a mortal would be like a nobleman with his second counting ten steps to shoot a bear...

[ScS of the Fraternity]

After all, to an Unseelie, dueling according to the rules with a mortal would be like a nobleman with his second counting ten steps to shoot a bear...

Indeed it would be, and what kind of nobleman would lower himself to do such a thing? But then, what is a promise given to a dull witted, day-walking, talking farm animal?

Dueling a mortal is as fun as boxing a kangaroo… but with less mucous!

Best of all, the mortal knows next to nothing about true Duels. The prowrie can make up the most ridiculous rules it can imagine, and all it has to do is keep from cracking up while the mortal struggles to comply. And when it’s had its way with the fool mortal, it can just squash the insect like it always planned to do.

[Jakob]

Best of all, the mortal knows next to nothing about true Duels. The prowrie can make up the most ridiculous rules it can imagine, and all it has to do is keep from cracking up while the mortal struggles to comply. And when it’s had its way with the fool mortal, it can just squash the insect like it always planned to do.

He will. This is one of his ideas, in fact. And he's MUCH MORE powerful than the monk PC (he's an assassin/shadowdancer...).
The only chance for the PCs is... Guess what? Researching about him!